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Hans Kraay Sr. facts for kids

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Hans Kraay
Hans Kraay sr..jpg
Kraay in 1976
Personal information
Full name Johan Hendrik Kraay
Date of birth (1936-10-14)14 October 1936
Place of birth Utrecht, Netherlands
Date of death 27 October 2017(2017-10-27) (aged 81)
Place of death Tiel, Netherlands
Playing position Defender
Youth career
DOS
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1956–1961 DOS 155 (0)
1961–1968 Feyenoord 192 (2)
1968–1970 DOS 18 (0)
National team
1957–1964 Netherlands 8 (0)
Teams managed
1968–1969 DFC
1970–1973 Elinkwijk
1973–1974 Go Ahead Eagles
1974–1975 Ajax
1976–1979 AZ'67
1979–1980 Edmonton Drillers
1980 Sparta Rotterdam
1980–1981 Den Haag
1982–1983 Feyenoord
1985–1987 PSV Eindhoven (technical director)
1988–1989 Feyenoord (technical director)
  • Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Hans Kraay (born October 14, 1936 – died October 27, 2017) was a famous Dutch football player. He played as a defender, which means he helped protect his team's goal. After he stopped playing, he became a successful football manager. He was also well-known for sharing his thoughts on football matches on Dutch TV.

Who Was Hans Kraay?

Hans Kraay was born in Utrecht, a city in the Netherlands. He started his professional football career playing for a team called DOS. Later, he also played for Feyenoord, another well-known Dutch club.

After his time as a player, Hans Kraay became a football manager. He managed many different teams, including DFC, Elinkwijk, Go Ahead Eagles, and Ajax Amsterdam. He also managed AZ'67, Edmonton Drillers, Sparta Rotterdam, FC Den Haag, and Feyenoord Rotterdam.

Besides managing, he also worked as a technical director for Feyenoord and PSV Eindhoven. This role often involves helping with player transfers and team strategy. Hans Kraay also worked for TV channels like NOS. He shared his opinions and analyzed football games for viewers.

In 1986, he became the manager of PSV Eindhoven. The team was doing very well and was first in the Dutch League. However, in March 1987, he was replaced by Guus Hiddink.

Hans Kraay's son, Hans Jr., also became a professional footballer. Like his father, Hans Jr. is also a well-known television personality.

Later in his life, Hans Kraay worked for N.E.C. Nijmegen. He was the head of scouting, which means he helped find new talented players. He also advised the chairman of the club.

What Did Hans Kraay Win?

Hans Kraay had a very successful career as a player. Here are some of the major titles he won:

  • In the 1957–58 season, he won the Eredivisie (the top Dutch football league) with his team DOS.
  • In the 1961–62 season, he won the Eredivisie again, this time with Feyenoord.
  • In the 1964–65 season, he won the KNVB Cup (a major Dutch football cup competition) with Feyenoord.
  • In the same 1964–65 season, he also won the Eredivisie with Feyenoord, completing a double win!
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