Hans van Breukelen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Hans van Breukelen

Van Breukelen in 2011
Personal information
Full name	Johannes Franciscus van Breukelen
Date of birth	(1956-10-04) 4 October 1956 (age 68)
Place of birth	Utrecht, Netherlands
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Youth career
1964–1975	BVC
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1975–1982	FC Utrecht	142	(0)
1982–1984	Nottingham Forest	61	(0)
1984–1994	PSV Eindhoven	308	(0)
Total		511	(0)
International career
1980–1992	Netherlands	73	(0)
Medal record Representing  Netherlands UEFA European Championship Winner 1988 West Germany Third 1992 Sweden
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Johannes Franciscus "Hans" van Breukelen (born 4 October 1956) is a famous Dutch footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He is known for his amazing saves and winning many trophies. From 2017 to 2018, he was the technical director for the Dutch national football association.

Van Breukelen started his career at FC Utrecht. He later played for Nottingham Forest in England before joining PSV Eindhoven in 1984. With PSV, he became a star, winning six league titles and three domestic cups. His biggest moment came in 1988 when he helped PSV win the European Cup. He saved a crucial penalty in the final shootout.

He was also a hero for the Netherlands national team, playing 73 times. He helped his country win the UEFA Euro 1988 championship, where he famously saved another penalty in the final match. After retiring from football, he became a businessman and also worked in football management.

Hans van Breukelen is one of only five European players to win a Treble (three major trophies in one season) with his club and a major tournament with his country in the same year.

Early Life and Career Start

Hans van Breukelen was born in Utrecht, Netherlands. He began playing football for a local amateur team called BVC in 1964. By the time he was 17, he was already playing for the main team. Soon after, he was signed by the professional club FC Utrecht.

While playing football, Van Breukelen also studied to become a teacher. He even finished his studies in pedagogy (the study of teaching) and worked at schools while he was a professional player.

Club Career

FC Utrecht and Nottingham Forest

Van Breukelen started on the reserve team at FC Utrecht but quickly became the main goalkeeper. On March 20, 1977, he played his first official game. For four years, he was the team's number one choice in goal. In the 1980–81 season, he helped Utrecht finish in third place, their best result ever.

Hans van Breukelen (right) trying to stop a shot from Theo de Jong in 1979.

In 1982, FC Utrecht needed money, so they sold Van Breukelen to the English club Nottingham Forest for £200,000. He had a great start, not letting in any goals in his first game. However, an injury kept him out for four months. When he returned, he helped the team qualify for the UEFA Cup, a major European competition.

Van Breukelen with his trainer, Han Berger.

The next season, he played 36 league games and kept 11 clean sheets (games without conceding a goal). But Van Breukelen often had to leave to play for the Dutch national team, which caused arguments with his club. Because he wanted to keep his spot on the national team, he decided to leave England in 1984.

PSV Eindhoven

Van Breukelen returned to the Netherlands to play for PSV Eindhoven. In his first two seasons, PSV won the league championship, which were Van Breukelen's first big trophies.

The 1987–88 season was the best of his career. PSV won the league title, the KNVB Cup, and the famous European Cup. This amazing achievement is called a treble. In the European Cup final against Benfica, the game was tied 0-0 and went to a penalty shootout. Van Breukelen saved the final penalty, winning the cup for PSV. For his amazing performance, he was named Dutch Goalkeeper of the Year, an award he won four times.

Van Breukelen celebrating with the European Cup trophy after the final in Stuttgart.

Over the next few years, Van Breukelen and PSV continued to win. They won the league and cup double again in the 1988-89 season. They also won the Dutch cup in 1990 and two more league titles in 1991 and 1992.

Van Breukelen and coach Guus Hiddink holding the European Cup after arriving at Eindhoven Airport.

In 1994, Van Breukelen decided to retire from football. He was honored with a special farewell match by PSV. In total, he played 308 league matches for the club.

International Career

Hans van Breukelen playing for the Netherlands in 1987.

Van Breukelen made his first appearance for the Netherlands on October 11, 1980. For several years, the team struggled to qualify for big tournaments like the World Cup and the European Championship.

However, things changed for the UEFA Euro 1988 tournament. The Netherlands team was very strong and made it through the group stage. They beat their rivals West Germany in the semi-finals. Van Breukelen said that beating the Germans "meant more to us than reaching the European Championship Final."

In the final, the Netherlands played against the Soviet Union and won 2-0 to become European champions. During the match, Van Breukelen gave away a penalty, but he then saved the shot from Igor Belanov. He was named the best goalkeeper of the tournament.

Van Breukelen also played in the 1990 World Cup and Euro 1992. At Euro 1992, the Netherlands lost to Denmark in a penalty shootout in the semi-finals. This was his last game for the national team. He played a total of 73 games for his country, which was a record for a Dutch goalkeeper at the time.

Life After Football

After he stopped playing, Van Breukelen became a successful businessman. He started his own company that gives talks and training to other businesses. He also worked in football management. He was the director of football at FC Utrecht from 1997 to 2000.

In 2010, he joined the board of directors at his old club, PSV Eindhoven. From 2016 to 2018, he served as the technical director for the Dutch Football Association, helping to guide the future of Dutch football.

In 2023, he appeared on the Dutch version of the TV show The Masked Singer.

Career statistics

Club

International

Honours

PSV Eindhoven

• Eredivisie (6): 1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1990–91, 1991–92
• KNVB Cup: 1987–88, 1988–89, 1989–90
• Johan Cruijff Shield: 1992
• European Cup: 1987–88

Netherlands

• UEFA European Championship: 1988

Individual

• Dutch Goalkeeper of the Year: 1987, 1988, 1991, 1992
• UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 1988
• IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper: Silver ball 1988
• IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper: Bronze ball 1992

See also

In Spanish: Hans van Breukelen para niños