Michael Reiziger facts for kids
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Reiziger with Ajax as assistant coach in 2023
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Michael John Reiziger | ||
| Date of birth | 3 May 1973 | ||
| Place of birth | Amstelveen, Netherlands | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Netherlands U21 (Head Coach) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Sint Martinus | |||
| 1985–1990 | Ajax | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1990–1996 | Ajax | 83 | (1) |
| 1992–1993 | → Volendam (loan) | 10 | (2) |
| 1993–1994 | → Groningen (loan) | 34 | (6) |
| 1996–1997 | A.C. Milan | 10 | (0) |
| 1997–2004 | Barcelona | 173 | (0) |
| 2004–2005 | Middlesbrough | 22 | (1) |
| 2005–2007 | PSV | 24 | (1) |
| Total | 356 | (11) | |
| International career | |||
| 1994–2004 | Netherlands | 72 | (1) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2017–2019 | Jong Ajax | ||
| 2017 | Ajax (interim) | ||
| 2023– | Netherlands U21 | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Michael John Reiziger, born on May 3, 1973, is a famous Dutch former footballer. He mostly played as a right back, which is a defensive position on the field. After his playing career, Reiziger became a coach. He is currently the head coach for the Netherlands U21 team.
Reiziger became well-known while playing for Ajax, a top club in the Netherlands. With Ajax, he won the Champions League, which is one of the biggest football competitions in Europe. He then played for several other famous teams in different countries. These included A.C. Milan in Italy, Barcelona in Spain, and Middlesbrough in England. He played 249 official games for Barcelona over seven years. Later, he returned to the Netherlands to play for PSV Eindhoven.
Michael Reiziger also played for the Dutch national team for ten years. He took part in three European Championships and the 1998 World Cup. In the 1998 World Cup, his team finished in fourth place.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Starting His Club Journey
Michael Reiziger was born in Amstelveen, Netherlands. His parents were from Suriname. He began his football journey at his hometown club, Ajax, when he was just 17 years old. To gain more experience, he was loaned out to other teams. He played for Volendam and then Groningen. During the 1993–94 season with Groningen, he scored six goals. This was his best goal-scoring season, and he sometimes played as a midfielder too.
Success with Ajax and Barcelona
When Reiziger returned to Ajax, he became a very important defender for the team. He helped Ajax win many titles, including the UEFA Champions League in 1995. In 1996, he moved to A.C. Milan in Italy. However, he had a season with many injuries there.
After one year, he moved to Barcelona in Spain. He stayed there for seven years. He joined Barcelona at the same time as his former Ajax coach, Louis van Gaal. Reiziger played a lot for Barcelona, appearing in over 200 games. He helped the team win two La Liga titles in a row.
Later Club Years
In 2004, Reiziger joined Middlesbrough in England. He scored one goal for them in a league game against Aston Villa in December 2004. He faced more injury problems during his time there.
After leaving Middlesbrough, he went back to the Netherlands. He finished his playing career at PSV Eindhoven. In his second year with PSV, he won the Eredivisie league title. He also played alongside his former Ajax, Barcelona, and national teammate Patrick Kluivert at PSV.
Playing for the Netherlands
Michael Reiziger played his first game for the Dutch national team on October 12, 1994, against Norway. He represented his country in several major tournaments. These included UEFA Euro 1996, the 1998 FIFA World Cup, Euro 2000, and Euro 2004. He stopped playing for the national team after Euro 2004.
Reiziger played a total of 72 games for the Netherlands over ten years.
International Goal Scored
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 18 November 1998 | Parkstadion, Gelsenkirchen, Germany |  Germany |
1–0 | 1–1 | Friendly |
Coaching Career
After he stopped playing football, Michael Reiziger lived in Barcelona. He started coaching youth teams at Sparta Rotterdam. Later, he worked as an assistant coach for other teams.
On June 20, 2017, Reiziger returned to Ajax. He became the manager of the reserve team, which plays in the Eerste Divisie league. In his first season, he led the team to win the league title. However, they could not be promoted to a higher league because they were a reserve team. He also briefly managed the main Ajax team as an interim coach for one match. During that game, Ajax won 3–1 against Willem II.
After his contract with Jong Ajax ended, he became an assistant coach for the main Ajax team. Since 2023, he has been the head coach of the Netherlands U21 team.
Personal Life
Michael Reiziger has a son named Gabriël, who was born in 2005. Gabriël also trained in the youth system at Ajax, just like his father.
Honours and Achievements
As a Player
Ajax
- Eredivisie: 1994–95, 1995–96
- KNVB Cup: 1992–93
- Dutch Supercup: 1994, 1995
- UEFA Champions League: 1994–95
- UEFA Cup: 1991–92
- UEFA Super Cup: 1995
- Intercontinental Cup: 1995
Barcelona
- La Liga: 1997–98, 1998–99
- Copa del Rey: 1997–98
- UEFA Super Cup: 1997
PSV
- Eredivisie: 2005–06, 2006–07
As a Manager
Jong Ajax
- Eerste Divisie: 2017–18
See also
In Spanish: Michael Reiziger para niños
