Michael Reiziger facts for kids
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Reiziger with Ajax as assistant coach in 2023
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 3 May 1973 | ||
| Place of birth | Amstelveen, Netherlands | ||
| Height | 1.78 m | ||
| Playing position | Defender | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | 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) | |
| National team | |||
| 1994–2004 | Netherlands | 72 | (1) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2013–2014 | Sparta Rotterdam (youth) | ||
| 2014–2017 | Sparta Rotterdam (assistant) | ||
| 2017–2019 | Jong Ajax | ||
| 2017 | Ajax (interim) | ||
| 2019–2023 | Ajax (assistant) | ||
| 2023– | Netherlands U21 | ||
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Michael John Reiziger (born 3 May 1973) is a Dutch former professional footballer. He mostly played as a right back defender. Reiziger is currently the head coach for the Netherlands U21 team.
He became famous playing for Ajax, where he won the Champions League. After Ajax, he played for several big teams in different countries. These included Barcelona, A.C. Milan, Middlesbrough, and PSV Eindhoven. He played 249 official games for Barcelona over seven years.
Reiziger also played for the Netherlands national team for ten years. He played in three European Championships and the 1998 World Cup. His team finished fourth in the 1998 World Cup.
Contents
Michael Reiziger's Playing Career
Starting Out in Club Football
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.
Early in his career, he played on loan for two other Dutch clubs. He played for Volendam and then for Groningen. During the 1993–94 season with Groningen, he scored six goals. This was his best 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. 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 tough season with injuries.
After one year, he joined Barcelona in Spain. He spent seven years there, arriving at the same time as his former Ajax coach, Louis van Gaal. Even though he wasn't always a guaranteed starter, he played a lot for Barcelona. He appeared in over 200 games and helped the team win two La Liga titles in a row.
Later Club Years
In 2004, Reiziger moved to Middlesbrough in England. He scored one goal for them in the league. He faced more injury problems during his time there.
Later, he returned to the Netherlands to finish his 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 National Team
Reiziger first played for the Netherlands national team on 12 October 1994. He played for his country in several major tournaments. These included UEFA Euro 1996, the 1998 FIFA World Cup, Euro 2000, and Euro 2004. He retired from international football after Euro 2004.
He played a total of 72 games for the Netherlands over ten years. He scored one international goal during his career.
Michael Reiziger's Coaching Career
After he stopped playing football, Michael Reiziger lived in Barcelona. He later started his coaching career. He coached youth teams at Sparta Rotterdam. Then, he became an assistant coach there.
In June 2017, Reiziger went back to Ajax. He became the manager of the reserve team, which plays in the Eerste Divisie. In his first season, he led the team to win the league title. However, they could not be promoted to a higher league. He also briefly managed the main Ajax team for one match. During this time, they won against Willem II 3–1 at home.
After his contract with Jong Ajax ended, he became an assistant coach for the main Ajax team. In 2023, he became the head coach of the Netherlands U21 team.
Personal Life
Michael Reiziger has a son named Gabriël. Gabriël was born in 2005 and also played in the Ajax youth system, just like his father.
Michael Reiziger's Football 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
Images for kids
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Reiziger (wearing No. 2) in the Dutch wall, facing a free kick against Sweden at Euro 2004
See also
In Spanish: Michael Reiziger para niños
