Patrick Kluivert facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Patrick Kluivert

Kluivert in 2024
Personal information
Date of birth	(1976-07-01) 1 July 1976 (age 49)
Place of birth	Amsterdam, Netherlands
Height	1.91 m
Playing position	Striker
Club information
Current club	Indonesia (head coach)
Youth career
1983–1984	Schellingwoude
1984–1994	Ajax
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1994–1997	Ajax	70	(39)
1997–1998	AC Milan	27	(6)
1998–2004	Barcelona	182	(90)
2004–2005	Newcastle United	25	(6)
2005–2006	Valencia	10	(1)
2006–2007	PSV	16	(3)
2007–2008	Lille	14	(4)
Total		343	(149)
National team
1990–1991	Netherlands U16	2	(0)
1991–1992	Netherlands U17	10	(2)
1992	Netherlands U18	3	(2)
1992–1994	Netherlands U19	20	(6)
1994–2004	Netherlands	79	(40)
Teams managed
2010	Brisbane Roar (assistant)
2011–2013	Twente U21
2012–2014	Netherlands (assistant)
2015–2016	Curaçao
2016	Ajax U19
2018–2019	Cameroon (assistant)
2021	Curaçao (interim)
2023	Adana Demirspor
2025–	Indonesia
Honours Men's football Representing  Netherlands (as assistant manager) FIFA World Cup Third 2014 Brazil Team
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Patrick Stephan Kluivert (born 1 July 1976) is a famous Dutch football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach for the Indonesia national team. During his playing career, he was a powerful striker. He is best known for playing with Ajax, Barcelona, and the Netherlands national team. Many people consider him one of the best Dutch strikers ever.

Kluivert was part of Ajax's amazing "Golden Generation" in the 1990s. He scored the winning goal in the 1995 UEFA Champions League Final when he was only 18 years old. He played for the Spanish club Barcelona for six years. There, he scored 124 goals in 249 games. He worked very well with Rivaldo and helped Barcelona win the Spanish La Liga championship in 1999.

He played for the Netherlands national team from 1994 to 2004. He scored 40 goals in 79 games, making him the fourth-highest goalscorer for the Dutch team. He played in three European Championships and the 1998 FIFA World Cup. He was also the top scorer at Euro 2000, with five goals. In 2004, he was named in the FIFA 100. This list included the 125 greatest living footballers chosen by Pelé.

After retiring as a player, Kluivert started coaching. He was an assistant coach for several clubs. He also led Jong Twente to a national title. He helped the Dutch national team finish third at the 2014 FIFA World Cup as an assistant coach. In 2015, he became the head coach of the Curaçao national team. He later worked as a sporting director for Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona's youth academy.

Early Life and Youth Career

Patrick Kluivert was born in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on July 1, 1976. His father, Kenneth Kluivert, was a professional football player from Suriname. His mother was from Curaçao. Patrick learned to play football on the streets of Amsterdam.

He joined the Ajax Youth Academy at age seven, after playing for a year at a local club called Schellingwoude. As a young player, he tried different positions, even playing as a defender. He was known for his strong technique, smart play, and speed. Kluivert also played for the Dutch national teams for players under 15, 16, and 17.

Playing Career Highlights

Ajax Success

Kluivert was a key player in Ajax's "Golden Generation" of the 1990s. He made his first team debut for Ajax on August 21, 1994. He was only 18 years old. This debut was in the Dutch Supercup against their rival, Feyenoord. He scored his first goal in that match.

In the 1994–95 Eredivisie season, he was Ajax's top scorer with 18 goals in 25 games. His team, led by Louis van Gaal, won the Dutch championship without losing a single match. That same season, Kluivert and other young Ajax stars, like Edgar Davids and Clarence Seedorf, made a big impact in Europe. He came off the bench to score the winning goal in the 1995 UEFA Champions League Final against AC Milan. He was the youngest player to score in a Champions League final.

In the 1995–96 season, he was again Ajax's top scorer with 15 goals. The club won five trophies that year, including the Eredivisie. He scored the winning goal in the 1995 Dutch Supercup against Feyenoord. He also scored in the 1995 UEFA Super Cup win over Real Zaragoza.

Kluivert was also important in Ajax's defense of their Champions League title. He scored in away wins against Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund. However, a knee injury kept him from playing the full game in the 1996 UEFA Champions League Final. Ajax lost that final to Juventus.

After the 1996–97 season, Kluivert left Ajax. He had scored 39 goals in 70 league matches for the club.

Moving to AC Milan

Kluivert joined AC Milan in Italy. His time there started well, as he scored a great goal against Juventus in a friendly tournament. However, he only stayed for one season. He scored six goals in 27 Serie A matches. Milan finished in tenth place that year.

Barcelona Years

On August 28, 1998, Kluivert signed a four-year contract with Barcelona in Spain. He joined his former coach from Ajax, Louis van Gaal. Kluivert scored 16 league goals in his first season. He formed a strong partnership with Rivaldo. Together, they helped Barcelona win the Spanish La Liga title in 1998–99.

The next season was also good for Kluivert. He was Barcelona's top scorer with 15 league goals. He continued to be the top scorer twice more in his next four seasons at Barcelona. However, the team did not win any major trophies for five years after their 1999 league success. In 2004, Kluivert left Barcelona. He had scored 124 goals in 249 games for the club.

Time in England and Spain

In July 2004, Kluivert joined Newcastle United in England. He said he joined because of the great welcome he received when playing against them before. He also wanted to play with stars like Alan Shearer. Kluivert scored important goals for Newcastle. These included winning goals against Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup. He also scored five goals in the UEFA Cup that season. He finished the 2004–05 season as Newcastle's second-highest goal scorer with 13 goals. Despite this, he left Newcastle in the summer of 2005.

Kluivert then returned to Spain to play for Valencia. He spent most of the 2005–06 season injured. Valencia finished third in La Liga, which qualified them for the Champions League.

Return to the Netherlands and France

In 2006, Kluivert signed a one-year deal with PSV in the Netherlands. He made his PSV debut against Feyenoord, just like his Ajax debut. He came on as a substitute in a 2–1 win. He had two injuries during the first half of the season, which limited his playing time. In a game against his old club Ajax, he chose not to celebrate after scoring a goal. He left PSV in July 2007.

On July 25, 2007, Kluivert joined the French team Lille. He played there for one season.

International Career for the Netherlands

Kluivert played his first full international match for the Netherlands on November 16, 1994. It was a European qualifier against the Czech Republic. In his second game, on March 29, 1995, he scored his first international goal against Malta.

In December 1995, Kluivert scored both goals in a 2–0 win against the Republic of Ireland. This win helped the Netherlands qualify for UEFA Euro 1996. He missed most of the tournament due to a knee injury. However, he scored against host nation England. This goal helped the Netherlands move to the next round.

At the 1998 FIFA World Cup, Kluivert was sent off in a game against Belgium. But he made up for it by scoring the first goal against Argentina in the quarter-finals. In the semi-final, he scored a late goal against Brazil to tie the game. However, the Netherlands lost in a penalty shootout.

At UEFA Euro 2000, which was held in the Netherlands and Belgium, Kluivert scored three goals in a 6–1 win against Yugoslavia. He was originally credited with four goals, but one was later changed to an own goal. If all four had counted, he would have been the first player to score four times in a European Championship match. The Dutch team lost to Italy in the semi-finals on penalties. Kluivert scored five goals in five games, sharing the Golden Boot award with Savo Milošević.

Kluivert wore the famous number 9 jersey for his country at UEFA Euro 2004. The Dutch team reached the semi-finals of that tournament. He was not chosen for the 2006 FIFA World Cup squad. This was because of ongoing injuries that kept him from playing for his club. Kluivert was the all-time leading goalscorer for the Dutch national team with 40 goals for many years. Robin van Persie passed his record in 2013.

Playing Style

Even though Kluivert was tall, he was very quick and had an amazing first touch. He often used clever moves, like the Cruyff turn, to get past defenders. This was thanks to his speed, great technical skills, and football intelligence. Kluivert also used his height and strength to win aerial balls. Many thought he was one of the best headers of the ball at the time.

He was a versatile player who could score goals and had good vision. He could play in different positions on the field.

Coaching Career

Starting Out

In April 2008, Patrick Kluivert began training to become a professional football coach. He started as an assistant coach for clubs like AZ and NEC. In January 2010, he became an assistant coach for the Australian team Brisbane Roar.

From 2011 to 2012, he coached the Twente youth and reserve team, Jong Twente. He led them to win a national title in the Dutch reserves league. In August 2012, Kluivert joined the Netherlands national team coaching staff. He worked under head coach Louis van Gaal. They helped the Netherlands finish third in the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Coaching Curaçao

On March 5, 2015, Kluivert became the manager of the Curaçao national football team. He led them through the first two rounds of 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification. On September 8, 2015, Curaçao was eliminated in the third qualifying round by El Salvador. Kluivert resigned as head coach on September 10, 2015, after helping the country achieve their best World Cup qualifying performance.

He later decided to stay on as head coach for Curaçao's Caribbean Cup qualifying matches in 2016. On May 2, 2016, it was announced that Kluivert would coach the Ajax A1 (under-19) team. This meant he would coach his son, Justin Kluivert.

Kluivert continued to coach Curaçao for the second round of Caribbean Cup qualifiers. Curaçao won both their matches, defeating Guyana and the U.S. Virgin Islands. On July 14, 2016, Kluivert announced he would not coach the Ajax under-19 team. Instead, he took a job as director of football for the French club Paris Saint-Germain. His work for Curaçao helped the team qualify for both the 2017 Caribbean Cup and the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Assistant and Interim Roles

In August 2018, Kluivert became an assistant coach for the Cameroon national football team. He left this role in July 2019. A few days later, he became the academy director for Barcelona. However, his contract ended in June 2021.

In May 2021, Kluivert returned to the Curaçao national team as an interim coach. This was while the main coach was recovering from illness. In July, the team had to withdraw from a tournament due to a health outbreak.

Adana Demirspor and Indonesia

On June 30, 2023, Kluivert was announced as the new manager for the Turkish club Adana Demirspor. He signed a two-year contract. However, on December 4, 2023, he left the club by agreement.

On January 12, 2025, the Football Association of Indonesia officially named Kluivert as the new coach of the Indonesia national team. He signed a two-year contract with a chance to extend it.

Family Life

Kluivert in 2008

Patrick Kluivert is the second son of Kenneth Kluivert, who was also a professional football player. His father played for the Suriname national team. Patrick's mother was born in Curaçao. His parents moved to the Netherlands in 1970.

Patrick has four children: Quincy, Justin, Ruben, and Shane. Justin, like his father, came through the Ajax youth system. He has played for the Netherlands national team and currently plays for Bournemouth. Ruben made his debut for Utrecht in 2022 and now plays for Casa Pia AC.

Career Statistics

Club Appearances

International Appearances

Scores and results list the Netherlands' goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Kluivert goal.

List of international goals scored by Patrick Kluivert

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	29 March 1995	De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands	Malta	4–0	4–0	UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying
2	13 December 1995	Anfield, Liverpool, England	Republic of Ireland	1–0	2–0	UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying
3				2–0
4	18 June 1996	Wembley Stadium, London, England	England	1–4	1–4	UEFA Euro 1996
5	29 March 1997	Amsterdam Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands	San Marino	1–0	4–0	1998 FIFA World Cup qualification
6	6 September 1997	De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands	Belgium	2–0	3–1	1998 FIFA World Cup qualification
7	24 February 1998	Pro Player Stadium, Miami Gardens, United States	Mexico	1–0	3–2	Friendly
8				2–0
9	1 June 1998	Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands	Paraguay	3–1	5–1	Friendly
10	5 June 1998	Amsterdam Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands	Nigeria	3–0	5–1	Friendly
11				4–1
12	4 July 1998	Stade Vélodrome, Marseille, France	Argentina	1–0	2–1	1998 FIFA World Cup
13	7 July 1998	Stade Vélodrome, Marseille, France	Brazil	1–1	1–1	1998 FIFA World Cup
14	5 June 1999	Estádio Octávio Mangabeira, Nazaré, Brazil	Brazil	1–2	2–2	Friendly
15	4 September 1999	De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands	Belgium	3–2	5–5	Friendly
16				4–4
17				5–4
18	23 February 2000	Amsterdam Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands	Germany	1–0	2–1	Friendly
19	29 March 2000	King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium	Belgium	1–2	2–2	Friendly
20				2–2
21	27 May 2000	Amsterdam Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands	Romania	2–0	2–1	Friendly
22	4 June 2000	Stade Olympique de la Pontaise, Lausanne, Switzerland	Poland	2–1	3–1	Friendly
23				3–1
24	16 June 2000	De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands	Denmark	1–0	3–0	UEFA Euro 2000
25	21 June 2000	Amsterdam Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands	France	1–1	3–2	UEFA Euro 2000
26	25 June 2000	De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands	Yugoslavia	1–0	6–1	UEFA Euro 2000
27				2–0
28				4–0
29	7 October 2000	GSP Stadium, Nicosia, Cyprus	Cyprus	4–0	4–0	2002 FIFA World Cup qualification
30	24 March 2001	Mini Estadi, Barcelona, Spain	Andorra	1–0	5–0	2002 FIFA World Cup qualification
31	28 March 2001	Estádio das Antas, Porto, Portugal	Portugal	2–0	2–2	2002 FIFA World Cup qualification
32	25 April 2001	Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands	Cyprus	3–0	4–0	2002 FIFA World Cup qualification
33	2 June 2001	Lilleküla Stadium, Tallinn, Estonia	Estonia	3–2	4–2	2002 FIFA World Cup qualification
34	13 February 2002	Amsterdam Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands	England	1–0	1–1	Friendly
35	7 September 2002	Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands	Belarus	2–0	3–0	UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying
36	20 November 2002	Arena AufSchalke, Gelsenkirchen, Germany	Germany	1–0	3–1	Friendly
37	30 April 2003	Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands	Portugal	1–0	1–1	Friendly
38	7 June 2003	Dinamo Stadium, Minsk, Belarus	Belarus	2–0	2–0	UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying
39	6 September 2003	De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands	Austria	2–1	3–1	UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying
40	11 October 2003	Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands	Moldova	1–0	5–0	UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying

Managerial Statistics

Awards and Achievements

As a Player

Ajax

• Eredivisie: 1994–95, 1995–96
• Super Cup: 1994, 1995
• UEFA Champions League: 1994–95
• UEFA Super Cup: 1995
• Intercontinental Cup: 1995

Barcelona

• La Liga: 1998–99

PSV

• Eredivisie: 2006–07

Individual Awards

• UEFA Euro 2000 Golden Boot (five goals)
• UEFA Euro 2000 Team of the Tournament
• FIFA 100 (named one of the greatest living footballers)
• Dutch Football Talent of the Year: 1995
• Bravo Award: 1995

As a Manager

Jong Twente

• Beloften Eredivisie: 2011–12

Netherlands (as assistant manager)

• FIFA World Cup third place: 2014

Images for kids

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  Kluivert in 2008