UEFA European Championship

Representing Netherlands
Winner	1988 West Germany
Third	1992 Sweden
Representing Netherlands (as manager)
UEFA Nations League
Runner-up	2019 Portugal

*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Ronald Koeman (born 21 March 1963) is a famous Dutch football manager and former player. He is currently the manager of the Netherlands national team. Koeman was known for scoring over 250 goals during his playing career, even though he mostly played as a defender. He was great at shooting from long distances and scoring from free kicks and penalties. Many people consider him one of the best attacking defenders ever.

Koeman started his career in the Netherlands. He played for Groningen, Ajax, and PSV. With PSV, he won three league titles in a row and the European Cup in 1988. This was a huge achievement! In 1989, he joined Barcelona in Spain. There, he was part of the famous "Dream Team" and helped them win four league titles. He also scored the winning goal in the 1992 European Cup Final, making Barcelona European champions for the first time.

For his country, Koeman was a key player for the Netherlands national team. He won the UEFA Euro 1988 tournament and played in two FIFA World Cups. As a manager, Koeman has also been very successful. He has won league titles with Ajax and PSV in the Netherlands. He also managed big clubs like Benfica in Portugal, Valencia in Spain, and Southampton and Everton in England. He managed the Netherlands national team from 2018 to 2020 and returned to the role in 2023.

Playing Career Highlights

Starting in the Netherlands

Ronald Koeman began his professional football journey at Groningen. He made his first appearance when he was just 17 years old. In his three seasons there, he scored 33 goals in 90 games as a defender. This impressive performance led him to join Ajax, one of the top clubs in the Netherlands, in 1983.

After his first season, Ajax won the Eredivisie title in the 1984–85 season. The next year, Johan Cruyff became the coach. Even though Ajax scored many goals and won the KNVB Cup, they finished second in the league behind their rivals, PSV.

Koeman (right) celebrating a goal with Eric Gerets and Edward Linskens in the 1987–88 European Cup semi-final in Madrid

In 1986, Koeman made a big move to PSV. Under coach Guus Hiddink, PSV won the league title in 1986–87. Koeman continued to have great success with PSV. They won the Eredivisie title two more times in 1987–88 and 1988–89. PSV also won their first and only European Cup in 1988. They also won the KNVB Cup in both 1988 and 1989. This meant they achieved a "treble" (winning three major trophies in one season) in 1988 and a "double" (winning two major trophies) in 1989. Koeman scored 51 goals in 98 league games for PSV, which is amazing for a defender!

Success with Barcelona

In 1989, Koeman joined Barcelona in Spain, where he reunited with his former Ajax coach, Johan Cruyff. He became a key player in Barcelona's famous "Dream Team." With this team, Koeman helped Barcelona win the Copa del Rey in 1990.

He also helped the club win the La Liga title four years in a row, from 1991 to 1994. In the 1992 European Cup Final, Koeman scored the only goal with a powerful free-kick. This goal made Barcelona European champions for the very first time. He was also the first player to score in two different European competition finals in a row.

Koeman was famous for his strong right-footed free kicks and his ability to score from dead-ball situations. He scored many important goals for Barcelona. One of his best goals in La Liga was in a memorable 5–0 win against Real Madrid in 1994. He was also one of the top scorers in the 1993–94 UEFA Champions League with eight goals.

While playing for Barcelona, he had nicknames like "Tintin" because he looked like the cartoon character, and "Floquet de Neu," after a famous albino gorilla.

Finishing Career in the Netherlands

After six successful years and over 200 games at Barcelona, Koeman returned to the Netherlands in 1995. He joined Feyenoord, becoming one of the few players to play for all three of the biggest Dutch football clubs: Ajax, PSV, and Feyenoord. He played two seasons for Feyenoord, helping them finish third and second in the Eredivisie.

Koeman ended his playing career with 192 league goals from 533 matches. This is more goals than any other defender in the history of football!

International Career for the Netherlands

Koeman with the Dutch national team in 1983

In April 1983, Ronald Koeman and his brother Erwin both played their first game for the Netherlands national team. Ronald scored his first international goal later that year against Iceland.

The Netherlands did not qualify for Euro 1984 or the 1986 FIFA World Cup. Koeman's first major tournament was UEFA Euro 1988 in West Germany. In the semi-final, the Dutch team beat the host nation, West Germany. Koeman scored a crucial penalty kick to tie the game at 1–1.

In the final, the Netherlands defeated the Soviet Union 2–0. This win gave the Netherlands their only major international trophy. This was an amazing year for Koeman, as he also won the treble with PSV. Both Koeman and his defensive partner, Frank Rijkaard, were chosen for the Team of the Tournament.

Koeman also played for the Netherlands in the 1990 and 1994 World Cups, and at Euro 1992. He played a total of 78 games for the Netherlands and scored 14 goals.

Managerial Journey

Starting as a Coach

After retiring as a player, Koeman joined the Netherlands national team's coaching staff for the 1998 FIFA World Cup. In 2000, he got his first job as a head coach at Vitesse. He led the team to a spot in the UEFA Cup in his only season there.

Leading Ajax to Titles

Koeman became the manager of Ajax in 2001. He quickly found success, winning both the league title and the KNVB Cup in 2001–02. He won the Eredivisie title again in 2003–04. However, after Ajax was knocked out of the UEFA Cup in February 2005, Koeman decided to resign. During his time at Ajax, young stars like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Wesley Sneijder, and Rafael van der Vaart began their careers.

Time in Portugal and Return to PSV

In June 2005, Koeman became the manager of Portuguese champions Benfica. He won the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira in August 2005. Benfica finished third in the league that season. Koeman also led Benfica to the quarter-finals of the 2005–06 UEFA Champions League, where they beat Manchester United and Liverpool before losing to Barcelona.

In the 2006–07 season, Koeman returned to PSV as head coach. PSV had a strong start but faced challenges later in the season due to player injuries. In a very close finish, PSV, AZ, and Ajax all had 72 points before the last game. PSV won their final match 5–1 against Vitesse, becoming Eredivisie champions by just one goal difference over Ajax. For the second year in a row, he guided a team to the Champions League quarter-finals, beating Arsenal before losing to Liverpool.

Managing Valencia and AZ

On 31 October 2007, Koeman became the new coach of Valencia in Spain. He won the 2007–08 Copa del Rey with Valencia, which was the club's first Copa del Rey since 1999. However, the rest of his time at Valencia was difficult. The team dropped to 15th place in the league and finished last in their Champions League group. After a big 1–5 loss to Athletic Bilbao, Koeman was sacked on 21 April 2008.

Koeman was then appointed manager of AZ on 18 May 2009. However, after losing 7 of their first 16 league games, AZ announced on 5 December 2009 that Koeman was no longer in charge.

Back to Feyenoord

Koeman with Feyenoord in 2012

On 21 July 2011, Koeman became the manager of Feyenoord. This made him the first person to have played for and managed all three of the "traditional big three" Dutch clubs: Ajax, PSV, and Feyenoord. He extended his contract in 2012. In February 2014, Koeman announced he would leave Feyenoord at the end of the 2013–14 season to look for new challenges.

Premier League Experience

Koeman as manager of Southampton in September 2014

In June 2014, Koeman was named the new manager of Southampton in England. His brother Erwin joined him as assistant manager. In his first six games, Southampton won four, drew one, and lost one, moving up to second place in the league. Koeman was named Premier League Manager of the Month for September. He won the award again in January 2015 and January 2016. He led Southampton to their highest ever Premier League finish, sixth place, and qualified for the UEFA Europa League.

Koeman managing Everton in 2017

On 14 June 2016, Koeman became the manager of Everton. In his first season, he led Everton to qualify for the Europa League. Before the 2017–18 season, Koeman had a large budget to buy new players. However, he was sacked on 23 October 2017, after Everton dropped into the relegation zone following a 2–5 home defeat against Arsenal.

Managing the Netherlands National Team

On 6 February 2018, Koeman was appointed manager of the Netherlands national team. He replaced Dick Advocaat, who had resigned after the team failed to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

On 9 June 2019, the Netherlands finished as runners-up in the 2018–19 UEFA Nations League after losing 0–1 to Portugal in the final. Under his leadership, the Netherlands qualified for a major tournament, UEFA Euro 2020, for the first time since the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Return to Barcelona

On 19 August 2020, Koeman was announced as the new manager of Barcelona. He took over after a very difficult 8–2 defeat for Barcelona in the Champions League. In his first game, Barcelona won 4–0. However, he later faced some tough losses, including his first Clásico against Real Madrid.

On 17 January 2021, Barcelona lost 3–2 to Athletic Bilbao in the Supercopa de España final. On 17 April, Koeman led Barcelona to a 4–0 win over Athletic Bilbao in the 2021 Copa del Rey Final, winning a trophy. Barcelona finished third in the league that season.

The 2021–22 season started with a win, but Barcelona then had a difficult run of games, including losses in the Champions League and against Atletico Madrid. On 24 October, after a 2–1 defeat against Real Madrid at home, Koeman became the first manager since 1936 to lose three Clásicos in a row. On 28 October, Koeman was relieved of his duties as manager.

Second Time with the Netherlands

On 6 April 2022, it was announced that Koeman would return to manage the Netherlands national team starting 1 January 2023, after the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He officially began his second term on 23 January 2023. His first match back was a 4–0 defeat against France in UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying.

In the 2024 European Championship, the Netherlands were in Group D with France, Poland, and Austria. They beat Poland 2–1 and drew 0–0 with France. They lost their final group match to Austria but still qualified for the Round of 16 as one of the best third-placed teams. They then beat Romania 3–0 and Turkey 2–1 in the quarter-finals. However, they were eliminated by England in the semi-finals, losing 2–1. This was the first time since the 2014 World Cup that the Netherlands reached the semi-finals of a major international tournament.

Playing Style

Ronald Koeman was a calm player who was good with the ball. He could play as both a defender and a midfielder. He often played as a "sweeper," which is a defender who plays behind the main defensive line, because he had great vision and ball control. He is considered one of the best attacking central defenders ever because he scored so many goals.

Koeman was known for his long passes and powerful shots from far away, especially from free kicks. He was also very accurate with his free kicks and penalties. He is the top-scoring defender in world football history and Barcelona's top-scoring defender. Because of his amazing free-kick skills, he was nicknamed the King of free kicks. He could hit the ball with great power or curl it into the net.

Managerial Style

As a manager, Koeman usually sets up his teams to be strong defensively but also to attack well. He likes his teams to be disciplined and well-organized. He wants his teams to control the game and play attacking football. He also believes in clear and direct communication with his players.

Records and Achievements

Koeman is the highest-scoring defender in world football, with 90 goals for Barcelona in all competitions. He is Barcelona's second-highest goalscorer from free kicks, with 26 goals, only behind Lionel Messi. He also holds the record for 25 successful penalty conversions in a row in La Liga. With 67 goals, he is the second most prolific defender in La Liga history.

Personal Life

Ronald Koeman's father, Martin Koeman, was also a Dutch international footballer. His older brother, Erwin Koeman, was also his teammate for the national team. Ronald is married to Bartina Koeman, and their son, Ronald Koeman Jr., is a professional goalkeeper. In 2019, when Erwin became the coach of the Oman national team, Ronald and Erwin became the first brothers to manage two different national teams at the same time.

Koeman is an ambassador for an anti-smoking campaign called "Kick it with Help." He joined the campaign after his wife and his friend Johan Cruyff were diagnosed with cancer. A three-part documentary series about Koeman, called Força Koeman, was released in 2021. Koeman has been visiting the Algarve region in Portugal since 1988 and built a house there.

Career Statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club	Season	League			National cup		Continental		Other		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Groningen	1980–81	Eredivisie	24	4	3	2	—		—		27	6
	1981–82	Eredivisie	33	14	1	0	—		—		34	14
	1982–83	Eredivisie	33	14	4	0	—		—		37	14
	Total		90	32	8	2	—		—		98	34
Ajax	1983–84	Eredivisie	32	7	4	2	2	0	—		38	9
	1984–85	Eredivisie	30	9	2	1	4	3	—		36	13
	1985–86	Eredivisie	32	7	6	1	2	0	—		40	8
	Total		94	23	12	4	8	3	—		114	30
PSV	1986–87	Eredivisie	34	16	3	3	2	0	—		39	19
	1987–88	Eredivisie	32	21	6	4	8	1	—		46	26
	1988–89	Eredivisie	32	14	6	1	4	2	3	1	45	18
	Total		98	51	15	8	14	3	3	1	130	63
Barcelona	1989–90	La Liga	36	14	7	4	4	1	1	0	48	19
	1990–91	La Liga	21	6	4	2	7	4	0	0	32	12
	1991–92	La Liga	35	16	2	0	11	1	1	0	49	17
	1992–93	La Liga	33	11	3	0	3	0	4	0	43	11
	1993–94	La Liga	35	11	2	0	12	8	1	0	50	19
	1994–95	La Liga	32	9	1	0	8	1	1	0	42	10
	Total		192	67	19	6	45	15	8	0	264	88
Feyenoord	1995–96	Eredivisie	31	10	3	1	7	3	1	0	42	14
	1996–97	Eredivisie	30	9	2	0	5	0	—		37	9
	Total		61	19	5	1	12	3	1	0	79	23
Career total			535	192	59	21	79	24	12	1	685	238

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Netherlands	1983	6	1
	1984	1	0
	1985	1	0
	1986	6	0
	1987	7	2
	1988	10	1
	1989	8	3
	1990	9	3
	1991	4	0
	1992	12	0
	1993	5	2
	1994	9	2
Total		78	14

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

List of international goals scored by Ronald Koeman
No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	7 September 1983	Oosterpark Stadion, Groningen, Netherlands	Iceland	1–0	3–0	UEFA Euro 1984 qualifier
2	9 December 1987	Stadion De Meer, Amsterdam, Netherlands	Cyprus	3–0	4–0	UEFA Euro 1988 qualifier
3	16 December 1987	Diagoras Stadium, Rhodes, Greece	Greece	1–0	3–0	UEFA Euro 1988 qualifier
4	21 June 1988	Volksparkstadion, Hamburg, West Germany	West Germany	1–1	2–1	UEFA Euro 1988
5	22 March 1989	Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands	Soviet Union	2–0	2–0	Friendly
6	6 September 1989	Olympisch Stadion, Amsterdam, Netherlands	Denmark	1–0	2–2	Friendly
7	15 November 1989	De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands	Finland	3–0	3–0	1990 FIFA World Cup qualifier
8	28 March 1990	Republican Stadium, Kyiv, Ukraine	Soviet Union	1–1	1–2	Friendly
9	30 May 1990	Praterstadion, Vienna, Austria	Austria	1–3	2–3	Friendly
10	24 June 1990	San Siro, Milan, Italy	West Germany	1–2	1–2	1990 FIFA World Cup
11	22 September 1993	Stadio Renato Dall'Ara, Bologna, Italy	San Marino	7–0	7–0	1994 FIFA World Cup qualifier
12	13 October 1993	De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands	England	1–0	2–0	1994 FIFA World Cup qualifier
13	19 January 1994	Stade El Menzah, Tunis, Tunisia	Tunisia	2–2	2–2	Friendly
14	1 June 1994	Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands	Hungary	3–1	7–1	Friendly

Managerial Statistics

Managerial record by team and tenure
Team	From	To	Record
Team	From	To	G	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Win %
Vitesse	1 January 2000	2 December 2001	&&&&&&&&&&&&&079.&&&&&079	&&&&&&&&&&&&&040.&&&&&040	&&&&&&&&&&&&&023.&&&&&023	&&&&&&&&&&&&&016.&&&&&016	&&&&&&&&&&&&0132.&&&&&0132	&&&&&&&&&&&&&077.&&&&&077	+55	&&&&&&&&&&&&&050.63000050.63
Ajax	3 December 2001	25 February 2005	&&&&&&&&&&&&0151.&&&&&0151	&&&&&&&&&&&&&094.&&&&&094	&&&&&&&&&&&&&030.&&&&&030	&&&&&&&&&&&&&027.&&&&&027	&&&&&&&&&&&&0322.&&&&&0322	&&&&&&&&&&&&0147.&&&&&0147	+175	&&&&&&&&&&&&&062.25000062.25
Benfica	8 June 2005	8 May 2006	&&&&&&&&&&&&&049.&&&&&049	&&&&&&&&&&&&&027.&&&&&027	&&&&&&&&&&&&&011.&&&&&011	&&&&&&&&&&&&&011.&&&&&011	&&&&&&&&&&&&&064.&&&&&064	&&&&&&&&&&&&&038.&&&&&038	+26	&&&&&&&&&&&&&055.10000055.10
PSV	1 July 2006	31 October 2007	&&&&&&&&&&&&&063.&&&&&063	&&&&&&&&&&&&&038.&&&&&038	&&&&&&&&&&&&&011.&&&&&011	&&&&&&&&&&&&&014.&&&&&014	&&&&&&&&&&&&0118.&&&&&0118	&&&&&&&&&&&&&054.&&&&&054	+64	&&&&&&&&&&&&&060.32000060.32
Valencia	5 November 2007	21 April 2008	&&&&&&&&&&&&&034.&&&&&034	&&&&&&&&&&&&&011.&&&&&011	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&09.&&&&&09	&&&&&&&&&&&&&014.&&&&&014	&&&&&&&&&&&&&038.&&&&&038	&&&&&&&&&&&&&047.&&&&&047	−9	&&&&&&&&&&&&&032.35000032.35
AZ	18 May 2009	5 December 2009	&&&&&&&&&&&&&024.&&&&&024	&&&&&&&&&&&&&011.&&&&&011	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&09.&&&&&09	&&&&&&&&&&&&&044.&&&&&044	&&&&&&&&&&&&&030.&&&&&030	+14	&&&&&&&&&&&&&045.83000045.83
Feyenoord	21 July 2011	31 May 2014	&&&&&&&&&&&&0118.&&&&&0118	&&&&&&&&&&&&&067.&&&&&067	&&&&&&&&&&&&&023.&&&&&023	&&&&&&&&&&&&&028.&&&&&028	&&&&&&&&&&&&0237.&&&&&0237	&&&&&&&&&&&&0137.&&&&&0137	+100	&&&&&&&&&&&&&056.78000056.78
Southampton	16 June 2014	14 June 2016	&&&&&&&&&&&&&091.&&&&&091	&&&&&&&&&&&&&044.&&&&&044	&&&&&&&&&&&&&017.&&&&&017	&&&&&&&&&&&&&030.&&&&&030	&&&&&&&&&&&&0140.&&&&&0140	&&&&&&&&&&&&&093.&&&&&093	+47	&&&&&&&&&&&&&048.35000048.35
Everton	14 June 2016	23 October 2017	&&&&&&&&&&&&&058.&&&&&058	&&&&&&&&&&&&&024.&&&&&024	&&&&&&&&&&&&&014.&&&&&014	&&&&&&&&&&&&&020.&&&&&020	&&&&&&&&&&&&&085.&&&&&085	&&&&&&&&&&&&&074.&&&&&074	+11	&&&&&&&&&&&&&041.38000041.38
Netherlands	6 February 2018	18 August 2020	&&&&&&&&&&&&&020.&&&&&020	&&&&&&&&&&&&&011.&&&&&011	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&05.&&&&&05	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04	&&&&&&&&&&&&&043.&&&&&043	&&&&&&&&&&&&&018.&&&&&018	+25	&&&&&&&&&&&&&055.&&&&&055.00
Barcelona	19 August 2020	27 October 2021	&&&&&&&&&&&&&067.&&&&&067	&&&&&&&&&&&&&039.&&&&&039	&&&&&&&&&&&&&012.&&&&&012	&&&&&&&&&&&&&016.&&&&&016	&&&&&&&&&&&&0138.&&&&&0138	&&&&&&&&&&&&&075.&&&&&075	+63	&&&&&&&&&&&&&058.21000058.21
Netherlands	1 January 2023	Present	&&&&&&&&&&&&&031.&&&&&031	&&&&&&&&&&&&&017.&&&&&017	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&06.&&&&&06	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&08.&&&&&08	&&&&&&&&&&&&&075.&&&&&075	&&&&&&&&&&&&&035.&&&&&035	+40	&&&&&&&&&&&&&054.84000054.84
Total			&&&&&&&&&&&&0785.&&&&&0785	&&&&&&&&&&&&0423.&&&&&0423	&&&&&&&&&&&&0165.&&&&&0165	&&&&&&&&&&&&0197.&&&&&0197	&&&&&&&&&&&01437.&&&&&01,437	&&&&&&&&&&&&0825.&&&&&0825	+612	&&&&&&&&&&&&&053.89000053.89

Honours and Awards

As a Player

Ajax

Eredivisie: 1984–85
KNVB Cup: 1985–86

PSV

Eredivisie: 1986–87, 1987–88, 1988–89
KNVB Cup: 1987–88, 1988–89
European Cup: 1987–88

Barcelona

La Liga: 1990–91, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94
Copa del Rey: 1989–90
Supercopa de España: 1991, 1992, 1994
European Cup/UEFA Champions League: 1991–92; runner-up: 1993–94
European Super Cup: 1992

Netherlands National Team

UEFA European Championship: 1988

Individual Awards

Dutch Footballer of the Year: 1987, 1988
UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 1988
UEFA Champions League top scorer: 1993–94

As a Manager