UEFA European Championship

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

Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

† Appearances (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 special because he played as a defender but scored over 250 goals! This is a lot for a defender. He was known for his powerful long-range shots, free kicks, and penalties. Many people think he is one of the best attacking defenders ever.

Koeman started his career at Groningen in the Netherlands. He then moved to Ajax in 1983, where he won the Dutch league title. In 1986, he joined PSV, winning three league titles in a row and the European Cup in 1988. Winning the league, national cup, and European Cup in one year is called a "treble."

In 1989, Koeman joined Barcelona in Spain. He was a key player in their "Dream Team" under coach Johan Cruyff. With Barcelona, he won the Spanish league four times in a row. He also scored the winning goal in the 1992 European Cup Final, helping Barcelona win their first European Cup.

For his country, Koeman was a star player for the Netherlands. He won the UEFA Euro 1988 tournament and played in two FIFA World Cups.

After retiring as a player, Koeman became a football manager. He has managed many top clubs, including Ajax, PSV, Benfica, Valencia, Southampton, Everton, and Barcelona. He has won league titles in the Netherlands and cups in Spain and Portugal. He also managed the Netherlands national team from 2018 to 2020 and returned to the role in 2023.

Playing Career Highlights
International Career
Managerial Career
How He Played Football
His Coaching Style
Records and Achievements
Personal Life
Images for kids
See also

Playing Career Highlights

Starting in the Netherlands

Ronald Koeman began his professional football journey at Groningen when he was just 17 years old. He quickly showed his talent, scoring 33 goals in 90 games as a defender. This impressive start led him to join Ajax, one of the biggest clubs in the Netherlands.

At Ajax, Koeman helped the team win the Dutch league title in the 1984–85 season. The next year, even though Ajax scored many goals, they finished second to their rivals, PSV.

In 1986, Koeman made a big move to PSV. Here, he had even more success. Under coach Guus Hiddink, PSV won the league title three times in a row (1987, 1988, 1989). In 1988, PSV also won the European Cup, which is Europe's top club competition. This meant PSV achieved a "treble" that year, winning the league, the national cup, and the European Cup. Koeman was a huge part of this success, scoring 51 goals in 98 league games for PSV.

Koeman (right) celebrating a goal with teammates in 1988.

Becoming a Barcelona Legend

In 1989, Koeman joined Barcelona in Spain, reuniting with his former Ajax coach, Johan Cruyff. He became a key player in what was known as Barcelona's "Dream Team." This team included other famous players like Hristo Stoichkov and Pep Guardiola.

Koeman helped Barcelona win the Spanish league title four times in a row, from 1991 to 1994. His most famous moment came in the 1992 European Cup Final. He scored the only goal of the game with a powerful free-kick against Sampdoria at Wembley Stadium. This goal made Barcelona European champions for the very first time.

Koeman was known for his amazing free kicks and powerful shots. He scored many important goals for Barcelona. Fans even gave him nicknames like Tintin (because he looked like the cartoon character) and Floquet de Neu (after a famous albino gorilla).

Finishing His Playing Career

After six successful years at Barcelona, Koeman returned to the Netherlands in 1995 to play for Feyenoord. This made him one of the few players to play for all three of the biggest Dutch clubs: Ajax, PSV, and Feyenoord. He played two seasons for Feyenoord before retiring.

Ronald Koeman ended his playing career as the highest-scoring defender in football history, with 193 league goals.

International Career

Koeman playing for the Dutch national team in 1983.

Koeman first played for the Netherlands national team in 1983, alongside his brother Erwin. His first international goal came later that year.

His first major tournament was UEFA Euro 1988 in West Germany. The Dutch team, led by coach Rinus Michels, reached the semi-finals. Koeman scored a crucial penalty goal against West Germany, helping his team win 2–1. In the final, the Netherlands beat the Soviet Union 2–0 to win their only major international trophy. This was an amazing year for Koeman, as he also won the treble with PSV.

Koeman continued to play for his country in the 1990 and 1994 World Cups, and Euro 1992. He played a total of 78 games for the Netherlands, scoring 14 goals.

Managerial Career

Early Coaching Years

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, leading them to a spot in the UEFA Cup.

Success with Dutch Giants

In 2001, Koeman became the manager of Ajax. He won the Dutch league and cup in his first season. He won the league again in 2004. During his time at Ajax, young stars like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Wesley Sneijder, and Rafael van der Vaart started their careers.

He then moved to Portugal to manage Benfica in 2005. He won the Portuguese Super Cup. Benfica also reached the quarter-finals of the 2005–06 UEFA Champions League, beating big teams like Manchester United and Liverpool before losing to Barcelona.

In 2006, Koeman returned to the Netherlands to manage PSV. In a very exciting finish to the 2006–07 season, PSV won the league title by just one goal difference! He also led PSV to the Champions League quarter-finals, where they lost to Liverpool.

Adventures Abroad

In 2007, Koeman took over as coach of Valencia in Spain. He won the 2007–08 Copa del Rey, a Spanish cup competition. This was Valencia's first Copa del Rey win since 1999. However, his time at Valencia was short, and he left in April 2008.

He briefly managed AZ in the Netherlands in 2009.

Return to Feyenoord and Premier League

Koeman with Feyenoord in 2012.

In 2011, Koeman became the manager of Feyenoord. This was special because he became the first person to have played for and managed all three of the "Big Three" Dutch clubs: Ajax, PSV, and Feyenoord. He left Feyenoord in 2014.

Koeman as manager of Southampton in 2014.

In June 2014, Koeman moved to England to manage Southampton in the Premier League. He had a very successful time there, leading the club to their highest-ever Premier League finish (sixth place) and qualifying for the UEFA Europa League. He was named Premier League Manager of the Month three times.

Koeman managing Everton in 2017.

In 2016, Koeman became the manager of Everton. In his first season, he helped Everton qualify for the Europa League. However, he was sacked in October 2017 after a difficult start to the new season.

Managing the Netherlands National Team

On 6 February 2018, Koeman was appointed manager of the Netherlands national team. He led them to the final of the 2018–19 UEFA Nations League in 2019, where they finished second. Under his leadership, the Netherlands qualified for UEFA Euro 2020, their first major tournament since 2014.

Managing Barcelona Again

In August 2020, Koeman left the national team to become the new manager of Barcelona, where he had been a legendary player. He won the 2020–21 Copa del Rey with Barcelona. However, after a challenging start to the 2021–22 season, he was sacked in October 2021.

Return to the Netherlands National Team

In April 2022, it was announced that Koeman would return to manage the Netherlands national team starting in January 2023. He led the team in the UEFA Euro 2024 tournament, where they reached the semi-finals for the first time since 2014.

How He Played Football

Ronald Koeman was a very calm and smart player. He could play as a defender or a midfielder. He often played as a "sweeper," which is a defender who plays behind the main defensive line to stop attacks and start new plays.

He is known as one of the best attacking central defenders ever. He had a great eye for goal, meaning he knew how to score. Koeman was famous for his powerful long-range passes and shots. He was especially good at free kicks and penalty kicks. Because of his amazing free kicks, he was often called the King of free kicks. He is the top-scoring defender in world football history.

His Coaching Style

Koeman likes his teams to be well-organized and disciplined. He wants his teams to control the game and play attacking football. He believes in clear communication with his players. He likes to have short, clear meetings to make sure everyone understands the plan.

Records and Achievements

Koeman is the highest-scoring defender in world football history. He scored 90 goals for Barcelona in all competitions. He is Barcelona's second-highest goalscorer from free kicks, with 26 goals. He also holds the record for 25 successful penalty conversions in a row in the Spanish league.

Personal Life

Ronald Koeman comes from a football family. His father, Martin Koeman, was also a Dutch international player. His older brother, Erwin Koeman, was his teammate for the national team and has also become a football manager.

Ronald is married to Bartina Koeman. Their son, Ronald Koeman Jr., is a professional goalkeeper.

Koeman is an ambassador for an anti-smoking campaign. He joined this campaign after his wife and his friend Johan Cruyff were diagnosed with cancer.

He owns a house in Vale do Lobo, Portugal, a place he has visited since 1988.

Images for kids

Koeman in 2014
Koeman (right) celebrating the equalizer with Eric Gerets and Edward Linskens in the 1987–88 European Cup semi-final at the Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid
Koeman with the Dutch national team in 1983
Koeman with Feyenoord in 2012
Koeman as manager of Southampton F.C. in September 2014
Koeman managing Everton F.C. in 2017