Ruud Krol

Rudolf ("Ruud" or "Rudi") Jozef Krol (born 24 March 1949) is a Dutch former professional footballer who was capped 83 times for the Netherlands national team. Most of his career he played for his home town club, Ajax. He became a coach after retirement. Regarded as one of the best defenders of all time, Krol mainly played as a sweeper or left-back, though he could play anywhere across the back line, or in midfield as a defensive midfielder, due to his range of passing with both feet, temperament, tactical intelligence, and his ability to start attacking plays after winning back the ball.

Club


He began his career at Ajax under manager Rinus Michels. In his first season at the club he did not play much. After the departure of left-back Theo van Duivenbode in the summer of 1969 to Feyenoord, Krol became a regular player. When Ajax reached the UEFA European Cup in 1971, and won, Krol did not play because of a broken leg. Krol did play in the European Cup finals of 1972 and 1973. While others, such as Johan Cruijff and Johan Neeskens, left for new pastures, Krol, captain since the departure of Piet Keizer in October 1974, stayed at Ajax until June 1980.

He moved to the North American Soccer League to play for the Vancouver Whitecaps for one season. He then joined Napoli, where he played for the next four seasons. His last club before he retired in 1986 was the French club Cannes, at the time in Ligue 2 (the French 2nd division).

International
Internationally, Krol made his debut for the Netherlands in 1969 against England, retiring from international football in 1983. He was a crucial component in the Total Football side of the 1970s. A versatile defender, he could play in any position along the back four or midfield. In the 1974 FIFA World Cup, in which the Netherlands reached the final, Krol primarily played at left-back. He created Cruijff's goal against Brazil and scored a 25-yard screamer against Argentina.

Krol was part of the Dutch squad that participated in the 1976 European Championship.

By the time the 1978 FIFA World Cup came about, Krol had switched to playing as a sweeper and had earned the captain's armband after the retirement of Cruijff.

Krol played for the Netherlands as captain at the 1980 European Championship. He played for part of the qualifying for Euro 84, and played his last international in 1983.

Managerial career
In his managerial career, he has been head coach of Egypt, and has been assistant manager of the Netherlands (under Frank Rijkaard and Louis van Gaal) and Ajax (under Ronald Koeman). He became the interim manager of Ajax after the resignation of Koeman. He was manager of Ajaccio in France Ligue 2 from 2006 to 2007. He returned as manager of Egyptian giants Zamalek in August 2007. He had previously managed them from 1994 to 1999, winning the Egyptian Cup in 1999, the African Cup of Champions Clubs in 1996 and the Afro-Asian Club Championship 1997, the last two being the biggest club level prizes available to CAF clubs. Krol's return to Zamalek was meant to be a stabilizing presence, the club having gone through several managers in the preceding two seasons. His stay however would be a short one. He ended his sole season by winning one Egyptian Cup with Zamalek, within one season he would leave and sign a three-year contract with the South African giants Orlando Pirates.

In his three years with the Orlando Pirates, he won two South African cups (and a finalist once) and won the national league, all in his last year in charge of the team. Those cups include MTN8 and Nedbank Cup. Despite that success his contract was not renewed.

He won the Tunisian championship with Sfaxien in 2012–13, after a fierce battle with the other three of the Tunisian big four.

After that success, he was contacted to lead the Tunisia national team in the play off qualifying to the 2014 world cup against Cameroon. He accepted that role and simultaneously became manager of Sfaxien and Tunisia in September 2013. He won the 2013 CAF Confederation Cup with Sfaxien. He resigned from his duties as Sfaxien coach after the second leg of the final against TP Mazembe on 30 November 2013. He quit as the national team interim coach following Tunisia's loss in the World Cup play-off.

In January 2014, he was appointed new head coach of Tunisian side ES Tunis.

Personal life
On 6 July 1972, Krol married Yvonne van Ingen. The couple have a daughter. On 26 September 1974, together with teammate Arie Haan, he opened a snack bar on Reguliersbreestraat in Amsterdam.

Player
Ajax
 * Eredivisie: 1969–70, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1976–77, 1978–79, 1979–80,
 * KNVB Cup: 1969–70, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1978–79
 * European Cup: 1970–71, 1971–72, 1972–73
 * UEFA Super Cup: 1972, 1973
 * Intercontinental Cup: 1972

Netherlands
 * FIFA World Cup runner-up: 1974, 1978
 * UEFA Euro third place: 1976
 * Tournoi de Paris: 1978

Individual
 * FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1974, 1978
 * UEFA Euro Team of the Tournament: 1976
 * Sport Ideal European XI: 1975, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980
 * World XI: 1977, 1978
 * Onze de Onze: 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981
 * FIFA XI: 1979
 * Ballon d'Or – third place: 1979
 * Guerin d'Oro (Serie A Footballer of the Year): 1981

Coach
Ajaccio
 * Ligue 2 third place: 2007

Zamalek
 * Afro-Asian Club Championship: 1997
 * Egyptian Premier League: runner-up 1997-98, 2007-08
 * Egypt Cup: 2008

Orlando Pirates
 * Premier Soccer League: 2011; runner-up 2009
 * Nedbank Cup: 2011; runner-up 2010
 * Telkom charity cup: 2010, 2011
 * MTN 8: 2010

Sfaxien
 * Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1: 2013
 * CAF Confederation Cup: 2013
 * Tunisian Cup: runner-up 2012

Esperance
 * Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1: 2014

Raja Casablanca
 * UNAF Club Cup: 2015

Kuwait
 * Kuwait Premier League: 2019–20

Egyptian Olympic Team (U23)
 * All African Games gold medal: 1995

Egypt
 * 1996 African Cup of Nations: second round

Netherlands (assistant coach under Frank Rijkard)
 * UEFA Euro 2000: semi-final

Individual
 * PSL Coach of the Season: 2010–11