Marco van Basten

Marcel "Marco" van Basten[2] (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈmɑrkoː vɑn ˈbɑstə(n)] (listen); born 31 October 1964) is a Dutch football manager and former professional player, who played for Ajax and A.C. Milan, as well as the Netherlands national team, as a striker. He is regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport. He scored 300 goals in a high-profile career, but played his last match in 1993 at age 28 due to an injury which forced his retirement two years later.[2] He was later the head coach of Ajax and the Netherlands national team.

Marco van Basten
Van Basten in 2006
Personal information
Full name Marcel van Basten
Date of birth (1964-10-31) 31 October 1964
Place of birth Utrecht, Netherlands
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[1]
Position(s) Striker
Youth career
1970–1971 EDO
1971–1980 UVV
1980–1981 USV Elinkwijk
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1981–1987 Ajax 133 (128)
1987–1995 Milan 147 (90)
Total 280 (218)
National team
1981 Netherlands U21 15 (13)
1983–1992 Netherlands 58 (24)
Teams managed
2003–2004 Jong Ajax (assistant manager)
2004–2008 Netherlands
2008–2009 Ajax
2012–2014 Heerenveen
2014 AZ
2014–2015 AZ (assistant manager)
2015–2016 Netherlands (assistant manager)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Known for his close ball control, attacking intelligence, impeccable headers, and spectacular strikes and volleys, Van Basten was named FIFA World Player of the Year in 1992 and won the Ballon d'Or three times, in 1988, 1989 and 1992.[2] At club level, he won three Eredivisie titles and the Cup Winners' Cup with Ajax, and four Serie A titles and three European Cups with Milan. With the Netherlands, Van Basten won UEFA Euro 1988 where he earned the Golden Boot, scoring five goals, including a memorable volley in the final against the Soviet Union.[2][3]

In 1998, Van Basten was ranked sixth in the FIFA Player of the Century internet poll, tenth in the European player of the Century election held by the IFFHS and 12th in the IFFHS' World Player of the Century election.[4][5] He was also voted eighth in a poll organised by the French magazine France Football, consulting their former Ballon d'Or winners to elect the Football Player of the Century.[6] In 2004, he was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players.[7] In 2004, a poll for the 100 greatest Dutch people was held in the Netherlands: Van Basten ranked number 25, the second highest for a football player, behind Johan Cruyff. In 2007, Sky Sports ranked Van Basten first on its list of great athletes who had their careers cut short.[8]

Playing career

Van Basten celebrates his goal for Ajax to give the team a 2–0 lead in an eventual 8–2 win against Feyenoord in September 1983, following Gerald Vanenburg's corner. Edo Ophof (Ajax), Felix Gasselich (Ajax), André Hoekstra (Feyenoord) and goalkeeper Joop Hiele (Feyenoord) are the other players in the picture. The average age of the Ajax team at the time was roughly 22½ years.[9]

Early years

Marco van Basten was born on 31 October 1964 in Utrecht and grew up in the Oog In Al neighborhood. He began playing for a local team, EDO, when he was six years old. A year later, he moved to UVV Utrecht. After nine years there, he briefly played for another club from Utrecht, Elinkwijk.

Ajax

Van Basten lifting the 1987 KNVB Cup for Ajax.

Ajax signed 16-year-old Marco for the 1981–82 season after his 19-year-old brother Stanley was rejected. Their father Joop had kept the younger son at another club with the hope that Ajax will take Stanley in professionally He played his first match for Ajax on 3 April 1982, coming on as a substitute for Johan Cruyff, and scoring a debut goal in the team's 5–0 victory over NEC.[10][11]

In the 1982–83 season, he competed with the European top scorer and first choice Holland international Wim Kieft for the position of centre forward, and scored nine goals in 20 league matches. Ajax chose to sell Kieft left to Italian Serie A club Pisa the following season, and 18 year old Van Basten solidified his position as his team's main attacker similarly in the national team.

He was the top scorer in the league for four consecutive seasons, from 1983–84 to 1986–87, scoring 118 goals in 112 matches. In the 1985–86 season, he scored 37 goals in 26 league matches, including six goals against Sparta Rotterdam and five against Heracles Almelo, and won the European Golden Boot. He also scored the winning goal in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final against Lokomotive Leipzig in 1987. In total he scored 128 goals in 133 league matches for Ajax.[2] On November 1986 he scored his most famous goal in an Ajax jersey, a spectacular overhead kick against FC Den Bosch.[12]

A.C. Milan

Van Basten at A.C. Milan

In 1987, A.C. Milan president Silvio Berlusconi signed Van Basten, with fellow countrymen Ruud Gullit and Frank Rijkaard joining the club in 1988. In his first season, Milan won their first Scudetto in eight years, but Van Basten played only 11 matches and was constantly troubled by an ankle injury.[2][13] In 1988–89, Van Basten won the Ballon d'Or as Europe's top footballer.[2] He scored 19 goals in Serie A and 32 goals in all competitions that year, including two goals in the final of the European Cup, as Milan triumphed against Steaua București.[2] In 1989–90, he became Capocannoniere again (Serie A's leading goal scorer); Milan also successfully defended the European Cup after beating Benfica 1–0 in the final match,[2] during which Van Basten provided the assist for Rijkaard's match-winning goal.[14]

Milan struggled in the 1990–91 season, as Sampdoria won the Scudetto. After Van Basten fell out with Arrigo Sacchi, Berlusconi sacked the manager. Fabio Capello took over the following season, and Milan went undefeated in the league to win another Scudetto. Van Basten scored 25 league goals, and became Capocannoniere again;[2] his tally from the 1991–92 season was the highest number of goals that a player had scored in a single Serie A season since Luís Vinício achieved the same tally during the 1965–66 season.[15]

"Marco was the greatest striker I ever coached. His early retirement was a mortal misfortune for him, for football, and for Milan."

—Former Milan manager Fabio Capello in 2010 on working with Van Basten and his premature retirement.[16]

In November 1992, he became the first player to score four goals in a Champions League match, against IFK Göteborg, including a picture perfect bicycle kick.[2] In December 1992, Van Basten was named FIFA World Player of the Year.[2] Milan stretched their unbeaten run into the 1992–93 season, going 58 matches over two seasons before they lost a match.[2] Van Basten was exceptional in the early part of the season. He was again voted the European player of the year, becoming the third player after Johan Cruyff and Michel Platini to win the award three times.[2]

His troublesome ankle injury[17] recurred in a game against Ancona, forcing him to endure another six-month layoff, and undergo a series of surgeries. He returned for the last few matches in the season, before Milan lost 1–0 to Marseille in the Champions League final. The match was Van Basten's final match for the Italian club.[2] He came off in the 86th minute for Stefano Eranio, after a hard tackle behind from Basile Boli condemned Van Basten to the third ankle surgery of his career.[18]

Van Basten had been hopeful of playing for his country at the 1994 World Cup as well as for his club in the 1994–95 season after spending the whole 1993–94 season out of action (missing Milan's victory in the European Cup as well as their Serie A title glory),[19] but his club ordered him not to take part in the World Cup amid fear of ruining his rehabilitation.[20] He finally conceded defeat in his battle to recover on 17 August 1995, when he announced his retirement as a player after two whole years on sidelines. Van Basten made a farewell appearance to thank the Milan fans before a home game at the San Siro, with an emotional Milan coach Fabio Capello breaking down in tears.[21]

International career

Van Basten celebrates his hat-trick against England at Euro 88

Van Basten's talent was already noticed at a young age and he was called up for the 1983 FIFA World Youth Championship. He made his senior debut for the Netherlands national team that same year. His team-mates in the national team were all teenagers themselves Ruud Gullit, Gerald Vanenburg, Ronald Koeman and Frank Rijkaard as Holland was desperate to reclaim the success of the Cruyff generation in the 1970's. At UEFA Euro 1988, Van Basten played a pivotal role in the Dutch team's victorious campaign. He scored a total of five goals, including a hat trick against England in the first round, the winning goal in the semi-final against West Germany,[22] and a spectacular volley from an acute angle in the 2–0 final against the Soviet Union,[23] during which he also provided the assist for Gullit's opening goal.[24] He finished the competition as the top scorer and was named player of the tournament.[2] In a 2002 UK poll Van Basten's volley against the Soviet Union was ranked #21 in the list of the 100 Greatest Sporting Moments.[25]

The Dutch national team exited the 1990 World Cup early, losing to West Germany in the second round. Van Basten never scored in the World Cup finals. At UEFA Euro 1992, the Netherlands defeated reigning World Champions Germany 3–1 in the first round to top their group and reach the semi-finals, where they shockingly lost to the eventual champions Denmark in a penalty shootout, with Peter Schmeichel saving a penalty shot from Van Basten.[2] Van Basten was named to the European Championship Player Of The Tournament for a second time in 1992.[26]

After retirement

Van Basten as FIFA technical director meeting with Vladimir Putin in Moscow, July 2018

Van Basten played in the Demetrio Albertini testimonial match at the San Siro in March 2006, and headed in a goal before being substituted early in the first half. On 22 July 2006, he also returned for the testimonial match to celebrate the 11-year Arsenal career of Dennis Bergkamp, in what was the first match played at the new Emirates Stadium. He played in the second half for the Ajax legends team. He entered the match as part of a double substitution that also introduced Johan Cruyff. He took part in Tyskie's (a Polish beer company) advertising campaign with Luís Figo and Zbigniew Boniek.

Player profile

Style of play

Regarded as one of the greatest and most complete strikers and players in the history of the sport, due to his prolific goalscoring and great skill set, Van Basten was dubbed the "Swan Of Utrecht" for his elegance and intelligent attacking play, and was known for his penchant for scoring acrobatic goals.[2][27][28][29] His height and strength allowed him to excel in the air, and his technical ability and agility saw him execute spectacular strikes throughout his career, such as volleys and bicycle kicks.[27][28][30][31] A fast and opportunistic striker with quick reactions and excellent movement, he often took advantage of loose balls in the penalty area due to his ability to anticipate defenders, and was capable of both controlling fast and difficult balls well with one touch, or even shooting first time.[28][31][32][33] Possessing a powerful and accurate shot, and clinical, varied finishing from anywhere along the pitch, he was capable of scoring goals with either foot from inside or outside the penalty area, as well as with his head; he was also an accurate penalty kick and free-kick taker.[29][30][34] Throughout his career, Van Basten converted 51 penalties out of the 54 he took, with a 94.44% success rate, the third highest in history, behind only Matthew Le Tissier and Cuauhtémoc Blanco.[35] Before taking penalties, Van Basten often used to perform a characteristic hop.[36]

Although he was mainly known as a traditional attacker who operated in the penalty area as a centre-forward throughout his career,[28][29] Van Basten also possessed excellent vision and distribution, in addition to his goalscoring ability, which enabled him to play in deeper, more creative positions, as a second striker, for example, and which allowed him to participate in the build-up of attacking plays and provide assists to his teammates in addition to scoring goals himself;[34][37][38][39][40][41] one of his most notable assists was the one he provided to Frank Rijkaard for Milan's winning goal in the 1990 European Cup final against Benfica.[14] Despite his large stature, Van Basten possessed excellent technical skills and ball control, as well as good balance and a notable elegance on the ball, which inspired his nickname.[27] As such, his strong physique, combined with his close control, also enabled him to hold up the ball for teammates when playing with his back to goal.[28]

Despite his ability, Van Basten's career was severely affected by many grave injuries, which eventually forced him to retire from football prematurely at the age of 28.[27][32] Lack of protection from referees and inadequate football rules against rugged defending and tackles from behind were identified as the source of the injuries which ultimately led to his career's demise; consequently, Van Basten's early retirement due to his injuries led to widespread debate in the football world over whether rash challenges from behind should be rendered illegal in football, in order to protect talented players more effectively.[42][43] During the 1994 World Cup, an automatic red was also shown for tackles from behind or with studs showing.[44] In 1998, prior to the World Cup that year, FIFA completely outlawed the tackle from behind;[45] this ruling came to be known colloquially as the "Van Basten law" in the media.[46] Although Van Basten was known for often being on the receiving end of hard challenges from his opponents throughout his career, former referee Daniele Tombolini described Van Basten as a player who was known for his physical play himself, and who utilised his strength and committed a lot of fouls during matches.[47]

Reception and legacy

Considered by pundits to be one of the greatest and most complete players of all time,[48] in 1998, Van Basten was ranked sixth in the FIFA Player of the Century internet poll, tenth in the European player of the Century election held by the IFFHS, and 12th in the IFFHS' World Player of the Century election.[4][5] He was also ranked eighth in a poll to determine France Football 's "Football Player of the Century."[6] In 1999, Van Basten was named the ninth greatest player of the twentieth Century by World Soccer magazine.[49] In 2004, he was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100, his list of the world's 125 greatest living players,[7] and also placed fourth in the UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll, celebrating the best European footballers of the past fifty years.[50] He was also ranked 25th in a poll for the 100 greatest Dutch people. In 2007, Sky Sports ranked Van Basten first on its list of great athletes who had their careers cut short.[8] In 2016 Van Basten was included in UEFA's All-time Euro XI,[51] while in 2017, he was named the 13th greatest player of all time by FourFourTwo .[29]

"It is between Romário and Van Basten."

Diego Maradona on who was the best player he ever saw.[52]

Numerous players, managers, and other footballing figures have also lauded Van Basten as one of the greatest players of all time. In 1994, defender Pietro Vierchowod described Van Basten as "the absolute number one" and as a "superstar," also adding that "he is strong with his head, good with either foot, capable of changing the face of a game with a single play or, [even] when he is not at his best, of becoming the best assist-provider for his teammates."[34] Former defender Jürgen Kohler, who often faced Van Basten throughout his career, described him as "a player with exceptional abilities. He was a big personality not only as a sportsman, but also as a private person. I benefited from him. It is as simple as this. He was a big milestone in my career and for me he is one of the players who are the most outstanding personalities of the last century. Not only in sports, also as a human being." When asked of their duels, he commented: "the duels between us were simply tough with everything football offers. He stood and I delivered and then I stood and he delivered."[53]

Former Arsenal player Tony Adams described Van Basten as the toughest and most difficult opponent he had ever faced in 2006, stating: "He’s the quickest 6 ft 3 in centre-forward I’ve ever seen! Just awesome. He was as quick as Ian Wright, as good in the air as Joe Jordan and he held the ball up better than Alan Smith. I put him in front of Maradona. Technically, Maradona was brilliant and he had amazing feet, but Van Basten could head, volley – he had power and strength."[54] Fellow former defender Giuseppe Bergomi also described Van Basten as the strongest player he ever faced in 2018, commenting: "The best player of all time for me [...] is Maradona, but the strongest player I ever faced was Van Basten because at least I could beat Maradona to the ball with my head."[55][56]

In 2017, two of Van Basten's former Milan teammates, Demetrio Albertini and Marco Simone, labelled the Dutchman as the best player they had ever played with, with the former stating, "The best player I have ever played with is Van Basten, the best overall. He had elegance and strength. He stopped playing at only 28 years of age, which is truly young."[57][58] That same year, another one of his fellow former Milan teammates, Paolo Maldini, labelled Van Basten as the most complete player with whom he had ever played.[59] Another former Milan teammate of Van Basten, Giovanni Cornacchini, described the Dutch striker as the greatest player of all time in 2019.[60] Former Milan Vice-Chairman and CEO Adriano Galliani instead described Van Basten as Milan's greatest player ever in 2018.[61] In 2017, Roberto Baggio named Van Basten as the player with whom he would have most liked to have played, commenting: "I'd have liked to play with him. He's the player that I exchanged shirts with most willingly."[62]

In 2019, Van Basten's former Milan coach Fabio Capello described Van Basten and Ronaldo as the best players he ever coached.[63] His predecessor at Milan, Arrigo Sacchi, described Van Basten as the best striker of all time in 2014, commenting: "Marco van Basten remains for me the best striker of all time. No other forward has worked as hard for the team as Marco did at Milan. I above all remember him for his elegance, his grace and his incredible quality."[64] When Hernán Crespo was asked in 2015 who was the greatest centre-forward of all time, he echoed Sacchi's views, responding: "Marco van Basten. He did everything: dribbling, shooting, headers, acrobatics. And he played with his team and for his team."[65] In 2019, Antonio Cassano described Van Basten and Ronaldo as the best forwards in the history of the game.[66]

Media and sponsorship

Van Basten features in EA Sports' FIFA video game series, and was named in the Ultimate Team Legends in FIFA 14.[67] Throughout his playing career, Van Basten was sponsored by Italian sportswear company Diadora. One of the most marketable players in the world, in the late 1980s Diadora launched his own personalized football boots, the San Siro Van Basten, earning him two million dollars over 5 years.[68]

After his retirement from coaching, Van Basten became an analyst, and was described by ESPN in 2016 as a "rather cerebral" analyst who "ponders the problems of FIFA and suggests changes to the offside rule."[69] On 23 November 2019, while Van Basten was working as an analyst for the Dutch edition of the Fox Sports network, he said "Sieg Heil" (meaning "Hail victory" in German), a verbal salutation associated with the Nazi salute, during a live broadcast. Van Basten stated that he believed his microphone was off when he made the remark, and that it was in response to his colleague Hans Kraay's interview with Heracles's German manager, Frank Wormuth, following the team's 4–1 loss to Ajax. Van Basten said: "It wasn't my intention to shock people, I apologise. I just wanted to make a comment about Hans' German. It was an ill-placed joke." His use of the term attracted particular controversy as it occurred on a weekend during which Dutch football clubs were observing a minute of silence prior to matches in protest against discrimination.[70][71][72] Following the incident, the network described Van Basten's comment as "stupid and inappropriate," and suspended him until 7 December.[73] Electronic Arts also announced that Van Basten's cards in FIFA Ultimate Team would no longer be available in FIFA 20 and FIFA 21 stating the company has "an expectation that our commitment to quality and diversity is upheld."[74]

Managing career

Ajax B

Van Basten officially left Milan in 1995 and retired from football, stating he would never try management. However, he changed his mind and took a course with the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB). His first stint as a manager was as an assistant to his former teammate John van 't Schip with the second team of Ajax in 2003–04.

Netherlands

On 29 July 2004, Van Basten was named the new manager of the Netherlands national team, with Van 't Schip as his assistant.[75] Van Basten’s appointment as manager of the Netherlands sparked a little controversy at the time, since he only just started his managerial career and the media argued that he did not have a lot of experience yet.[75]

Van Basten while manager of the Netherlands.

As a manager, he soon established himself as a man of strong principles. Van Basten famously dropped regulars like Clarence Seedorf, Patrick Kluivert, Edgar Davids and Roy Makaay and benched Mark van Bommel, because he believed that they were either past their prime or constantly underachieving. There were also calls for Van Basten to call up Dennis Bergkamp, who had retired from the national team six years earlier, for a final "hurrah," as he was retiring that season. Van Basten then revealed to the media that he never intended to do so, despite Bergkamp's own willingness.

For probably the first time in decades, none of the "Big Three" Clubs (Ajax, PSV and Feyenoord) provided the backbone for the national team. Instead, newcomer AZ led the way with players such as Denny Landzaat, Barry Opdam, Barry van Galen, Ron Vlaar, Jan Kromkamp and Joris Mathijsen. AZ, at the time a local small football club for Dutch standards, proved to be successful in the Dutch league and in the UEFA Cup. Other unheralded choices were Khalid Boulahrouz, Hedwiges Maduro, Ryan Babel and Romeo Castelen. Van Basten had also wanted to include Ivorian forward Salomon Kalou, but was thwarted when Kalou was denied Dutch citizenship by the immigration authorities headed by Dutch Minister of Integration Rita Verdonk. Kalou eventually accepted a call-up to play for Ivory Coast.

Under his guidance, the team were unbeaten in their World Cup qualification group and made it through the group stages at the 2006 World Cup, but were eliminated in a frenzied 1–0 loss to Portugal in the Round of 16. Van Basten was heavily criticised for dropping Ruud van Nistelrooy before this match, in favour of Dirk Kuyt, who did not score throughout the entire tournament.

Van Basten (left) with Klaas-Jan Huntelaar during training prior to Euro 2008.

In November 2006, Van Basten recalled exiled Milan midfielder Clarence Seedorf for a friendly against England at the Amsterdam Arena. In May 2007, Van Basten announced the end of his long-running dispute with Ruud van Nistelrooy, who had previously declared never to play for a Dutch national squad with Van Basten as its manager.[76] Other players, such as Roy Makaay, Mark van Bommel, Boudewijn Zenden and Edgar Davids, however, remained out of favour.

Van Basten had a contract with the KNVB for managing the Dutch national side until 2008. The KNVB had expressed its wishes to extend his contract to include the World Cup qualification route to 2010 World Cup in South Africa. On 22 February 2008, Van Basten signed a four-year contract with Ajax, starting from 1 July.[77] His last tournament thus was the UEFA Euro 2008, where the Netherlands surprised with a strong first round performance. They beat world champions Italy 3–0 in their first match,[78] followed by a 4–1 win over World Cup runners-up France.[79] In their third match, having already qualified for the next round, Van Basten selected non-regulars such as Maarten Stekelenburg, Wilfred Bouma and Ibrahim Afellay for the starting lineup against Romania, a match the Oranje won 2–0.[80] In the quarter-finals, Van Basten faced fellow Dutchman Guus Hiddink's Russia. With the score at 1–1 after 90 minutes, Hiddink and Russia went on to win the match 3–1 in extra-time.[81] He finished his reign with a record of 35 wins, 11 draws and six losses in 52 matches.[82]

Return to Ajax

Van Basten became manager of Ajax after Euro 2008 but resigned on 6 May 2009 after his team failed to qualify for the Champions League.[83] Van Basten started the season well, having spent millions on players such as Miralem Sulejmani, Ismaïl Aissati, Darío Cvitanich, Evander Sno, Eyong Enoh and Oleguer. However, in the second half of the season, striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar left for Real Madrid, and Van Basten started switching around his lineups. When Ajax lost 11 points in four matches, the Eredivisie title was out of sight. However, Ajax still had the chance to finish in second place, which would have ensured a place in the third qualifying round of the Champions League. Two important losses against PSV (6–2) and Sparta Rotterdam (4–0), however, ensured that Van Basten's Ajax could only finish third in the league. Van Basten decided to resign as Ajax manager at the end of the 2008–09 season. Van Basten subsequently became a pundit for Sport1, but was still planning to return as a manager. He finished his reign with a record of 26 wins, 8 draws and 11 losses in 45 matches.[82]

Heerenveen

On 13 February 2012, it was announced that Van Basten would become the manager of Eredivisie club Heerenveen in the 2012–13 season.[84] Van Basten led Heerenveen to an eighth-place finish in the 2012–13 year campaign. He then led them to a fifth-place finish the following season, during the 2013–14 campaign. He finished his reign with a record of 27 wins, 18 draws and 27 losses in 72 matches.[82]

AZ

AZ Alkmaar announced on 18 April 2014 that Van Basten would replace Dick Advocaat at the start of the 2014–15 season.[85] On 28 August 2014, Van Basten took a leave of absence for the following match against Dordrecht, with multiple Dutch news outlets reporting he was suffering of stress-related heart palpitations, and was replaced by assistant coaches Alex Pastoor and Dennis Haar.[86][87][88] Later, on 3 September, AZ confirmed that Van Basten was given an extended leave of absence until 14 September.[87][88] On 16 September 2014, parties agreed Van Basten would relinquish his role as manager in order to sign a new contract as assistant coach until 2016; this was motivated by Van Basten himself, who stated the stress caused by his full-time role as head coach was causing him physical and mental issues.[89] He finished his stint with two wins and three losses in five matches.[82]

FIFA technical director

Van Basten (middle) in Tehran, 2018

After a year at AZ, Van Basten decided to take up the vacant post of assistant coach under the new head coach of the Netherlands national team, Danny Blind.[90] Van Basten would work together with fellow assistant coach Ruud van Nistelrooy, whom Van Basten had initially sent away when he was head coach of the Netherlands. In August 2016, Van Basten announced he would be leaving the role to take up a position at FIFA as technical director.[90]

In March 2018, Van Basten travelled to Iran with FIFA president Gianni Infantino to mark 100 years of the Iran Football Federation. After meeting Iranian President Hassan Rouhani they were welcomed by the president of Iranian Football Federation Mehdi Taj at the Tehran Olympic Hotel. Attending the Tehran Derby, Van Basten called for the ban on women entering sports venues to be lifted.[91]

Career statistics

Club

[92][93][94][95]

Club Season League Cup[nb 1] Europe[nb 2] Other[nb 3] Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Ajax 1981–82 Eredivisie 11100021
1982–83 Eredivisie 20954002513
1983–84 Eredivisie 262841203229
1984–85 Eredivisie 332242454129
1985–86 Eredivisie 263710202937
1986–87 Eredivisie 273176964343
Total 13312822131711172152
Milan 1987–88 Serie A 1135530198
1988–89 Serie A 331943910114733
1989–90 Serie A 26194194104024
1990–91 Serie A 31111020103511
1991–92 Serie A 3125743829
1992–93 Serie A 15131056112220
1993–94 Serie A
1994–95 Serie A
Total 147902213282042201125
Career totals 2802184426453142373277

International

[96]

Netherlands
Year Apps Goals
1983 32
1984 30
1985 41
1986 42
1987 41
1988 95
1989 52
1990 118
1991 52
1992 101
Total 5824

International goals

Scores and results list the Netherlands' goal tally first.

Manager

As of 16 September 2014.
Team From To Record
M W D L Win % Ref.
Netherlands 29 July 2004[75] 30 June 2008[77] 52 35 11 6 067.31 [82]
Ajax 1 July 2008[77] 6 May 2009[83] 45 26 8 11 057.78 [82]
Heerenveen 1 July 2012[84] 30 June 2014[85] 72 27 18 27 037.50 [82]
AZ 1 July 2014[85] 16 September 2014[89] 5 2 0 3 040.00 [82]
Total 174 90 37 47 051.72

International matches

  • Matches as manager[97]

  Win   Draw   Loss

Honours

Club

Ajax
Milan

International

Netherlands

Individual

Notes

References

  1. "Marco van Basten".
  2. "Van Basten, a Dutch goal machine". FIFA.com. 9 November 2010. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  3. "10 Greatest Goals in the European Championships". FourFourTwo. 8 May 2008. Retrieved 23 October 2008.
  4. "IFFHS Century Elections". RSSSF.com – International Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved 8 October 2011.
  5. "FIFA Player of the Century" Archived 26 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine. FIFA. Retrieved 19 November 2013.
  6. "The Best x Players of the Century/All-Time". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 20 August 2014. Retrieved 6 April 2010.
  7. "Pele's list of the greatest". BBC Sport. 4 March 2004. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
  8. "Top Ten: Careers Cut Short". Sky Sportzine. Archived from the original on 28 February 2009. Retrieved 23 January 2009.
  9. "Ajax - Feyenoord 8 - 2 (9/18/1983)". www.afc-ajax.info. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  10. Davies, Gareth A (11 February 2002). "My School Sport: Marco van Basten". The Telegraph. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
  11. "Marco van Basten: Games That Changed My Life". FourFourTwo. 20 April 2017. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
  12. De omhaal van Marco van Basten - TV Gids (in Dutch)
  13. Adam Augustyn. "Marco van Basten". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
  14. "On This Day: Milan back-to-back triumphs". Football Italia. 23 May 2017. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  15. Roberto Di Maggio; Igor Kramarsic; Alberto Novello (11 June 2015). "Italy - Serie A Top Scorers". RSSSF. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  16. "There's only one Marco van Basten: AC Milan's Dutch legend may never be surpassed". Goal.com. Retrieved 31 March 2013
  17. Bandini, Paolo (14 December 2007). "How Capello won his nine league titles". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 23 January 2009.
  18. "Marseille 1-0 Milan". UEFA.com. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  19. "Classic Highlights: 1994 Champions League Final – AC Milan v Barcelona" Archived 9 March 2011 at the Wayback Machine. ITV.com.
  20. Winter, Henry (4 June 1994). "Football: Uefa Cup call for Newcastle: St James' Park delighted at return to Europe while Dubliners plan a huge send-off". The Independent. London.
  21. "SPORTS PEOPLE: SOCCER; AC Milan's Van Basten Retires". The New York Times. 18 August 1995.
  22. Lacey, David (22 June 1988). "Marco's late hook floors the favourites". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 23 January 2009.
  23. "The Euros have provided some of the greatest goals seen in international football over the years. Here are 10 of the best". Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  24. "Van Basten ends Dutch wait". UEFA.com. 5 October 2003. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  25. "100 Greatest Sporting Moments – Results". London: Channel 4. 2002. Archived from the original on 4 February 2002. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
  26. "1992 team of the tournament". Union of European Football Associations. 17 October 2011. Retrieved 17 June 2012.
  27. "AC Milan Hall of Fame: Marco van Basten". acmilan.com. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  28. Ken Shulman (11 May 1990). "A 'Classic Attacker' Leads the Dutch". The New York Times. p. 29. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  29. Hess, Alex (26 July 2017). "FourFourTwo's 100 Greatest Footballers EVER: No.13, Marco van Basten". FourFourTwo. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
  30. "Rovesciate e tiri al volo: inconfondibile Marco di fabbrica" (in Italian). Sport.Sky.it. 28 October 2014. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  31. "MAI PIU' GOL, MARCO". repubblica.it (in Italian). 18 August 1995. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  32. "Le due carriere di Marco van Basten" (in Italian). Il Post. 31 October 2014. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  33. "VAN BASTEN Marco: il volo del cigno" (in Italian). storiedicalcio.altervista.org. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  34. Franco Badolato (6 January 1994). "Lo zar: di Van Basten ce n'è uno". La Stampa (in Italian). p. 26. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
  35. Fiori, Stefano (31 December 2018). "Chi sono i rigoristi migliori della storia del calcio?" (in Italian). Fox Sports. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  36. "Jorginho e non solo: da Van Basten a Le Tissier, i migliori rigoristi della storia" (in Italian). fuorigioco.calciomercato.it. 13 October 2019. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  37. "La squadra più forte di tutti i tempi – la prima punta". Archived from the original on 14 September 2014. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  38. "CHE TESORO, QUEL VAN BASTEN". repubblica.it (in Italian). La Repubblica. 23 January 1990. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  39. "MARCO VAN BASTEN" (in Italian). www.pianetamilan.it. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  40. "VAN BASTEN CI STA ' CON SERENA E' UN' ALTRA COSA'". La Repubblica (in Italian). 7 August 1991. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  41. Bianchin, Luca (31 October 2014). "Van Basten compie 50 anni: ecco i motivi che ne fanno un mito". La Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  42. "A grip on shirt-pulling". BBC Sport. 7 February 2003. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
  43. "FIFA Out To Ban The Slide Tackle". Bleacher Report. 12 January 2009. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
  44. Casert, Raf (4 June 1994). "Tackle From Behind On Way out At World Cup, Too Late for Van Basten". apnews.com. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
  45. "FIFA to crack down on tackle from behind". FIFA.com. 6 March 1998. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
  46. "Too much, too young". The Guardian. 13 April 2000. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
  47. Bulfon, Donato (6 July 2018). "L'opinione: "Van Basten era il più falloso"" (in Italian). Pianeta Milan. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  48. "Capello: I made Ibrahimovic watch Van Basten videos". FourFourTwo. 10 November 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  49. "World Soccer Players of the Century". World Soccer. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
  50. "Zinedine Zidane voted top player by fans" (PDF). www.uefa.com. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
  51. "Your All-time EURO 11 revealed". UEFA. 7 June 2016. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
  52. "Ele Nao Se Cala". p. 74. Placar Magazine (Edition. 1315, Feb 2008). Retrieved 20 November 2013
  53. "Kohler faces final curtain". UEFA.com. 6 May 2002. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
  54. "Tony Adams: Perfect XI". FourFourTwo. 1 September 2006. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
  55. "Ho pianto per Radice. Maradona il più forte di sempre, ma a Van Basten è stato ancora più difficile prendere la palla". Il Corriere dello Sport (in Italian). 22 November 2018. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  56. "CALCIO, BERGOMI: VAN BASTEN IL PIU' FORTE, HO PIANTO PER RADICE". La Repubblica (in Italian). Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  57. "Simone : "Van Basten était le plus fort"" (in French). Goal.com. 23 January 2017. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
  58. Bressi, Stefano (2 September 2017). "Albertini: "Van Basten il più forte, allenatori tutti importanti"" (in Italian). Pianeta Milan. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  59. Wahl, Grant (28 March 2017). "Rapid fire with Paolo Maldini: On AC Milan, best opponents, favorite player today". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
  60. "Cornacchini: "Van Basten il più forte. Guidolin..."" (in Italian). Tutto Bari. 11 March 2019. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  61. "Milan: Galliani, Van Basten il più forte". Ansa.it (in Italian). 11 February 2018. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  62. "Baggio: My heir & penalty hell..." Football Italia. 24 July 2017. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
  63. Bressi, Stefano (24 March 2019). "Capello: "Van Basten il più forte che ho allenato"" (in Italian). Pianeta Milan. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  64. "Sacchi: 'Van Basten best of all time'". Football Italia. 30 October 2014. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  65. "Crespo: 'Marco van Basten il 9 più forte di sempre'" (in Italian). Calciomercato.com. 4 December 2015. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  66. "Milan, l'ex Cassano: 'Van Basten? Oggi varrebbe 500 milioni!'" (in Italian). www.calciomercato.com. 2 September 2019. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  67. "FIFA 14 Ultimate Team Legends". EA Sports. Retrieved 6 February 2015
  68. "1980s Diadora San Siro Van Basten". Football Collectors Items.com. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  69. "Kuper: Greatest Euro goal ever". ESPN. 6 June 2016. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  70. "Former Dutch soccer star in trouble over Nazi quip". The Times of Israel. 24 November 2019. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  71. McTear, Euan (24 November 2019). "Hot mic catches Van Basten uttering a Nazi slogan". Marca. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  72. "Fox Sports analyst says 'sieg heil' during live TV show". The Washington Times. 24 November 2019. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  73. "Marco van Basten suspended from TV role after using Nazi term 'Sieg Heil' on air". The Telegraph. 26 November 2019. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
  74. December 2019, Ben Wilson 03. "Marco van Basten removed from FIFA 20 over offensive comment". gamesradar. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  75. "Van Basten given Dutch reins". The Guardian. 29 July 2004. Retrieved 17 September 2008.
  76. "Ruud makes his peace with Marco". yahoo sports. Archived from the original on 29 June 2007.
  77. "Van Basten takes Ajax role". Sky Sports. 22 February 2008. Retrieved 6 April 2010.
  78. Paolo Menicucci (10 June 2008). "L'Italia parte male, l'Olanda cala il tris" [Italy start badly, Holland score three] (in Italian). UEFA. Retrieved 4 May 2015.
  79. Murray, Scott (13 June 2008). "Holland 4-1 France". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  80. Chowdhury, Saj (17 June 2008). "France 0-2 Italy & Netherlands 2-0 Romania". BBC Sport. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  81. Stevenson, Jonathan (21 June 2008). "Netherlands 1-3 Russia (aet)". BBC Sport. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  82. Lawrence, Amy; Jongsma, Michiel (20 January 2015). "Marco van Basten: Why stress prompted manager to leave role". BBC Sport. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
  83. "Marco van Basten resigns as Ajax coach". The Daily Telegraph. 6 May 2009. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
  84. "Heerenveen schnappt sich van Basten" (in German). kicker. 13 February 2012. Retrieved 26 February 2015.
  85. "Van Basten übernimmt bei AZ Alkmaar". kicker (in German). 18 April 2014. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
  86. "European Football - Health issues sideline AZ coach Van Basten". Yahoo! Eurosport. 28 August 2014. Archived from the original on 26 February 2015. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  87. "Van Basten given time to recover from health problems". Reuters. 3 September 2014. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  88. "AZ Alkmaar coach Marco van Basten takes break due to health concerns". The Guardian. 3 September 2014. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  89. "Eredivisie: Marco van Basten is to step down as AZ Alkmaar boss due to health issues". Sky Sports. 16 September 2014. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
  90. "Van Basten quits Netherlands role for FIFA". Sky Sports. 2 October 2016.
  91. "Infantino attends Tehran derby but Iranian women hoping to watch the game are arrested". Diario AS. 1 March 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
  92. "Marco van Basten career stats". Football Database.eu. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
  93. "Marco van Basten Ajax stats". MarcovanBasten.net. Retrieved 29 January 2013.
  94. "van Basten, Marco". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmerman. Retrieved 29 January 2013.
  95. Marco van Basten – Matches in European Cups". RSSSF. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
  96. "Marco van Basten – Goals in International Matches". RSSSF. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
  97. Matches as manager. Wereld van Oranje. Retrieved 29 January 2013.
  98. "Ajax Honours". Marco van Basten. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
  99. "AC Milan Honours". Marco van Basten. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
  100. "National Team Honours". Marco van Basten. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
  101. José Luis Pierrend (8 January 2015). "The "Bravo" Award". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 1 July 2014. Retrieved 20 November 2015.
  102. ""Onze Mondial" Awards". RSSSF. 6 March 2012. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
  103. "FORMER RESULTS". IFFHS.de. Archived from the original on 15 June 2018. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
  104. "World Soccer Awards – previous winners". World Soccer. 14 December 2012. Retrieved 4 July 2015.
  105. "1988 UEFA European Championship". UEFA. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
  106. "1992 team of the tournament". UEFA. 17 October 2011. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
  107. "BARESI, CAPELLO AND RIVERA ACCEPTED IN HALL OF FAME". AC Milan. 26 November 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  108. "A.C. Milan Hall of Fame: Marco van Basten". A.C. Milan. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  109. "IFFHS announce the 48 football legend players". IFFHS. 25 January 2016. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
  110. "Marco van Basten". IFFHS. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
  111. "The other two Ballon d'Or Dream Team XIs: Zidane, Cruyff, Iniesta, Di Stefano... but no Casillas". MARCA. 15 December 2020. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.