Former Netherlands player and manager Kees Rijvers has died at the age of 97, his former club PSV Eindhoven said on Monday. He was a three-time national champion with PSV and won the UEFA Cup in 1978.
Players like Jan van Beveren, Willy van der Kuijlen, Willy and René van de Kerkhof, Ernie Brandts and Jan Poortvliet grew into internationals at PSV under Rijvers’ management.
Midfielder Rijvers earned 33 international caps and scored 10 goals for the Netherlands from 1946 to 1960, also securing the French Ligue 1 title with Saint-Etienne in 1957.
During his stint as manager of the Dutch national team from 1981 to 1984, he handed international debuts to players such as Frank Rijkaard, Marco van Basten and Ruud Gullit, whom later won the Europa Cup for nations.
While in charge of PSV, he won three Eredivisie titles, two Dutch Cups and the UEFA Cup in 1978. With the death of Kees Rijvers, the club and Dutch football have lost a great icon.
Shoco Sports / ABC Flash Point News 2024.
The last icon of his generation?