Michael Reiziger
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Michael John Reiziger | ||
Date of birth | 3 May 1973 | ||
Place of birth | Amstelveen, Netherlands | ||
Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
Position(s) | Defender | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Jong Ajax (assistant) | ||
Youth career | |||
Sint Martinus | |||
1985–1990 | Ajax | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1990–1996 | Ajax | 83 | (1) |
1992–1993 | → Volendam (loan) | 10 | (2) |
1993–1994 | → Groningen (loan) | 34 | (6) |
1996–1997 | Milan | 10 | (0) |
1997–2004 | Barcelona | 173 | (0) |
2004–2005 | Middlesbrough | 22 | (1) |
2005–2007 | PSV | 24 | (1) |
Total | 356 | (11) | |
International career | |||
1994–2004 | Netherlands | 72 | (1) |
Managerial career | |||
2013–2014 | Sparta Rotterdam (youth) | ||
2014–2017 | Sparta Rotterdam (assistant) | ||
2017–2019 | Jong Ajax | ||
2017 | Ajax (interim) | ||
2019–2023 | Ajax (assistant) | ||
2023– | Jong Ajax (assistant) | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Michael John Reiziger (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈmɑikəl ˈɟɔn ˈrɛizəɣər], born 3 May 1973) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played mainly as a right back, currently assistant manager of Jong Ajax, the reserves team of AFC Ajax.
After making a name for himself at Ajax, with whom he won one Champions League, he went on to represent four teams in as many countries, notably Barcelona, for which he played 249 official games in seven years, as well as spells at Milan, Middlesbrough and PSV Eindhoven.
Reiziger represented the Dutch national team for a full decade, competing at three European Championships and the 1998 World Cup and finishing fourth in the latter tournament.
Playing career
Club
Born in Amstelveen, North Holland to Surinamese parents, Reiziger started his career with hometown club AFC Ajax, making his first-team debut at the age of 17 then serving two consecutive loan spells, with FC Volendam and FC Groningen; with the latter, in the 1993–94 season, he scored a career-best six goals while operating also as a midfielder.
Upon his return to Ajax, Reiziger established himself as a renowned defensive element, helping the side to, among other conquests, the 1994–95 edition of the UEFA Champions League. In 1996 he signed for A.C. Milan, but after a season marred by injury, he departed for FC Barcelona where he spent the following seven years, arriving at the same time as compatriot and former Ajax boss Louis van Gaal; though not an undisputed starter, he nonetheless featured heavily for the Catalans, making more than 200 overall appearances and helping to back-to-back La Liga titles.
In 2004, Reiziger moved to Middlesbrough on a Bosman transfer. He scored once in the league for Boro, against Aston Villa in December 2004. After another campaign plagued by physical problems, he left and returned to the Netherlands to see out his career at PSV Eindhoven (in his second year he won the Eredivisie, and was also reunited with Ajax, Barça and national teammate Patrick Kluivert, although the two rarely ever played).
International
Reiziger made his debut for the Dutch national team on 12 October 1994, against Norway. He played for his country at the UEFA Euro 1996, 1998 FIFA World Cup, Euro 2000 and Euro 2004, retiring from international play after the latter.
Shortly after signing for PSV, Reiziger said he would consider playing for the Netherlands again if the opportunity arose, but he was never recalled again, totalling 72 appearances in ten years.
Coaching career
After retiring, Reiziger settled in Barcelona. He later went on to coach Sparta Rotterdam at youth level and, subsequently and successively, acted as assistant to Gert Kruys and Alex Pastoor.
On 20 June 2017, Reiziger returned to Ajax as manager of the reserves who competed in the Eerste Divisie, replacing Marcel Keizer. In his first season in charge he led the squad to the league title, but they were ineligible for promotion. He also acted as interim for the first team during one match after the dismissal of Keizer, defeating Willem II 3–1 at home.
After Reiziger's contract expired, he was replaced by Mitchell van der Gaag at the helm of Ajax B. He was then offered a position as assistant coach of the first team, which he accepted.
Personal life
Reiziger's son, Gabriël (born 2005), also came through the Ajax youth system.
Career statistics
Club
Club | Season | League | National Cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Ajax | 1990–91 | Eredivisie | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | 1 | 0 | |||
1991–92 | Eredivisie | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | 1 | 0 | ||||
1992–93 | Eredivisie | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | 1 | 0 | ||||
1994–95 | Eredivisie | 34 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 49 | 0 | |
1995–96 | Eredivisie | 26 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 39 | 1 | |
Total | 63 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 91 | 1 | ||
Volendam (loan) | 1992–93 | Eredivisie | 10 | 2 | 1 | 1 | – | – | 11 | 3 | ||
Groningen (loan) | 1993–94 | Eredivisie | 34 | 6 | 0 | – | – | 34 | 6 | |||
Milan | 1996–97 | Serie A | 10 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
Barcelona | 1997–98 | La Liga | 29 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 42 | 0 |
1998–99 | La Liga | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 33 | 0 | |
1999–2000 | La Liga | 29 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 46 | 0 | |
2000–01 | La Liga | 25 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 0 | – | 40 | 0 | ||
2001–02 | La Liga | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | – | 21 | 0 | ||
2002–03 | La Liga | 21 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 | – | 31 | 0 | ||
2003–04 | La Liga | 30 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 0 | – | 40 | 0 | ||
Total | 173 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 53 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 253 | 0 | ||
Middlesbrough | 2004–05 | Premier League | 18 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 1 |
2005–06 | Premier League | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
Total | 22 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 1 | ||
PSV | 2005–06 | Eredivisie | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | – | 20 | 0 | |
2006–07 | Eredivisie | 11 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 1 | |
Total | 24 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 1 | ||
Career total | 337 | 11 | 31 | 1 | 92 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 473 | 12 |
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Appearances in UEFA Champions League
- ^ Appearance in Dutch Supercup
- ^ One appearance in Dutch Supercup, two appearances in UEFA Super Cup, one appearance in Intercontinental Cup
- ^ Appearance in Supercoppa Italiana
- ^ Two appearances in Supercopa de España, one appearance in UEFA Super Cup
- ^ a b Appearances in Supercopa de España
- ^ Five appearances in UEFA Champions League, three appearances in UEFA Cup
- ^ a b Appearances in UEFA Cup
International
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
Netherlands | 1994 | 1 | 0 |
1995 | 5 | 0 | |
1996 | 9 | 0 | |
1997 | 7 | 0 | |
1998 | 11 | 1 | |
1999 | 5 | 0 | |
2000 | 8 | 0 | |
2001 | 5 | 0 | |
2002 | 6 | 0 | |
2003 | 8 | 0 | |
2004 | 7 | 0 | |
Total | 72 | 1 |
International goals
- Scores and results list Reiziger's goal tally first.
# | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | 18 November 1998 | Parkstadion, Gelsenkirchen, Germany | Germany | 1–0 | 1–1 | Friendly |
Honours
Player
Ajax
- Eredivisie: 1994–95, 1995–96
- KNVB Cup: 1992–93
- Dutch Supercup: 1994, 1995
- UEFA Champions League: 1994–95
- UEFA Cup: 1991–92
- UEFA Super Cup: 1995
- Intercontinental Cup: 1995
Barcelona
PSV
Manager
Jong Ajax
- 1973 births
- Living people
- Sportspeople from Amstelveen
- Dutch sportspeople of Surinamese descent
- Dutch men's footballers
- Footballers from North Holland
- Men's association football defenders
- Eredivisie players
- AFC Ajax players
- FC Volendam players
- FC Groningen players
- PSV Eindhoven players
- Serie A players
- AC Milan players
- La Liga players
- FC Barcelona players
- Premier League players
- Middlesbrough F.C. players
- UEFA Champions League winning players
- Netherlands men's international footballers
- UEFA Euro 1996 players
- 1998 FIFA World Cup players
- UEFA Euro 2000 players
- UEFA Euro 2004 players
- Dutch expatriate men's footballers
- Expatriate men's footballers in Italy
- Expatriate men's footballers in Spain
- Expatriate men's footballers in England
- Dutch expatriate sportspeople in Italy
- Dutch expatriate sportspeople in Spain
- Dutch expatriate sportspeople in England
- Dutch football managers
- Eredivisie managers
- Jong Ajax managers
- AFC Ajax managers
- AFC Ajax non-playing staff
- Association football coaches