Ruud Krol

Ruud Krol
Krol in 2005
Personal information
Full name Rudolf Jozef Krol
Date of birth (1949-03-24) 24 March 1949
Place of birth Amsterdam, Netherlands
Height 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Left-back, sweeper
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1968–1980 Ajax 339 (23)
1980 Vancouver Whitecaps 14 (0)
1980–1984 Napoli 107 (1)
1984–1986 Cannes 63 (0)
Total 523 (24)
International career
1969–1983 Netherlands 83 (4)
Managerial career
1989–1990 Mechelen
1990 Servette
1991–1993 Netherlands U21 (assistant)
1994–1995 Egypt U23
1995–1996 Egypt
1997–1999 Zamalek
1999 Al-Wahda
1999–2001 Netherlands (assistant)
2002–2005 Ajax (assistant)
2006–2007 Ajaccio
2007–2008 Zamalek
2008–2011 Orlando Pirates
2012–2013 Sfaxien
2013 Tunisia
2014 Espérance
2014 Al-Ahli
2015 Raja Casablanca
2016 Club Africain
2018–2019 Sfaxien
2020 Kuwait SC
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Netherlands (as player)
FIFA World Cup
Runner-up1974 West Germany
Runner-up1978 Argentina
European Championship
1976 Yugoslavia
Representing  Egypt (as manager)
African Games
1995 Harare
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Rudolf Jozef "Ruud" (or "Rudi") Krol (Dutch pronunciation: [ryt ˈkrɔl]; 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.