As we all know, in the Netherlands, Ajax, alongside PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord, are considered the three biggest clubs in the country. The rivalry between Ajax and Feyenoord is particularly intense, both on and off the pitch, with numerous off-field incidents occurring in recent decades.
With that in mind, it would be difficult for a player not only to play for Ajax and Feyenoord but also for PSV Eindhoven. Only a few players have had that particular honour in recent decades.
One of those players is current Netherlands head coach Ronald Koeman. Here is the story of how Koeman represented all of ‘The Big Three’ in the Netherlands.
The early days of his career
Despite being born in Zaandam, on the outskirts of Amsterdam’s centre, the defender started his professional career in Groningen. There, he made 98 appearances in all competitions from 1980 until 1983.
His performances at Groningen were enough to persuade his home city club, Ajax, to sign him in 1983. Koeman also stayed with the Amsterdam outfit for three seasons, making 114 appearances in all competitions.
During his stay in the Dutch capital, he won the Eredivisie title in season 1984/85 and the KNVB Cup in 1985/86. His stay in Amsterdam felt relatively short.
In 1986, Koeman joined PSV Eindhoven, where once again he stayed for three seasons. His time in Eindhoven was trophy-laden, as he won the Eredivisie titles in all three seasons he was with PSV, as well as the KNVB Cup in seasons 1987/88 and 1988/89.
However, the biggest trophy of Koeman’s PSV career came in 1988, when he helped his team to win the European Cup, which to date is the only time that the club has won European football’s elite trophy.
While at PSV, he also claimed the Dutch Player of the Year award in 1987 and 1988, as well as helping the Netherlands to become European Champions in 1988.
More glory in Spain
Arguably, the most successful spell of Ronald Koeman’s club career was when he moved to Catalan giants Barcelona in 1989. The then-Netherlands international played a key role in the Blaugrana team that was later dubbed ‘The Dream Team’, with compatriot and football legend Johan Cruyff in the dugout.
Barcelona won the Spanish top-flight title for four consecutive seasons from 1990 until 1994, and Cruyff established himself as one of the best coaches in the world.
It was with Barcelona that Koeman claimed his second European Cup winners medal in 1992 and a runners-up medal in season 1993/94.
A return to the Netherlands
After six, mostly glorious seasons with Barcelona, Koeman returned to the Netherlands with Ajax’s most bitter rivals, Feyenoord. The move wasn’t the most popular amongst fans of the capital club.
However, Koeman comes across in the media as somebody who is not deterred by public opinion. He spent two seasons in Rotterdam before hanging up his boots in 1997 after 79 appearances for Feyenoord. They were the only club out of the big three that he played for and didn’t win the Eredivisie title.
Koeman ended his career by making 685 appearances at club level and scoring 239 goals, with the latter being a record for a defender. He also made 78 international appearances for the Oranje, scoring 14 goals.
A move into management
Koeman was always a leader on the pitch, so it wasn’t a massive surprise when he moved into coaching after he retired from playing. Incredibly, he became the first person to play for and manage all of the Netherlands ‘Big Three’.
He started his managerial career at Vitesse in January 2000 and left in December 2001 to join Ajax. Koeman enjoyed his longest stint as a head coach of any club he has managed in Amsterdam, as he stayed until February 2005.
During his time with the Dutch giants, he won the Eredivisie in seasons 2001/02 and 2003/04 and the KNVB Cup in the former.
After a short period in Portugal with Benfica, Koeman returned to the Dutch game, this time as PSV head coach in July 2006. Once again, he won the Eredivisie title, guiding his team to glory in season 2006/07, only to leave in October 2007.
His next stop was Valencia, but his next club in the Netherlands was actually AZ, who he joined in May 2009, but his time in Alkmaar was short, as he left in December 2009.
However, he completed the ‘Big Three’ hat-trick in July 2011 when he joined Feyenoord. Despite staying until May 2014, he couldn’t guide the Rotterdammers to the Eredivisie title. Once again, even as a boss, Feyenoord was the only one out of ‘The Big Three’ he managed where he failed to win the Eredivisie title.
A legend in Dutch football
The fans of the clubs he played for and managed may have mixed opinions about Ronald Koeman as a player, manager, or even person. However, it is difficult to deny that he is a true legend of the beautiful game in the Netherlands.
Happy birthday, EURO ’88 winner & Dutch legend Ronald Koeman! 🎁🎉🎂 🇳🇱 pic.twitter.com/3zNhxzb7D1
— UEFA EURO (@UEFAEURO) March 21, 2017
He would further cement his legacy if he could guide the Netherlands to an international trophy as head coach, as the one he won as a player is still the only major silverware that the Oranje have won at a major tournament.