Tributes pour in as former Dutch coach Leo Beenhakker dies at 82

Leo Beenhakker, the former Dutch football manager, has sadly passed away at the age of 82, as confirmed by his family.

Born in Rotterdam, the coach, affectionately known as ‘Don Leo’, managed a plethora of clubs from 1965 until 2009. His coaching journey began at the amateur side SV Ede, before making his breakthrough in professional football at BV Veendam at the age of just 26. Following spells at SC Cambuur and Go Ahead Eagles, Beenhakker took the reins at Ajax from 1978 to 1981.

He was one of the rare managers to have enjoyed success with both Ajax and their fierce rivals Feyenoord. Under his leadership, Ajax clinched titles in 1980 and 1990, before he guided Feyenoord to the Eredivisie title in 1999, marking their last championship triumph for the following 18 years.

Beenhakker also had two tenures with the Dutch national team, first from 1985 to 1986, and again in 1990. Although he did not manage to qualify for the 1986 World Cup, he did lead the Netherlands to the 1990 tournament, only to see them eliminated in the round of 16 by Germany, managed by Franz Beckenbauer.

Outside of the Netherlands, Beenhakker gained significant recognition during his time at Real Madrid, where he secured three consecutive LaLiga titles from 1987 to 1989. He returned to Madrid to manage the club again between 1991 and 1992.

Following 1992, Beenhakker’s career took him across the globe, managing teams in various countries. After a season with Swiss club Grasshoppers, he assumed the role of head coach for Saudi Arabia for two years, and later took charge of Club America and Chivas de Guadalajara in Mexico, as well as Istanbulspor in Turkey. After further roles at Vitesse and Feyenoord, he experienced a brief pause in his career before going back to Club America, eventually leading Trinidad & Tobago to their historic first World Cup appearance in 2006.

After a brief return to Feyenoord, Beenhakker concluded his career as the manager of Poland from 2006 to 2009.

Over the course of his illustrious career, Beenhakker amassed a total of ten trophies in both the Netherlands and Spain.