Kees RIJVERS (1926-2024)
With professionalism still banned by the Dutch FA, Rijvers was suspended from playing for the Netherlands in 1950 when he left NAC Breda to join Saint-Etienne and become one of the first professional Dutch players. The midfielder remained frozen out of international football until joining Feyenoord in 1957, despite being nominated for the 1956 Ballon d’Or award.
Rijvers returned to France in 1960, adding a French Cup to the league title he lifted in 1957, but he is better known for his managerial career. His first senior role was with FC Twente – taking charge just a year after the club’s formation – and in his six years in charge he sufficiently impressed to land the PSV job in 1972.
In his second season in Eindhoven he ended the club’s 11-year wait for a trophy by lifting the Dutch Cup, won the league title a year later and the domestic double the year after, before signing off with the UEFA Cup and another league title in 1978.
In 1981, he took charge of the Dutch national team, but failed to achieve the same success. On his watch, the Oranje failed to qualify for the 1982 World Cup and Euro ’84, which eventually saw him replaced by Rinus Michels, however he did hand debuts to a number of future superstars including Ronald Koeman, Ruud Gullit and Marco van Basten.
In 2004, he was presented with the inaugural lifetime achievement award by the Dutch coaches’ union.
Roberto FLEITAS (1932-2024)
A hugely influential Uruguayan coach, managing several of the country’s biggest clubs as well as the national team itself. In 1987 Fleitas led Uruguay to Copa America glory, and a year later won the Copa Libertadores with Nacional, thereby becoming the first coach to win both South American continental prizes. Only three other men – Francisco Maturana, Oscar Tabarez and Tite – have done so since.
Mohammed BARAKAT (1984-2024)
A Palestine international forward, who won three caps in 2013, was killed by an air strike in Gaza. The first Gazan player to score 10
