“Professional football is something like war. Whoever behaves too properly, is lost.”
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Rinus Michels
Marinus Jacobus Hendricus "Rinus" Michels was a Dutch football player and coach. He played his entire career for Ajax, which he later managed, and played for and later managed the Netherlands national team for four spells. Throughout his career, he played as a forward. He is regarded as one of the greatest managers of all time.
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sports · Dutch footballer and manager (1928–2005) · association football player · association football coach · also Rinus Michels, Michels
Born 9 February 1928 · Died 3 March 2005 · Q2154479
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2026· 4 entries
Public attention spiked: 5,049 Wikipedia readers in one day, 8.4× the usual 598, with 0 article edits.
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Public attention spiked: 4,331 Wikipedia readers in one day, 7.2× the usual 598, with 0 article edits.
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Public attention spiked: 7,479 Wikipedia readers in one day, 12.5× the usual 598, with 0 article edits.
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2023· 1 entry
Won award: FourFourTwo 2nd Greatest Manager of All Time (2023).
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2019· 1 entry
Won award: France Football Greatest Manager of All time (2019).
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2013· 2 entries
Won award: ESPN 2nd Greatest Manager of All Time (2013).
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Won award: World Soccer 2nd Greatest Manager of All Time (2013).
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2007· 1 entry
Was named the greatest post-war football coach by The Times, and in 2019, he was listed as the greatest coach in the history of football by France Football
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2005· 2 entries
Died 2005-03-03.
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Michels himself died on 3 March 2005 at a hospital in Aalst, Belgium, after a heart surgery in the hospital of Gareth, Spain (his second since 1986).
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2004· 1 entry
Won award: Best Manager in 50 years of professional football in the Netherlands (2004).
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2002· 2 entries
Won award: UEFA Lifetime Award (2002).
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Won award: Named Knight of the KNVB (2002).
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1999· 3 entries
Won award: FIFA Coach of the Century (1999).
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Won award: Dutch Manager of the Century (1999).
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In 2007 the greatest post-war football coach by The Times and in 2019 the greatest coach in the history of football by France Football
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1988· 3 entries
Won award: World Soccer Awards Manager of the Year (1988).
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Won award: Elevated as an Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau (1988).
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Won: UEFA European Championship with Netherlands (1988).
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1983· 1 entry
Won: DFB Pokal with 1. FC Köln (1982–83).
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1978· 1 entry
Won: Copa del Rey with Barcelona (1977–78).
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1974· 5 entries
Runner-up: FIFA World Cup with Netherlands (1974).
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Won: La Liga with Barcelona (1973–74).
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Won award: Invested as a Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau (1974).
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“We won the tournament, but we all know that the semi-final was the real final.”
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Before Michels became manager of the Dutch national team
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1971· 5 entries
Won: European Cup with Ajax (1970–71).
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Won: KNVB Cup with Ajax (1970–71).
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Won: Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Trophy with Barcelona (1971).
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Managed Ajax to the first of three consecutive European Cups, a feat only achieved previously by the great Real Madrid team of Alfredo Di Stéfano and Ferenc Puskás
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Michels's Ajax won the European Cup Final, defeating Panathinaikos 2–0, using Total Football
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1970· 2 entries
Won: Eredivisie with Ajax (1969–70).
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Won: KNVB Cup with Ajax (1969–70).
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1969· 2 entries
Runner-up: European Cup with Ajax (1968–69).
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Reached the final of the European Cup for the first time, being defeated 4–1 by Italian side Milan
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1968· 1 entry
Won: Eredivisie with Ajax (1967–68).
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1967· 2 entries
Won: KNVB Cup with Ajax (1966–67).
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Won: Eredivisie with Ajax (1966–67).
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1966· 1 entry
Won: Eredivisie with Ajax (1965–66).
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1965· 1 entry
Further developed this style around the team's main forward Johan Cruyff
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1958· 1 entry
Four years after the introduction of professional football in the Netherlands and one year after winning his second league title, he was forced to end his career due to a back injury
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1957· 1 entry
Won: Netherlands Football League Championship/Eredivisie with Ajax (1956–57).
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1950· 2 entries
Played for Netherlands national association football team (1950–1954) — 5 appearances, 0 goals.
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Was the organizer of the humoristic show that was held and during traditional parties, he and his friend Hans Boskamp climbed up the stages to sing some duets
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1947· 1 entry
Won: Netherlands Football League Championship/Eredivisie with Ajax (1946–47).
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1946· 1 entry
Played for AFC Ajax (1946–1958) — 264 appearances, 122 goals.
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1928· 1 entry
Born 1928-02-09.
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