Rijkaard in Galatasaray
Galatasaray signed a contract with Dutch football manager Frank Rijkaard today, on June 5, 2009.
Born in 1962 in Amsterdam Rijkaard began his football career at Ajax professional team when he was 17. Having played in Ajax for seven years (1980-87) he experienced three championships there and lifted the Cup Winners Cup with them.
For a short period of time he was loaned out to Real Zaragoza before being transferred to Milan in 1988 where he became a football legend during the five football seasons (1988-93) he played. He won league two championships in Serie A, two European Championships, two UEFA Super Cups and two Intercontinental Cups.
Rijkaard returned to Ajax in 1993 for two years and ended his career as a football player there after winning two championships. He was a significant player of Dutch National Team as well.
In 1998 Rijkaard’s coaching career has begun in the Netherlands national team as assistant coach under Guus Hiddink and lasted until 2000. He coached Sparta Rotterdam during 2001-2002 season and signed a contract with Barcelona as the football manager in the beginning of 2003-2004.
At the five seasons with the Spanish team he won two La Liga championships and Spanish Super Cup. He resigned from his managerial position in 2008.