Jan Poortvliet

Jan Poortvliet (; born 21 September 1955) is a Dutch professional football coach and former player who is the head coach of club FC Eindhoven. As a player he spent most of his career with PSV, with whom he won three Eredivisie titles and the 1977–78 UEFA Cup, and he was a member of the Netherlands team that finished as runners-up at the 1978 FIFA World Cup. After later spells in France and Belgium he retired in 1992 and turned to coaching, managing clubs including Den Bosch, Telstar and the English club Southampton, before settling into a long association with FC Eindhoven.

Early life Poortvliet was born on 21 September 1955 in Arnemuiden, Zeeland, the eldest of seven children; his father, Klaas, had been a prolific amateur forward in the town. He began playing for the local club VV Arnemuiden at the age of seven and worked as an apprentice carpenter. Spotted as a centre-back at a KNVB trial for 16- and 17-year-olds in Zeist, he signed for PSV in 1972 and joined the reserve team. The peak of his career came in 1977–78, when PSV won the UEFA Cup, beating Bastia of France 3–0 in the final after a goalless first leg; in the semi-final against Barcelona, Rijvers credited Poortvliet with marking Johan Cruyff out of the tie. He also appeared at UEFA Euro 1980 and won 19 caps in all, scoring once, against Belgium in 1979.

Managerial career Early management Poortvliet began coaching in professional football with RBC Roosendaal in 1996–97. From December 2002 to June 2005 he worked at Telstar, then a satellite club of AZ, which also paid his salary, and after spells in amateur football he was appointed head coach of Helmond Sport for the 2007–08 season. He was the club's tenth head coach in ten years and its first from outside the United Kingdom.

After an opening defeat to Cardiff City, Poortvliet recorded his first win three days later, beating Exeter City 3–1 in the League Cup; his first league win followed at Derby County in August 2008. Following a run of one win in 14 home games, he resigned on 23 January 2009, with Wotte taking over.

Return to the Netherlands On 15 June 2009, Poortvliet was appointed manager of Eerste Divisie club FC Eindhoven, leading the side to the promotion/relegation play-offs. He subsequently managed the amateur club VV Goes, had a spell with Qingdao Red Lions in China in 2016, and coached the amateur side RKSV Nuenen.

Return to Eindhoven Poortvliet returned to FC Eindhoven's staff in 2021, coaching the club's under-18 team and, from 2024, its under-21 side. In late October 2025, after head coach Maurice Verberne suffered a broken leg, the 70-year-old Poortvliet stepped up as the club's first-team head coach; when Eindhoven decided in February 2026 not to renew Verberne's contract, Poortvliet remained in charge for the rest of the season. In April 2026 he signed a one-year contract extension, keeping him as head coach until mid-2027, with the club citing his role in integrating young players.

Personal life Poortvliet is the uncle of the footballer Jan Paul van Hecke. Alongside his coaching he has worked as a parcel courier in the Eindhoven area. KNVB Cup: 1975–76 UEFA Cup: 1977–78

Netherlands FIFA World Cup runner-up: 1978