Kees Rijvers

Cornelis Bernardus "Kees" Rijvers (27 May 1926 – 4 March 2024) was a Dutch footballer who was active as a midfielder and later as coach for PSV Eindhoven and the Netherlands national team.

Playing career

Rijvers made his debut at NAC Breda and also played for AS Saint-Étienne, Stade Français and Feijenoord. He was a member of the Netherlands team at the 1948 Summer Olympic Games.

In 1950 Rijvers became one of the first Dutch players to turn professional with his transfer to AS Saint-Étienne. The KNVB suspended him from playing in the national team in response because at the time they didn't allow professional players to play in the national team and it wasn't until 1957 he would play in the national team again. With Faas Wilkes and Abe Lenstra, Rijvers formed the renowned (The Golden Inner Three) of the Dutch national team between the late 1940s and 1950s; though the three only played together in ten matches, they scored 23 goals.

Together with other Dutch professional players from foreign leagues, Rijvers was one of the players to play the on 12 March 1953, a match played in the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris to raise money for the victims of the North Sea flood of 1953. While the KNVB, which still did not want to be connected to the professional players in any way, forbade the match, it went ahead after a personal intervention from Prince Bernhard.

Following the death of Marcelino Campanal in May 2020, Rijvers became the final surviving player (and the first ever Dutch player) who received at least one vote during the inaugural edition (1956) of the Ballon d'Or.

Coaching career As a manager, Rijvers started at FC Twente and coached the team for six years, with good results. After those successful seasons, he moved to PSV Eindhoven in 1972. He led the team to win the 1977–78 UEFA Cup and he also won three Eredivisie titles, in 1975, 1976 and 1978, and the double in 1976 with PSV.

After leaving PSV and a short stint at Beringen in Belgium, he took over the Dutch national team in February 1981 and introduced young players like Ronald Koeman, Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard, and Marco van Basten.

Erik ten Hag has named Rijvers among the managers who have inspired his coaching career.

Personal life and death Rijvers was born in Breda on 27 May 1926. In the weekend after Rijvers' death, all matches in Dutch professional football observed a one-minute silence prior to kick-off.

His granddaughter Antje Veld published a biography of Rijvers in May 2016.

Career statistics International

Scores and results list the Netherlands' goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Rijvers goal.

Honours Player NAC Breda Eerste Klasse: 1945–46

Saint-Étienne Ligue 1: 1956–57 Coupe de France: 1961–62

Manager PSV Eredivisie: 1974–75, 1975–76, 1977–78 KNVB Beker: 1973–74, 1975–76 UEFA Cup: 1977–78

Individual Rinus Michels Award: 2004