Background and career
Franklin Edmundo Rijkaard (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈfrɑŋklɪn ˈɛtmundoː ˈfrɑŋk ˈrɛikaːrt] ; born 30 September 1962) is a Dutch former football manager and player who primarily played as a defensive midfielder. He is regarded as one of the greatest midfielders of all time.
Rijkaard played for Ajax, Real Zaragoza and AC Milan. With Ajax, he won five Eredivisie titles and the 1994–1995 Champions League. With AC Milan, he won Serie A titles, as well as the 1988–89 and 1989–90 European Cup (Champions League) titles.
Rijkaard earned 73 caps for the Netherlands national team. He was part of the team that won the 1988 European championship and finished third in the 1992 European championship. He also played in the 1990 and 1994 World Cups.
In his managerial career, he is most well known for his five-year tenure at Barcelona where he won the 2004–05 and 2005–06 La Liga titles, as well as the 2005–06 Champions League, their first since 1992. He has also managed the Netherlands national team, Sparta Rotterdam, Galatasaray and the Saudi Arabia national team.
