Background and career
Stefan de Vrij (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈstefan də ˈfrɛi]; born 5 February 1992) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Super League Greece club Panathinaikos, whom he captains, and the Netherlands national team.
De Vrij began his career at his local club VV Spirit, and debuted as a professional for Feyenoord at age 17. He spent five seasons at the Eredivisie club, serving briefly as captain, before joining Lazio in July 2014. Following four seasons in Rome, De Vrij switched to fellow Serie A club Inter Milan, where he won three league titles in eight years. Afterwards, De Vrij joined Panathinaikos in 2026.
A full international footballer since 2012, De Vrij has earned over 70 caps for the Netherlands. He was part of the Dutch team that finished third at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and was selected for the Castrol Performance Index Team of the Tournament. He also played at UEFA Euro 2020 and Euro 2024, reaching the semi-finals of the latter.
