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Ruud
Krol
(Holland)
Rudolf
Jozef “Ruud” Krol, born in Amsterdam, played most
of his career for his hometown club Ajax. He was only
20 when he was called up to the national team squad
for the first time and stayed there for the next
fourteen years. With Ajax, he was part of some of the
best clubteams European football has ever seen. Three
straight European Cups were won in the early seventies
and many of his colleagues in Ajax, for instance
Johann Cruyff, were also key-players for Holland.
Krol was a versatile
defender who could play anywhere that was required. He
was a great reader of the game which also made him
successful as a sweeper in the 1978 World Cup. Four
years earlier he had been equally successful at
left-back. The Dutch team of 1974 is always mentioned
when people talk about great teams that never won the
World Cup. Krol played in every minute in all seven
games and also scored a goal, a cracking shot against
Argentina in the 4-0 second phase win.
Krol was made captain by
coach Ernst Happel for the 1978 World Cup and Holland
advanced through the rounds much thanks to Krol’s
presence. The team suffered from the lack of Cruyff in
a creative midfield role, but neither Italy or West
Germany could prevent Holland from reaching a second
World Cup final in a row. Holland and Krol, once again
an ever-present, could not stop Argentina and Kempes
in extra-time as the hosts ran out 3-1 winners.
Ruud moved to Canada to
play for the Vancouver Whitecaps in 1980. He returned
back to Europe the following year to play four seasons
for Napoli and later for Cannes in the French second
division where he also ended his career. He was capped
83 times for Holland, a record until Aron Winter broke
it during Euro 2000.
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