Career
His football-career started at Wageningen and De Graafschap Doetinchem. He was bought by Ajax Amsterdam by leaving Ajax-coach Rinus Michels at the end of the 1975/1976 season. He went to Ajax summer 1976, simultaneously with Hans Erkens and Johan Zuidema and has been by far the most successful of the 3 midfielders, their first Ajax-coach being Tomislav Ivic. Schoenaker displayed unbridled energy at the midfield, a rumbled ability to run, the vigour as attacking midfielder to disturb players of the opponent (defensive work) sometimes reconquering balls, achieved a high quote in scored goals per match and had been a very sporting player.
Also he has been captain of Ajax (1983–1984 and 1984–1985, his 9th and final season at Ajax). In Schoenaker's 9 seasons at Ajax, he won 6 Dutch Eredivisie championship titles (during the 1976–77, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1984–85 seasons) and 2 Dutch Cups (KNVB-Cups) (during the 1978–79, 1982–83 seasons). In the period between 1976 and 1985, Ajax also lost 3 Dutch Cup-finals (KNVB Cup-finals) (during the 1977–78, 1979–80, and 1980–81 seasons).
European successes were scarce during this period; the two best achievements were: a semi-final finish in the European Champions Cup during the 1979–80 season, and a quarter-final finish in the European Champions Cup I during the 1977–78 season. During the 1978–79 season Ajax was eliminated in the 3rd round of UEFA Cup, and during the 1984–85 season Red Boys Differdange was beaten 14–0 (return match 1st round UEFA-Cup), a Dutch record, but in the 2nd round of that tournament Ajax was eliminated.
Summer 1985 Schoenaker went to play for FC Twente Enschede, where he ended his career. Schoenaker obtained a total number of thirteen caps, scoring six goals.
Alkmaar Zaanstreek, better known internationally as AZ Alkmaar, or simply and most commonly as AZ in the Netherlands, is a Dutch professional football club from Alkmaar and the Zaan district. The club plays in the Eredivisie, the highest professional football league in the Netherlands.
Johannes Jacobus Neeskens was a Dutch football manager and player. A midfielder, he was an important member of the Netherlands national team that finished as runners-up in the 1974 and 1978 FIFA World Cups and is considered one of the greatest midfielders of all time. In 2004, he was named one of the 125 Greatest Living Footballers at a FIFA Awards Ceremony, while in 2017 he was included in the FourFourTwo list of the 100 all-time greatest players, at the 64th position.
Jan Jacobus Wouters is a Dutch professional football coach and former player. He played as a defensive midfielder and was Dutch Footballer of the Year in 1990.
Football Club Groningen is a Dutch professional association football club based in Groningen, Groningen province. Founded in 1971 as the successor of GVAV, Groningen compete in the Eredivisie, the first tier of Dutch football, following promotion from the 2023–24 Eerste Divisie.
Frank Arnesen is a former Danish footballer and sporting director at Dutch football club Feyenoord. Arnesen was the Director of Football at English football clubs Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea, and was Sporting Director at Hamburger SV, Metalist Kharkiv and PAOK.
Rudolf Jozef "Ruud" Krol is a Dutch former professional footballer who was capped 83 times for the Netherlands national team. Most of his career he played for his home town club, Ajax. He became a coach after retirement. Regarded as one of the best defenders of all time, Krol mainly played as a sweeper or left-back, though he could play anywhere across the back line, or in midfield as a defensive midfielder, due to his range of passing with both feet, temperament, tactical intelligence, and his ability to start attacking plays after winning back the ball.
Willem "Wim" van Hanegem is a Dutch former football player and coach who played as a midfielder. In a playing career spanning over 20 years, he won several domestic honours in the Netherlands, as well as both the European Cup and UEFA Cup with Feyenoord. He was also part of the Dutch national team that were runners-up in the 1974 FIFA World Cup. As a manager, he won the league and cup with Feyenoord and spent a period as the Dutch national team's assistant coach. His most recent job as manager was for FC Utrecht, from 2007 to 2008.
Arnold Johannes Hyacinthus Mühren is a Dutch football manager and former midfielder. His older brother Gerrie, also a midfielder, won three European Cup titles with Ajax in the early 1970s. Mühren is among the few players to have won all three major UEFA-organised club competitions, the European Cup (1972–73), the Cup Winners' Cup (1986–87) and the UEFA Cup (1980–81). The last of these was won with Ipswich Town, while the other titles were won while playing for Ajax. He is also one of the two Dutch players, together with Danny Blind, to have won all UEFA club competitions.
Søren Lerby is a Danish former football player, manager, and licensed agent. As a player, he spent most of his career in Dutch football, winning five Eredivisie championships with Ajax Amsterdam and two with PSV Eindhoven. With the latter club, he also won the 1988 European Cup. He won two Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich, and played one season for AS Monaco in France. He played 67 matches for the Denmark national football team from 1978 to 1989, and represented Denmark at the 1986 FIFA World Cup and two European Championship tournaments. Currently, he is the agent of Galatasaray winger Dries Mertens.
Arend "Arie" Haan is a Dutch football manager and former player who played as a midfielder. He scored 6 goals in 35 matches for the Netherlands national team of the 1970s. At club level, he enjoyed a successful career with AFC Ajax, R.S.C. Anderlecht, Standard Liège and PSV Eindhoven.
Foussballclub Differdange 03 is a professional football club based in Differdange, Luxembourg.
Football Association Red Boys Differdange was a football club, based in Differdange, in south-western Luxembourg. It is now a part of FC Differdange 03.
Henning Jensen was a Danish football player who played professionally for German club Borussia Mönchengladbach, Spanish club Real Madrid and Dutch club Ajax Amsterdam where he won the domestic league championship in each country. He scored nine goals in 21 games for the Denmark national team from 1972 to 1980.
Sotirios Kaiafas is a retired Cypriot footballer who is considered to be the best footballer that Cyprus has ever produced. He played for Omonia and Cyprus. During his career at Omonia, he won the European Golden Boot.
Seiko Sports Association were one of the most popular and successful football teams in the history of football in Hong Kong. The team withdrew from the Hong Kong First Division League after the 1985–86 season.
Heini Otto is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. He is currently working as a technical coach at Ajax.
Cornelis Kist is a Dutch former professional footballer and manager. He played as a striker, and most notably won the European Golden Shoe for the 1978–79 season.
Tschen La Ling is a Dutch former professional footballer who most notably played for Ajax as a right winger. His name has been spelled in various ways throughout his career, but usually as Tscheu La Ling; he was generally uninterested in how it was spelled but revealed in a February 2007 interview that his name was officially Ling Tschen La. In June 2015, he was appointed to the advisory board of Ajax.
Tonny Bruins Slot was a Dutch association football coach who was well known for his analysis of matches and opponents.
