Leo Beenhakker

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Leo Beenhakker (born August 2, 1942 in Rotterdam) is an international Dutch football coach, currently the coach of the Polish national team.

He has been the coach of several prestigious clubs including Ajax, Feyenoord, Real Madrid, Real Zaragoza and Club América. He has also coached the Saudi Arabian and Dutch national teams. He coached the national team of Trinidad and Tobago in the year leading up to the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Under Beenhakker's guidance the team managed to qualify for the 2006 World Cup, where the team secured a (goalless) draw against Sweden in its first match of the 2006 FIFA World Cup, and gave England cause for concern in the second match.

From 2000 to 2003 Beenhakker was Director of Technical Affairs with Ajax. In that period he fired coach Co Adriaanse and replaced him with Ronald Koeman.

Because he has been active in Spanish football he has the nickname "Don Leo". He is famous for his fondness of cigars and his dry humor.

On 11 July 2006 Leo Beenhakker was appointed as the manager of the Polish national football team.

He reportedly speaks Dutch, English, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish.

[edit] Coaching career

Listed are the clubs (amateurs excluded) where Leo Beenhakker worked as head coach.

1972 - 1975: SC Cambuur (Netherlands).
1975 - 1976: Go Ahead Eagles (Netherlands).
September 1979 - March 1981: AFC Ajax (Netherlands). Dutch champion 1979/80. Resigned.
1981 - 1984: Real Zaragoza (Spain).
1985: FC Volendam (Netherlands). Relegation.
February 1985 - March 1986: Dutch national team. 7 matches.
1986 - 1989: Real Madrid CF (Spain). Spanish champion 1986/87, 1987/88, 1988/89. Spanish cup 1988/89.
August 1989 - September 1991: Ajax. Dutch champion 1989/90. Resigned.
May 1990 - June 1990: Dutch national team. 6 matches, including 4 at the 1990 World Cup.
January 1991 - June 1991: Real Madrid.
1992 - 1993: Grasshopper-Club (Switzerland).
December 1993 - February 1994: Saudi Arabia national team. Fired.
1994 - April 1995: Club América. Fired.
1995 - 1996: Istanbulspor AS (Turkey).
1996: Guadalajara (Mexico).
1996 - 1997: Vitesse (Netherlands). Started as coach, became Technical Director in December 1996.
1997 - April 2000: Feyenoord (Netherlands). Dutch champion 1998/99. Resigned.
September 2000 - June 2003: Ajax, as director of technical affairs. Resigned.
June 2003 - June 2004: Club América (Mexico). Resigned.
November 2004 - April 2005: De Graafschap (Netherlands). Technical Advisor.
May 2005 - June 2006: Trinidad and Tobago national team.
July 11, 2006 - present: Poland national football team.

Preceded by Kurt Linder	Ajax Amsterdam managers 1989-1991	Succeeded by Louis van Gaal

	Netherlands squad - 1990 FIFA World Cup
1 van Breukelen \| 2 van Aerle \| 3 Rijkaard \| 4 R. Koeman \| 5 van Tiggelen \| 6 Wouters \| 7 E. Koeman \| 8 Vanenburg \| 9 van Basten \| 10 Gullit \| 11 Witschge \| 12 Kieft \| 13 Rutjes \| 14 van 't Schip \| 15 Roy \| 16 Hiele \| 17 Gillhaus \| 18 Fräser \| 19 van Loen \| 20 Winter \| 21 Blind \| 22 Menzo \| Coach: Beenhakker

	Trinidad and Tobago squad - 2006 FIFA World Cup
1 Hislop \| 2 Cox \| 3 A. John \| 4 Andrews \| 5 Sancho \| 6 Lawrence \| 7 Birchall \| 8 Gray \| 9 Whitley \| 10 Latapy \| 11 Edwards \| 12 Samuel \| 13 Glen \| 14 S. John \| 15 Jones \| 16 Wise \| 17 Charles \| 18 Theobald \| 19 Yorke \| 20 Scotland \| 21 Jack \| 22 Ince \| 23 Wolfe \| Coach: Beenhakker