Clarence Seedorf

Clarence Seedorf, born on 1 April 1976 in Paramaribo, Suriname, became one of football’s most decorated midfielders after moving to the Netherlands as a child. He developed in the Ajax academy and made his first-team debut in 1992, aged 16. With Ajax, he won the Eredivisie in 1993–94 and 1994–95 and was part of Louis van Gaal’s side that defeated AC Milan in the 1995 UEFA Champions League final in Vienna. After one season at Sampdoria, Seedorf joined Real Madrid in 1996. He won La Liga in 1996–97 and played a major role in Real’s 1997–98 Champions League campaign, which ended with a 1–0 final victory over Juventus in Amsterdam. During his Madrid years he also scored a celebrated long-range goal against Atlético Madrid, striking from near the halfway line in a 1997 league match. Seedorf moved to Inter Milan in 1999 before joining AC Milan in 2002 in an exchange deal involving Francesco Coco. At Milan, he formed part of Carlo Ancelotti’s technically gifted midfield alongside players such as Andrea Pirlo, Gennaro Gattuso and Kaká. Milan won the Champions League in 2003, beating Juventus on penalties at Old Trafford, and again in 2007, defeating Liverpool 2–1 in Athens. Seedorf also won Serie A with Milan in 2003–04 and 2010–11, the Coppa Italia in 2002–03, and the FIFA Club World Cup in 2007. His 2007 European title made Seedorf the first player to win the UEFA Champions League with three different clubs: Ajax, Real Madrid and AC Milan. He finished his Milan playing career in 2012 after a decade with the club, then played for Brazil’s Botafogo. At Botafogo he won the 2013 Campeonato Carioca and was named the competition’s best player. For the Netherlands, Seedorf earned 87 caps and scored 11 goals. He represented the national team at Euro 1996, Euro 2000 and Euro 2004, as well as the 1998 World Cup, where the Dutch reached the semi-finals. He was noted for his ability to play as a central midfielder, attacking midfielder or wide midfielder, combining strength, passing range and powerful shooting. Seedorf returned to AC Milan as head coach in January 2014, succeeding Massimiliano Allegri. Later coaching roles included Shenzhen FC in China and the Cameroon national team, which he managed at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.