Danny Blind

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Lore & Background

Blind's signing at Ajax in 1986 initially upset superstar Marco van Basten, who preferred a big-name transfer over a relatively unknown defensive player. However, Blind proved his worth by becoming a penalty hero on multiple occasions. In the 1995 Intercontinental Cup against Brazil's Grêmio, he scored the winning penalty in the shoot-out to secure the title. Later that year, in the European Super Cup final against Real Zaragoza, he converted twice—specifically in the 65th and 69th minutes of the second leg—as Ajax won 5–1 over two legs. Domestically, his leadership helped secure five league championships and four cups between 1987 and 1999. He remains one of only two Dutch players, alongside Arnold Mühren, to have won all UEFA club competitions.

In Their Own Story

On 29 August 1979, Blind made his professional debut for Sparta Rotterdam, beginning a seven-season tenure before his move to Ajax in July 1986. His international career spanned ten years with 42 caps, though he missed the triumphant UEFA Euro 1988 squad due to a lack of appearances in 1987 and 1988. He represented the Netherlands at the 1990 and 1994 World Cups but only played in the latter; his sole international goal came against Greece in a UEFA Euro 1992 qualifier. After retiring from playing in 1999, he returned to Ajax as head coach on 14 March 2005, succeeding Ronald Koeman. In just 422 days, he led the club to victory in the KNVB Cup and the Johan Cruyff Shield before stepping down on 10 May 2006.

Reader's Guide

Blind's post-playing career saw him serve as director of football at Sparta Rotterdam (2007–08) and return to Ajax first as assistant coach, then technical director until February 2012. He later managed the Netherlands national team from 1 July 2015, succeeding Guus Hiddink. His tenure ended on 26 March 2017 after a 2–0 away loss to Bulgaria left qualification for the 2018 World Cup in doubt; he had already failed to lead them to Euro 2016. In August 2021, he returned to the national setup as an assistant to Louis van Gaal. As a player, his individual accolades include two Dutch Golden Shoe awards (1995, 1996) and being named in the ESM Team of the Year twice.

Did You Know?

• Danny Blind is one of only two Dutch players to have won all UEFA club competitions.
• He scored the winning penalty in the 1995 Intercontinental Cup shoot-out against Grêmio.
• Blind converted two penalties in the second leg of the 1995 European Super Cup final against Real Zaragoza (65th and 69th minutes).
• His signing at Ajax in 1986 upset Marco van Basten, who wanted a big-name attacker instead.
• He missed being part of the Netherlands' UEFA Euro 1988 winning squad because he was not capped in 1987 or 1988.