Clarence Seedorf

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Clarence Seedorf
Personal information
Full name Clarence Clyde Seedorf
Date of birth April 1, 1976 (age 31)
Place of birth    Flag of Suriname Paramaribo, Suriname
Height 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)
Playing position Midfield
Club information
Current club Flag of Italy AC Milan
Number 10
Senior clubs1
Years Club App (Gls)*
1992-1995
1995-1996
1996-2000
2000-2002
2002-
Flag of Netherlands Ajax Amsterdam

Flag of Italy Sampdoria

Flag of Spain Real Madrid

Flag of Italy Inter Milan

Flag of Italy AC Milan

64 (21)
32 (11)
120 (35)
65 (14)
147 (37)   
National team2
1994- Flag of Netherlands Netherlands 81 (11)

1 Senior club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only and
correct as of march 4 , 2007.
2 National team caps and goals correct
as of March 28, 2006.
* Appearances (Goals)

Clarence Seedorf (born April 1, 1976 in Paramaribo, Suriname) is a Dutch-Surinamese football midfielder, who currently plays for AC Milan in Serie A. He was the first, and to date, the only person to have won the UEFA Champions League with three different clubs: Ajax (1995), Real Madrid (1998), and AC Milan (2003); he has also played for the clubs Sampdoria and Internazionale, and has been a member of the Netherlands national team.

Contents

Seedorf emerged on the scene as a talented right midfielder for Ajax Amsterdam during the early 1990s. In his early career he played a role in Ajax's Eredivisie winning years of 1994 and 1995. He was also a key member during Ajax's 1995 Champions League winning campaign. His performances during the season saw him move to Sampdoria in the summer of 1995.

After only a year at the Italian side, Seedorf moved again, this time to Real Madrid, helping that team regain La Liga in his first season. In his second season, 1997-1998, he played a major role in the team's Champions League success as Real Madrid secured a 1-0 victory over Juventus in the final: The second Champions League title of his career. While playing for Real Madrid, Seedorf scored a notable goal against Atlético de Madrid, a shot from around 60 yards away. Seedorf's spell at Real Madrid ended when he was transferred back to Italy during the 1999-2000 season - this time to Inter Milan.

At the start of the 2000s, Inter were eager for success after being denied major domestic honours during the 1990s. Despite helping the team to the Coppa Italia final in 2000, a game that was eventually lost, Seedorf could not help bring any major silverware to the club.

After two years with Inter Milan, Seedorf moved to city rivals AC Milan in 2002. He won the Coppa Italia with Milan in 2003, which was the first time they had won the competition in twenty-six years. In the same season, Seedorf gained his third Champions League medal – with a third different team – after an all Italian final in which AC Milan beat Juventus on penalties after a 0-0 draw. The following season, 2003-2004, Seedorf played a role in the AC Milan side that won Serie A: The seventeenth time the club had won the title in their history. It was also Seedorf's fourth national league title win of his career, after his two Dutch title wins with Ajax and his one Spanish win with Real Madrid.

On 24 July 2006, AC Milan announced that jersey number of Seedorf is changed from 20 to 10, following departure of Rui Costa.[1]

As of November 2006, Seedorf has been capped 78 times for the Dutch national team. Seedorf has played in Euro 96, the 1998 FIFA World Cup, Euro 2000, and Euro 2004.

A talented midfielder, many have suggested that his career could have been even more impressive if he had not let an argumentative and rebellious streak get the better of him on several occasions. In addition, he has a long history of underperforming during critical moments while playing for the national team.

This was one of the reasons why current national team coach Marco van Basten decided to ignore Seedorf when he was appointed coach after Euro 2004. Thus, Seedorf did not play in the World Cup 2006 qualifying series, as well as missing out on the FIFA World Cup itself. Van Basten has also not called upon Seedorf thus far in the Euro 2008 qualifying series.

On 12 November 2006, however, Seedorf was called back into the national team for the first time since June 2004 as a replacement for the injured Wesley Sneijder. He started and played the full 90 minutes in a 1–1 friendly against England.

In 1997, Dutch comedian and folk singer Freek de Jonge wrote a song "Leven na de dood" (Life after death), a cover version of the Bob Dylan song Death is not the End. In this comedy song, De Jonge humorously insinuates (among other things) that the possible consequences for Seedorf of missing a penalty do not matter[2], because "there is life after death" regardless. This alludes to his fatal misses in the 1996 European Championship quarter finals, in which the Netherlands lost 3-5 after penalty kicks against France, and in the 1998 World Cup qualification match against Turkey.

  • He is known for his love of singing. Along with Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti, he performed several songs during the team's annual Christmas party in 2005.
  • Seedorf also has a keen interest in motorcycling and currently owns a Grand Prix motorcycle racing team[citation needed], that races in the 125cc category on Honda machines.
  • Clarence Seedorf has 3 brothers (Jürgen, Chedric, and Rahmlee) and 1 cousin (Stefano Seedorf) who have all been, or are still professional football players. All contract negotiations and football related issues are dealt with by their father/uncle, Johan Seedorf who is their official player agent.
  • Seedorf helped one of his friends, Harvey Esajas to gain a contract at AC Milan, after he did not play football for 3 years.
  • Married to a Brazilian wife, Seedorf said in a recent (December, 2006) football game in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, that Clube de Regatas Flamengo is his favourite team in the world, having a special place in his heart. He also expressed his intention to play for Flamengo in a near future. [1]

Seedorf was named by Pelé as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers in March 2004.

  1. ^ "Clarence Seedorf press conference", A.C. Milan, July 24, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-07-26.
  2. ^ translation of: Wat kon Seedorf nou gebeuren toen hij van elf meter schoot


Flag of Netherlands Netherlands squad - 1998 FIFA World Cup Fourth Place Flag of Netherlands

1 van der Sar | 2 Reiziger | 3 Stam | 4 F. de Boer | 5 Numan | 6 Jonk | 7 R. de Boer | 8 Bergkamp | 9 Kluivert | 10 Seedorf | 11 Cocu | 12 Zenden | 13 Ooijer | 14 Overmars | 15 Bogarde | 16 Davids | 17 van Hooijdonk | 18 de Goeij | 19 van Bronckhorst | 20 Winter | 21 Hasselbaink | 22 Hesp | Coach: Hiddink

A.C. Milan - Current Squad

1 Dida | 2 Cafu | 3 Maldini | 4 Kaladze | 5 Costacurta | 7 Oliveira | 8 Gattuso | 9 Inzaghi | 10 Seedorf | 11 Gilardino | 13 Nesta | 15 Borriello | 16 Kalac | 17 Šimić | 18 Jankulovski | 19 Favalli | 20 Gourcuff | 21 Pirlo | 22 Kaká | 23 Ambrosini | 24 Grimi | 25 Bonera | 26 Storari | 27 Serginho | 28 Guerci | 29 Fiori | 30 Facchin | 31 Antonelli | 32 Brocchi | 33 Di Gennaro | 34 Bottini | 35 Aubameyang | 36 Darmian | 37 Bruscagin | 38 Lunati | 39 Vitofrancesco | 44 Oddo | 99 Ronaldo | Coach: Ancelotti

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