The Dutch Leo Beenhakker, coach of Real Madrid in full effervescence of the ‘fifth of the vulture’ and winner of three league titles, a Copa del Rey and two Spanish supercops with the Spanish team, died this Thursday at the age of 82, as confirmed in an official statement the White Club.
Despite his brief passage through Mexican football, the Dutch coach Leo Beenhakker left an indelible brand, especially during his first stage at the head of Club América in the 1994-95 season. With a colorful and offensive game style, his team-with African figures such as François Omam-Biyik and Kalusha Bwalya leading the attack-starred in encounters that still last in the memory of fans.
During that tournament, the Eagles signed spectacular performances, including a 4-3 vibrant against Chivas, a forceful 7-3 against Atlético Morelia and an 8-2 win over TM Gallos Blancos. However, its cycle was interrupted before concluding the campaign, due to disagreements with the Bluecrema directive.
Beenhakker also had a brief step by the staunch rival, Chivas de Guadalajara, in the 1995-96 season. However, with the Sacred Flock it failed to replicate the impact or the results it achieved with America.
A decade later, he returned to the Bluecrema bench for the 2003-04 campaign. However, that second stage did not have the same brightness, and the echoes of its first and fleeting management remain the most remembered by the Americanist fans.
Real Madrid says goodbye to a coach who directed the team under the mandate of the then president, Ramón Mendoza, in two stages: between 1986 and 1989 and 1992.
Beenhakker happened to Luis Molowny (who had already won the League in the 1985-1986) and directed the Madrid team towards three consecutive First Division trophies.
After fulfilling his contract, and although in his last year he won three titles, he was replaced by John Benjamin Toshack. The defeat in San Siro 5-0 in the European Cup against Milan hurt Madrid a lot and was probably the end of the Dutch coach, whose substitute closed the following season the cycle of five consecutive leagues of Real Madrid.
Beenhakker returned to Real Madrid to replace in the last stretch of the 1991-1992 year to Radomir Antic in a decision of Ramón Mendoza that surprised many Real Madrid fans, because when the Serbian coach was dismissed in the nineteenth day, the team was a leader with three points of advantage over Barcelona.
Finally he could not win that league, the first one that Real Madrid lost in Tenerife on the last day, and left the club definitely.
His passage through the benches is also remembered for his successes in Dutch football. He is the only coach who has won eredivisie with Ajax (1979-1980 season) and Feyenoord (1998-1999).
In addition, he was in charge of the selections from the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Trinidad and Tobaho and Poland. He also directed clubs such as the Spanish Zaragoza, the Dutch Volendam and Vittesse, the Swiss Grasshopper, the Mexicans America and Guadalajara, and the Turkish Istanbulsospor.
“Real Madrid wants to express their condolences and love to their relatives, to their clubs and all their loved ones,” says Real Madrid in the aforementioned statement.
With EFE information
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