Dutch footballer (1938–2024)
Bennie Muller
Muller in 1961
Date of birth
(1938-08-14 ) 14 August 1938 Place of birth
Amsterdam , Netherlands Date of death
17 January 2024(2024-01-17) (aged 85) Position(s)
Midfielder Years
Team
Apps
(Gls ) 1958–1970
Ajax
341
(30) 1970–1971
Holland Sport
1971–1972
Blauw-Wit
Total
341+
(30+) 1960–1968
Netherlands
43
(2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals
Bennie Muller (14 August 1938 – 17 January 2024) was a Dutch professional footballer who played as a midfielder for Ajax and the Netherlands national team .
Early life
Muller was born in the Jewish Quarter of Amsterdam-East .[ 1] His grandfather was a fruit seller named Levi Sluiter.[ 2] His mother was incarcerated in Westerbork transit camp during World War II.[ 1] Approximately 200 members of Muller's extended family were killed in the Holocaust .[ 3]
Club career
Muller played club football for Ajax beginning in 1958, and was its captain.[ 4] [ 1] He made his debut for Ajax against MVV and played 426 official matches for the club.[ 5] He won five league titles and three domestic cups with them.[ 6]
International career
Muller made his debut for the Netherlands national team in an April 1960 friendly match against Bulgaria , earning 43 caps in total, and also serving as captain.[ 7] [ 1] His final international was an October 1968 World Cup qualification match against Bulgaria.[ 8]
Personal life
Bennie Muller getting married on 27 September 1961
Muller was Jewish,[ 9] [ 10] and was one of only six Jewish players to have played for Ajax – the others being Eddy Hamel , Johnny Roeg , Sjaak Swart , Daniël de Ridder and Ilan Boccara .[ 11] [ 12]
Muller married on 27 September 1961. He had a daughter, Petra,[ 13] and a son Danny , who was also a professional footballer. Muller later owned a cigar shop near Amsterdam Centraal station .[ 3]
Bennie Muller died on 17 January 2024, at the age of 85.[ 14] [ 15]
See also
References
^ a b c d Foer, Franklin; Tracy, Marc (30 October 2012). Jewish Jocks: An Unorthodox Hall of Fame . Grand Central Publishing. ISBN 9781455516117 – via Google Books.
^ Kuper, Simon (11 September 2012). Ajax, the Dutch, the War: The Strange Tale of Soccer During Europe's Darkest Hour . PublicAffairs. ISBN 9781568587233 – via Google Books.
^ a b Winner, David (29 July 2008). Brilliant Orange: The Neurotic Genius of Dutch Soccer . Overlook Press. ISBN 9781590208021 – via Google Books.
^ Kuper, Simon (11 September 2012). Ajax, the Dutch, the War: The Strange Tale of Soccer During Europe's Darkest Hour . PublicAffairs. ISBN 9781568587240 – via Google Books.
^ "Voormalig Ajax-middenvelder Bennie Muller (85) overleden" . Ajax (in Dutch). 17 January 2024. Retrieved 17 January 2024 .
^ "Clubicoon Ajax en oud-international Bennie Muller (85) overleden" . AD (in Dutch). 17 January 2024. Retrieved 17 January 2024 .
^ "Bennie Muller – International Appearances" . RSSSF . Retrieved 4 October 2010 .
^ "Bennie Muller, international football player" . EU-football . Retrieved 17 January 2024 .
^ Franklin Foer ; Marc Tracy (30 October 2012). Jewish Jocks: An Unorthodox Hall of Fame . Grand Central Publishing. pp. 130–. ISBN 978-1-4555-1611-7 .
^ "ÓÐÏÒÔ - Центральный Еврейский Ресурс. Сайт русскоязычных евреев всего мира. Еврейские новости. Еврейские фамилии" . Archived from the original on 2 March 2014. Retrieved 14 October 2009 .
^ "Anne Frank and antisemitism: The unwelcome focus of European soccer" . The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com . 16 June 2018.
^ "Bennie Muller | 1968–1969 - PES Stats Database" . pesstatsdatabase.com . Archived from the original on 27 June 2018. Retrieved 27 June 2018 .
^ Aankomst Ajax op Schiphol, Bennie Muller werd op Schiph begroet door zijn dochtertje Petra . Nationaal Archief 2010–2013
^ "Ajacied Bennie Muller (1938-2024) voelde zich een slachtoffer van de verzakelijking van het voetbal" . Volkskrant (in Dutch). 18 January 2024. Retrieved 18 January 2024 .
^ "Voormalig Ajax en Oranje-voetballer Bennie Muller (85) overleden" . NOS (in Dutch). 17 January 2024. Retrieved 17 January 2024 .
External links