Richard Knopper
Knopper playing for Den Haag in 2009
Personal information
Date of birth (1977-08-29) 29 August 1977
Place of birth Rijswijk, Netherlands
Height 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Attacking midfielder
Youth career
1984–1988 RVC Rijswijk
1988–1993 Feyenoord
1993–1997 Ajax
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1997–2004 Ajax 67 (19)
2002–2003 → Aris (loan) 21 (1)
2003–2004 → Heerenveen (loan) 32 (9)
2004–2006 Vitesse 47 (8)
2006–2010 ADO Den Haag 85 (17)
2010–2011 PSM Makassar 18 (3)
2011–2012 Haaglandia 15 (3)
Total 285 (60)
Managerial career
2013–2014 ADO Den Haag (U18)
2014–2015 ADO Den Haag (U15)
2015–2016 ADO Den Haag (U17)
2015–2016 Netherlands U16 (assistant)
2016–2018 Ajax (U16/U15)
2018–2020 Ajax (U-18)
2020 ADO Den Haag (assistant)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Richard Knopper (born 29 August 1977) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder.

Club career

Born in Rijswijk, Knopper began his career with Feyenoord but, still in his youth, moved to rivals Ajax, making his official debut in November 1997 against Sparta Rotterdam. In 1999, he was voted by club supporters as Most Talented Player, receiving the Marco van Basten Trophy; the following year he scored 15 Eredivisie goals as a midfielder, but his team could only finish fifth.

A regular under Jan Wouters, Knopper saw his playing time reduce when Co Adriaanse took over as head coach in 2000. He was sidelined with injury for almost the entire season, playing only eight matches that year and appearing slightly more in the following, which would be his last.

In May 2002, Knopper had a trial with Premier League side Sunderland and played in that predicament in the testimonial match for Niall Quinn with the Republic of Ireland on the 14th.[1] From 2002 to 2004 he served two loans, first with Greece's Aris Thessaloniki F.C. then with SC Heerenveen, slightly reviving his career with the latter; upon his Ajax release in summer 2004, he spent two additional campaigns with Vitesse Arnhem, appearing regularly.

After some problems with Vitesse manager Aad de Mos, Knopper was forced to leave and joined ADO Den Haag. In July 2007 a three-year contract was agreed, with the player netting again in double figures (ten) in 2008–09, crucial to help in a narrow escape from relegation; in the 2010 summer, aged 33, he was released.

In January 2011, Knopper moved to Liga Primer Indonesia club PSM Makassar, leaving after a couple of months and signing with lowly Haaglandia back in his country, where he ended his career.[2]

Managerial career

ADO Den Haag and KNVB

In January 2012, Knopper was hired as an account manager at his former club ADO Den Haag. From the end of May 2013, Knopper was also coaching the club's U-18 squad.[3] In February 2014, he left the position as account manager, but continued coaching the U-18 squad.[4]

From the 2014–15 season, Knopper took charge of ADO's U-15 squad[5] and in the 2015–16 season, of the U-17 squad.[6] At the end of August 2015, Knopper was also hired as assistant coach for the Dutch U-16 national team.[7]

Knopper left both the position at ADO and at the national team, in the summer 2016.

Ajax

In May 2016 it was confirmed, that Knopper would join Ajax ahead of the upcoming season, where he would alternate between coaching the U16 and U15 teams.[8] In April 2017, he signed a one-year contract extension with Ajax.[9] Ahead of the 2018–19 season, he was promoted to U-17 manager.[10] He left Ajax in the summer 2020.

Return to ADO Den Haag

On 13 May 2020 ADO Den Haag confirmed, that Knopper would return to the club from 1 July 2020 on a two-year deal as a first team assistant coach under head coach Aleksandar Ranković.[11] After Ranković was fired on 8 November 2020, Knopper also left the club.[12]

On 12 October 2021, Knopper returned to ADO, however, this time as a forward coach for the women's team, ADO Den Haag Vrouwen.[13]

References

  1. ↑ "Sunderland 0 Republic of Ireland 3 (Niall Quinn Testimonial)". 1 Sunderland. 14 May 2002. Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 9 March 2011.
  2. ↑ "Remon van Bochoven: "Rijnsburgse Boys speelt altijd om de prijzen"" [Remon van Bochoven: “Rijnsburgse Boys always play for prizes”] (in Dutch). Voetbaluitkatwijk. 16 March 2012. Archived from the original on 11 April 2012. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
  3. ↑ Knopper ook als jeugdtrainer werkzaam bij ADO, fcupdate.nl, 31 May 2018
  4. ↑ Richard Knopper neemt ontslag bij ADO Den Haag, groengeelhart.nl, 5 February 2014
  5. ↑ TRAINERSSTAF JEUGDOPLEIDING VOOR 2014-2015, adodenhaag.nl, 27 April 2014
  6. ↑ ONZE JEUGDTRAINERS IN TREK BIJ DE KNVB, adodenhaag.nl, 28 August 2015
  7. ↑ KNVB stelt oude bekenden aan als assistenten bij jeugdteams, vi.nl, 28 August 2015
  8. ↑ JEUGDTRAINER RICHARD KNOPPER VERLENGT ZIJN CONTRACT BIJ AJAX MET EEN JAAR, teamwass.eu, 6 May 2016
  9. ↑ JEUGDTRAINER RICHARD KNOPPER VERLENGT ZIJN CONTRACT BIJ AJAX MET EEN JAAR, teamwass.eu, 21 April 2017
  10. ↑ Jeugdselecties: Ajax O19 t/m O15 op een rij, ajaxshowtime.com, 30 August 2018
  11. ↑ RICHARD KNOPPER TREEDT ALS ASSISTENT-TRAINER IN DIENST BIJ ADO DEN HAAG, teamwass.eu, 13 May 2020
  12. ↑ ADO DEN HAAG SAYS GOODBYE TO ALEKSANDAR RANKOVIC, adodenhaag.nl, 8 November 2020
  13. ↑ Richard Knopper nieuwe spitsentrainer ADO Den Haag Vrouwen, adovrouwen.nl, 12 October 2021
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