# Patrick Kluivert
**Patrick Kluivert** (Patrick Stephan Kluivert, born 1976 in Amsterdam) is a Dutch former footballer and current coach, a center forward who came through the Ajax youth academy, scored the winning goal in the 1995 Champions League final at age 18, and became the Netherlands' all-time leading international goalscorer with 40 goals in 79 caps.[1](https://www.11v11.com/players/patrick-kluivert-1644/) • [2](https://english.ajax.nl/articles/patrick-kluivert-50-years-50-goals/) • [3](https://www.onsoranje.nl/nieuws/nederlands-elftal/2442/top-11-spitsen-van-oranje) He later moved into management, most recently as head coach of the Indonesian national team from January to October 2025.[4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M10iEidebdE)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1976, Amsterdam; height 1.88 m, position forward[1](https://www.11v11.com/players/patrick-kluivert-1644/) |
| Signature moment | The only goal of the 1995 Champions League final, a toe-poke against AC Milan on 24 May 1995, scored at 18[2](https://english.ajax.nl/articles/patrick-kluivert-50-years-50-goals/) |
| Netherlands record | 40 goals in 79 caps, the national record until Robin van Persie passed it[3](https://www.onsoranje.nl/nieuws/nederlands-elftal/2442/top-11-spitsen-van-oranje) • [5](https://nos.nl/artikel/2570669-depay-evenaart-record-van-persie-en-is-medetopscorer-aller-tijden-van-oranje) |
| Euro 2000 | Joint top scorer of the tournament with five goals; his five goals remain the Dutch record for a EURO final tournament[3](https://www.onsoranje.nl/nieuws/nederlands-elftal/2442/top-11-spitsen-van-oranje) • [6](https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/0288-1996c6285a5f-18c2ec433585-1000/euro_draw_press_kit.pdf) • [21](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/0250-0c50fb8cb2d6-af5a8f8137ea-1000--ambassador-patrick-kluivert/) |
| Barcelona | Six seasons, 1998 to 2004; 145 goals in 308 official matches[7](https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/card/648043/patrick-stephan-kluivert) |
| Honours as a player | Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, and Intercontinental Cup with Ajax; Spanish La Liga 1998/99 with Barcelona; Dutch league with PSV[7](https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/card/648043/patrick-stephan-kluivert) • [8](https://as.com/us/2019/04/01/futbol/1554127600_191575.html) |
| Recognition | Named in Pele's "FIFA 100" list of the greatest living footballers in 2004[9](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/the-best-dutch-footballers-ever) |
| Coaching | Head coach of Indonesia from 8 January 2025 to 16 October 2025; earlier coach of Curaçao and assistant with the Netherlands and Cameroon[4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M10iEidebdE) • [10](https://as.com/us/2019/04/01/futbol/1554127600_191575.html) |
## Ajax and the 1995 final
Kluivert spent his entire youth career at Ajax, the Amsterdam club's academy, and scored on his first-team debut in 1994.[2](https://english.ajax.nl/articles/patrick-kluivert-50-years-50-goals/) In his debut [Eredivisie](https://www.edgepedia.org/eredivisie) season he scored 18 goals in 25 league matches, and added two goals in ten Champions League appearances, including the only goal of the final against [AC Milan](https://www.edgepedia.org/ac-milan) on 24 May 1995, a famous toe-poke finish.[2](https://english.ajax.nl/articles/patrick-kluivert-50-years-50-goals/) That season's Ajax side, directed by [Louis van Gaal](https://www.edgepedia.org/louis-van-gaal) and including veterans such as Frank Rijkaard alongside a young generation of Kluivert, Edwin van der Sar, Marc Overmars, the De Boer brothers, Clarence Seedorf, and Edgar Davids, won the European crown.[8](https://as.com/us/2019/04/01/futbol/1554127600_191575.html) • [11](https://as.com/us/us/2017/05/24/futbol/1495631561_403860.html) In total Kluivert scored 52 goals for Ajax.[2](https://english.ajax.nl/articles/patrick-kluivert-50-years-50-goals/)
## AC Milan and Barcelona
Kluivert joined AC Milan on 1 July 1997 and stayed one season, leaving for Barcelona on 1 September 1998.[1](https://www.11v11.com/players/patrick-kluivert-1644/) At Barcelona he spent six seasons, from 1998 to 2004, scoring 145 goals in 308 official matches, which places him among the club's historical top scorers.[7](https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/card/648043/patrick-stephan-kluivert) Van Gaal, his coach at both Ajax and Barcelona, described him as the "perfect striker".[7](https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/card/648043/patrick-stephan-kluivert) He won the Spanish league title in his first season, 1998/99, and formed a successful attacking partnership with Rivaldo.[7](https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/card/648043/patrick-stephan-kluivert) • [12](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mc7YNgwh1gE) His most productive league seasons at Barcelona included 18 goals in 2000/01 and 2001/02 and 16 in 2002/03.[1](https://www.11v11.com/players/patrick-kluivert-1644/)
## Later playing career
Kluivert left Barcelona for Newcastle United in July 2004, arriving as the Netherlands' all-time record goalscorer, but he failed to make the anticipated impact and returned to Spanish football after one season.[1](https://www.11v11.com/players/patrick-kluivert-1644/) He then played single seasons at Valencia, PSV Eindhoven, and LOSC Lille, retiring as a professional in 2007.[1](https://www.11v11.com/players/patrick-kluivert-1644/) • [8](https://as.com/us/2019/04/01/futbol/1554127600_191575.html) His honors as a player comprised two Dutch Super Cups, a Dutch league title, the Champions League, the [UEFA Super Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/uefa-super-cup), and the Intercontinental Cup with Ajax; one Spanish league with Barcelona; and one Dutch league with PSV.[8](https://as.com/us/2019/04/01/futbol/1554127600_191575.html)
## Netherlands international
Kluivert scored 40 goals in 79 caps for Oranje, the Dutch national team, a total that made him the country's top scorer of all time.[3](https://www.onsoranje.nl/nieuws/nederlands-elftal/2442/top-11-spitsen-van-oranje) Playing alongside [Dennis Bergkamp](https://www.edgepedia.org/dennis-bergkamp), he reached the semi-finals of the 1998 World Cup, scoring during that run, and of Euro 2000, hosted jointly by the Netherlands and Belgium.[3](https://www.onsoranje.nl/nieuws/nederlands-elftal/2442/top-11-spitsen-van-oranje) • [13](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/the-best-strikers-of-the-90s) At Euro 2000 his five goals made him the tournament's top scorer.[3](https://www.onsoranje.nl/nieuws/nederlands-elftal/2442/top-11-spitsen-van-oranje) • [21](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/0250-0c50fb8cb2d6-af5a8f8137ea-1000--ambassador-patrick-kluivert/) His five goals remain the Dutch record for a EURO final tournament.[6](https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/0288-1996c6285a5f-18c2ec433585-1000/euro_draw_press_kit.pdf) • [21](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/0250-0c50fb8cb2d6-af5a8f8137ea-1000--ambassador-patrick-kluivert/) He also played at Euro 96, Euro 2004, and the 2006 World Cup qualifiers era, with his first cap coming against Germany on 24 April 1996.[14](https://www.uefa.com/newsfiles/461350.pdf) His goals-per-game international ratio was later surpassed by [Klaas-Jan Huntelaar](https://www.edgepedia.org/klaas-jan-huntelaar), though only Faas Wilkes and [Johan Cruyff](https://www.edgepedia.org/johan-cruyff) had better Dutch ratios in the post-war era at the time of that comparison.[15](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/huntelaar-the-new-dutch-goal-machine-1655912.html) Robin van Persie subsequently overtook his national scoring record, and Memphie Depay later equaled Van Persie's mark.[5](https://nos.nl/artikel/2570669-depay-evenaart-record-van-persie-en-is-medetopscorer-aller-tijden-van-oranje)
## Style of play
Contemporaries regarded Kluivert as more than a pure goalscorer. Barcelona's official profile describes a quick, technically gifted forward, excellent with his back to goal, who dropped deep to link with teammates and create as well as score, "more of a creative midfielder who played as a striker than anything else".[7](https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/card/648043/patrick-stephan-kluivert) FourFourTwo ranked him among the deadliest strikers in Europe for a stretch of the 1990s while noting that he was frequently criticized for his attitude and, in its judgment, did not have the career he perhaps ought to have done.[13](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/the-best-strikers-of-the-90s) A retrospective analysis characterized him as a low-usage striker who passed and moved at a high level, a "ceiling-raiser" who needed to play alongside multiple high-caliber attackers and midfielders rather than a lone dominant focal point.[16](https://moesquare.medium.com/golden-boys-of-yesteryear-patrick-kluivert-b376c0f83456)
## Coaching career
After retiring, Kluivert moved to the bench. He served as assistant coach at [NEC Nijmegen](https://www.edgepedia.org/nec-nijmegen), coached [FC Twente](https://www.edgepedia.org/fc-twente)'s Under-21 side, was assistant to the Dutch national team, and coached the Curaçao national team, where in June 2015 he gave goalkeeper Eloy Room his international debut and persuaded the Nijmegen-born keeper to represent Curaçao.[10](https://as.com/us/2019/04/01/futbol/1554127600_191575.html) From 2018 he was assistant coach of the Cameroon national team under his compatriot [Clarence Seedorf](https://www.edgepedia.org/clarence-seedorf).[10](https://as.com/us/2019/04/01/futbol/1554127600_191575.html) His club coaching has included Adana Demirspor.[17](https://www.fotmob.com/players/39353/patrick-kluivert)
**Indonesia.** On 8 January 2025 the Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI) appointed Kluivert head coach of the national team, replacing [Shin Tae-yong](https://www.edgepedia.org/shin-tae-yong) while the squad competed in the third round of 2026 [FIFA World Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/fifa-world-cup) qualifying.[18](https://berkas.dpr.go.id/pusaka/files/info_singkat/Info%20Singkat-XVII-20-II-P3DI-Oktober-2025-232-EN.pdf) After Indonesia failed to advance to the 2026 World Cup finals, losing its final two qualifying matches to Saudi Arabia 2-3 and Iraq 0-1 and finishing bottom of [Group B](https://www.edgepedia.org/group-b), PSSI and Kluivert agreed to end the collaboration early by mutual termination, announced on 16 October 2025.[4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M10iEidebdE)
## Personal life
Kluivert's son [Justin Kluivert](https://www.edgepedia.org/justin-kluivert) is also a professional footballer, a forward who has played for the Netherlands national team and, most recently, [Bournemouth](https://www.edgepedia.org/bournemouth).[19](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/vergleich/spielervergleich/statistik/def/spieler/4385%26330659/sort/wettbewerb) • [20](https://www.squawka.com/en/features/netherlands-analysis-lack-of-elite-forward-world-cup/)
## References
1. [Patrick Kluivert Football Player Statistics, 11v11.com](https://www.11v11.com/players/patrick-kluivert-1644/)
2. [Patrick Kluivert: 50 years, 50 goals, AFC Ajax](https://english.ajax.nl/articles/patrick-kluivert-50-years-50-goals/)
3. [TOP-11: Spitsen van Oranje, OnsOranje](https://www.onsoranje.nl/nieuws/nederlands-elftal/2442/top-11-spitsen-van-oranje)
4. [List of Candidates to Replace Patrick Kluivert as Indonesia National Team Coach, tvOne](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M10iEidebdE)
5. [Depay evenaart record Van Persie en is medetopscorer aller tijden van Oranje, NOS](https://nos.nl/artikel/2570669-depay-evenaart-record-van-persie-en-is-medetopscorer-aller-tijden-van-oranje)
6. [EURO Draw Press Kit, UEFA](https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/0288-1996c6285a5f-18c2ec433585-1000/euro_draw_press_kit.pdf)
7. [Patrick Stephan Kluivert, FC Barcelona](https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/card/648043/patrick-stephan-kluivert)
8. [¿Qué fue de Patrick Kluivert, holandés que jugó en Barcelona?, AS](https://as.com/us/2019/04/01/futbol/1554127600_191575.html)
9. [The best Dutch footballers ever, FourFourTwo](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/the-best-dutch-footballers-ever)
10. [Room: el histórico portero que inventó Kluivert, AS](https://as.com/futbol/mundial/room-el-historico-portero-que-invento-kluivert-f202606-n/)
11. [¿Qué fue de Frank Rijkaard?, AS](https://as.com/us/us/2017/05/24/futbol/1495631561_403860.html)
12. [Patrick Kluivert, All 40 Goals for the Netherlands, YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mc7YNgwh1gE)
13. [The best strikers of the 90s, FourFourTwo](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/the-best-strikers-of-the-90s)
14. [AEK Athens FC team profile, UEFA](https://www.uefa.com/newsfiles/461350.pdf)
15. [Huntelaar, the new Dutch goal machine, The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/huntelaar-the-new-dutch-goal-machine-1655912.html)
16. [Golden Boys of Yesteryear: Patrick Kluivert, Medium](https://moesquare.medium.com/golden-boys-of-yesteryear-patrick-kluivert-b376c0f83456)
17. [Patrick Kluivert, stats and career, FotMob](https://www.fotmob.com/players/39353/patrick-kluivert)
18. [Recruitment and Governance of National Team Coaches, P3DI](https://berkas.dpr.go.id/pusaka/files/info_singkat/Info%20Singkat-XVII-20-II-P3DI-Oktober-2025-232-EN.pdf)
19. [Player comparison Patrick Kluivert / Justin Kluivert, Transfermarkt](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/vergleich/spielervergleich/statistik/def/spieler/4385%26330659/sort/wettbewerb)
20. [Netherlands World Cup analysis, Squawka](https://www.squawka.com/en/features/netherlands-analysis-lack-of-elite-forward-world-cup/)
21. [Ambassador: Patrick Kluivert – UEFA Europa League 2012/13, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/0250-0c50fb8cb2d6-af5a8f8137ea-1000--ambassador-patrick-kluivert/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football people and teams › People › Men's footballers of continental Europe › Dutch footballers › Dutch footballers born before 1985*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
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