For Frank
de Boer and his teammates at FC Barcelona, this year’s editon of the Champions
League has been a welcome distraction from Barça’s problems in the Spanish
league. However, next to the record breaking nine consecutive Champions League
victories, De Boer also reached a personal milestone when he played in
Wednesday’s match against Internazionale. The 32-year-old Dutch defender
equalled "Mister Inter" Giuseppe Bergomi’s record of 117 appearances
in European club football.
De Boer
made his European debut on 14 September 1989 when he played in Ajax’s 1-0 UEFA
Cup defeat at Austria Wien and he went on to represent the Amsterdam based club
in 71 European matches, winning the UEFA Cup (1992), Champions League (1995)
and UEFA Super Cup (1996) in the process. Since his move to FC Barcelona during
the 1998/1999 season he has played 46 matches in Europe for the Catalan club.
His total of 71 Champions League appearances is only five shy of Gary Neville’s
record.
There has
been confusion about which player would equal Bergomi’s record first as Paolo
Maldini was widely reported to have done so on the Champions League Matchday 9.
However, his total of 117 included four matches in the Intercontinental Cup (or
Toyota Cup) which we do not regard as a European competition here. If we did
include this, Frank de Boer would also have equalled Bergomi’s record on the
same matchday as he played in Ajax’s 1995 Toyota Cup match against Grêmio.
Next
month, on March 29, De Boer could reach another milestone when the Dutch national
team play the Czech Republic in a European Championship qualifier in Rotterdam.
He can become the first player to have represented his country 100 times in
that match.
Frank de Boer
|
Name |
Frank de Boer |
|
Date of birth |
15 May 1970 |
|
Place of birth |
Hoorn |
|
Nation |
Netherlands |
|
Height |
1.79m |
|
Weight |
79kg |
|
Club |
FC Barcelona (ESP) |
|
Caps |
99 |
|
Goals |
12 |
Most
appearances in European competition (ECI, ECII, ECIII, UEFA Super Cup)
|
Player |
Nation |
Club(s) |
Apps |
Years |
|
Frank de Boer |
NED |
Ajax, FC Barcelona |
117 |
1989 – … |
|
Giuseppe Bergomi |
ITA |
Internazionale |
117 |
1980 – 1999 |
|
Paolo Maldini |
ITA |
AC Milan |
114 |
1985 – … |
|
Ray Clemence |
ENG |
Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur |
107 |
1969 – 1985 |
|
Filip
De Wilde |
BEL |
SK
Beveren, Anderlecht, Sporting CP |
106 |
1983 – … |
|
Michel Preud’homme |
BEL |
Standard Liège, KV Mechelen, SL Benfica |
105 |
1977 – 1999 |
|
Stefan
Reuter |
GER |
Bayern München, Borussia Dortmund |
103 |
1988 – … |
|
Manuel Sanchís |
ESP |
Real Madrid |
101 |
1984 – 2001 |
|
Lothar Matthäus |
GER |
Borussia
Mönchengladbach, Bayern München, Internazionale |
100 |
1979 – 2000 |
|
Fernando Hierro |
ESP |
Real Madrid |
99 |
1989 – … |
Note:
Players in bold still active. Table does not include matches played in the
Intercontinental Cup which is jointly arranged by UEFA but is not regarded here
as a European competition.
Frank de
Boer’s European matches
|
Competition |
Ajax |
FC Barcelona |
Total |
|
Champions League |
34 |
37 |
71 |
|
Champions League
qualification |
0 |
2 |
2 |
|
UEFA Cup |
29 |
7 |
36 |
|
Cup Winners Cup |
6 |
0 |
6 |
|
UEFA Super Cup |
2 |
0 |
2 |
|
Total |
71 |
46 |
117 |
Leading
appearance makers in Champions League
|
Name |
Nation |
Club |
Matches |
Goals |
|
Gary Neville |
ENG |
Manchester United |
76 |
0 |
|
Raúl |
ESP |
Real Madrid |
74 |
39 |
|
David Beckham |
ENG |
Manchester United |
74 |
12 |
|
Roberto Carlos |
BRA |
Real Madrid |
71 |
12 |
|
Frank de Boer |
NED |
FC Barcelona |
71 |
7 |
|
Oliver Kahn |
GER |
Bayern München |
69 |
0 |
|
Ole Gunnar Solskjær |
NOR |
Manchester United |
66 |
18 |
|
Ryan Giggs |
WAL |
Manchester United |
66 |
18 |
|
Paul Scholes |
ENG |
Manchester United |
66 |
17 |
Updated
till March 1, 2003 by Soccerdutch.net
