Piet Keizer

Petrus Johannes "Piet" Keizer (14 June 1943 – 10 February 2017) was a Dutch professional footballer who played as a left winger. As part of the "Total Football" Ajax Amsterdam team of the 1960s and 1970s, Keizer was particularly notable during the successive managerial tenures of Rinus Michels and Stefan Kovacs (1965–1973). He is widely considered one of the greatest players in Dutch football history. Dutch writer Nico Scheepmaker once said: "Cruyff is the best, but Keizer is the better one".Hall of Fame: Piet Keizer UEFA website has described Keizer as "the genius on the left wing, the skillfull flanker, the superb foil to Johan Cruyff".The greatest teams of all time: Ajax 1971–73. UEFA.com. Retrieved on 31 October 2015. He was in the shadow of Johan Cruijff, with whom he formed the so-called royal couple. Keizer made frequent use of the scissor movement. Cruyff, in his posthumously released autobiography,Johan Cruyff, My Turn. The Autobiography, Macmillan, 2016, p. 273. placed Keizer, as left winger, in his "ideal squad".

 Club career 
Keizer totalled 490 official matches for Ajax, scoring 189 goals between 1961 and 1974.Ajax-icoon Piet Keizer (73) overleden – Ajax  He played predominantly on the left-wing and with Ajax won 3 consecutive European Cups (1971, 1972, 1973), having lost the 1969 European Cup final to A.C. Milan. Also with Ajax, he won 6 Eredivisie titles, 5 KNVB Cups, 2 European Super Cups, 1 Intercontinental Cup and 1 Intertoto Cup.

In August 1973, under new Ajax manager George Knobel, the Ajax players voted in a secret ballot for Keizer to be the team's next captain, ahead of Johan Cruyff. Just weeks later Cruyff left Ajax to join Barcelona.

 International career 
With the Dutch national team, Keizer played 34 times, scoring 11 goals. He made his international debut in an 8-0 friendly win against the Netherlands Antilles in 1962. Keizer was selected by Netherlands manager, Rinus Michels, to play for the Dutch squad during the 1974 FIFA World Cup, but only started in the 0-0 draw against Sweden.1974 Netherlands World Cup Squad at Planet World Cup. Planetworldcup.com. Retrieved on 9 November 2013 He wasn't used for the rest of the tournament and the World Cup final against Germany.

Keizer suddenly retired from football in October 1974, shortly after a row over tactics with Ajax manager Hans Kraay.Piet KeizerAjax-icoon Piet Keizer (73) overleden  – Telegraaf 

 Personal life 
On 13 June 1967, Keizer married Jenny Hoopman.Het paar op weg naar de trouwzaal. gahetna.nl The couple have two sons.Ajax-elftal arriveert op Schiphol uit Londen. Piet Keizer met zoontje. gahetna.nl

Keizer died after a long battle with lung cancer in February 2017.Niederlande trauern um Keizer – Parool 

 Honours 
 Club 
Ajax
Eredivisie: 1965–66, 1966–67, 1967–68, 1969–70, 1971–72, 1972–73
KNVB Cup: 1960–61, 1966–67, 1969–70, 1970–71, 1971–72
European Cup: 1970–71, 1971–72, 1972–73; runner-up: 1968–69
UEFA Super Cup: 1972, 19731973: Ajax enjoy early success. UEFA.com. Retrieved on 31 October 2015.
Intercontinental Cup: 1972
Intertoto Cup: 1961–62, 1968 (Group A2 winner)

 International 
Netherlands
FIFA World Cup runner-up: 1974

 Related pages 
List of one-club men

 References 

 Other websites 



Category:1943 births
Category:2017 deaths
Category:Footballers from Amsterdam
Category:1974 FIFA World Cup players
Category:Deaths from lung cancer
Category:Cancer deaths in the Netherlands