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Bennie Muller

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Bennie Muller
Muller in 1961
Personal information
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
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1958–1970 Ajax 341 (30)
1970–1971 Holland Sport
1971–1972 Blauw-Wit
Total 341+ (30+)
International career
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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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References

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bennie Muller.
  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ a b Winner, David (29 July 2008). Brilliant Orange: The Neurotic Genius of Dutch Soccer. Overlook Press. ISBN 9781590208021 – via Google Books.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ "Voormalig Ajax-middenvelder Bennie Muller (85) overleden". Ajax (in Dutch). 17 January 2024. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  6. ^ "Clubicoon Ajax en oud-international Bennie Muller (85) overleden". AD (in Dutch). 17 January 2024. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  7. ^ "Bennie Muller – International Appearances". RSSSF. Retrieved 4 October 2010.
  8. ^ "Bennie Muller, international football player". EU-football. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ "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.
  11. ^ "Anne Frank and antisemitism: The unwelcome focus of European soccer". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 16 June 2018.
  12. ^ "Bennie Muller | 1968–1969 - PES Stats Database". pesstatsdatabase.com. Archived from the original on 27 June 2018. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  13. ^ Aankomst Ajax op Schiphol, Bennie Muller werd op Schiph begroet door zijn dochtertje Petra. Nationaal Archief 2010–2013
  14. ^ "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.
  15. ^ "Voormalig Ajax en Oranje-voetballer Bennie Muller (85) overleden". NOS (in Dutch). 17 January 2024. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
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