Stanley Purl Menzo (born 15 October 1963) is a Dutch former professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...
who played as a
goalkeeper
In many team sports which involve scoring goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or intercepting o ...
, and worked as a
manager
Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business.
Management includes the activities o ...
of
Ajax Cape Town
Cape Town Spurs F.C. (formerly known as Ajax Cape Town) is a South African professional football club based in Parow in the city of Cape Town that plays in the National First Division. Dutch Eredivisie club AFC Ajax was their parent club and m ...
in the South African
Premier Soccer League
Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier.
A premier will normally be a head of governm ...
. He is currently the manager of
Chinese Super League
The Chinese Football Association Super League, commonly known as Chinese Super League or CSL, currently known as the China Ping An Chinese Football Association Super League for sponsorship reasons, is the highest tier of professional football in ...
side
Beijing Guoan
Beijing Guoan Football Club () is a professional football club that currently participates in the Chinese Super League under licence from the Chinese Football Association (CFA). The team is based in the Chaoyang District in Beijing and their ho ...
.
Most of his professional career was spent at
Ajax
Ajax may refer to:
Greek mythology and tragedy
* Ajax the Great, a Greek mythological hero, son of King Telamon and Periboea
* Ajax the Lesser, a Greek mythological hero, son of Oileus, the king of Locris
* ''Ajax'' (play), by the ancient Greek ...
(ten full seasons), appearing in more than 300 official matches with the club and winning nine major titles.
Menzo represented the
Netherlands national team in one
World Cup
A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the concept i ...
and one
European Championship.
Club career
Born in
Paramaribo
Paramaribo (; ; nicknamed Par'bo) is the capital and largest city of Suriname, located on the banks of the Suriname River in the Paramaribo District. Paramaribo has a population of roughly 241,000 people (2012 census), almost half of Suriname's ...
,
Suriname
Suriname (; srn, Sranankondre or ), officially the Republic of Suriname ( nl, Republiek Suriname , srn, Ripolik fu Sranan), is a country on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north ...
, Menzo arrived at
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie (; ''"Honour Division"'' or ''"Premier Division"'') is the highest level of professional football in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956, two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is c ...
giants
Ajax
Ajax may refer to:
Greek mythology and tragedy
* Ajax the Great, a Greek mythological hero, son of King Telamon and Periboea
* Ajax the Lesser, a Greek mythological hero, son of Oileus, the king of Locris
* ''Ajax'' (play), by the ancient Greek ...
at the age of 19, from amateurs A.V.V. Zeeburgia.
After the two seasons 1983–84 and 1984–85 deputising for
Hans Galjé
Hans Galjé (born 21 February 1957) is a Dutch football coach and former professional player. During his playing career, he played as a goalkeeper for ADO Den Haag, Ajax, FC Utrecht, KV Kortrijk, KSV Waregem and Club Brugge. He was manager ...
, in which Menzo played only a few matches in April 1984, May 1985 and June 1985, and after a loan to fellow league side
HFC Haarlem (September 1983 – March 1984), he became the starter for the
1985–86 campaign. Newly appointed manager
Johan Cruyff
Hendrik Johannes Cruijff (, internationally known as Johan Cruyff; 25 April 1947 – 24 March 2016) was a Dutch professional football player and manager. As a player, he won the Ballon d'Or three times, in 1971, 1973 and 1974. Cruyff was a ...
believed that Menzo was one of the first goalkeepers who could also make his mark as a field player.
In the 1980s Menzo was subjected to
racist abuse from fans.
Menzo then proceeded to remain an undisputed starter for seven full seasons, helping Ajax to the
1989–90 national title, as well as the
1986–87 European Cup Winners' Cup
The 1986–87 season of the European Cup Winners' Cup was won by Ajax in the final against Lokomotive Leipzig. The young Ajax side, which included the likes of Marco van Basten, Frank Rijkaard and Dennis Bergkamp, was guided to victory by its coac ...
and the
1991–92 UEFA Cup
The 1991–92 UEFA Cup was the 21st season of Europe's then-tertiary club football tournament organised by UEFA. It was won by Dutch club Ajax on away goals over Torino of Italy. The victory made Ajax only the second team – after Torino's city ...
. However, after a game in the latter competition
the following season, a 4–2 loss at
AJ Auxerre
Association de la Jeunesse Auxerroise (), commonly known as AJ Auxerre or simply Auxerre (), is a French football club based in the commune of Auxerre in Burgundy. The club was founded in 1905 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the first division o ...
, during which he scored an
own goal
An own goal, also called a self goal, is where a player performs actions that result in them or their team scoring a goal on themselves, often resulting in a point for the opposing team, such as when a football player kicks a ball into their own ...
, he lost his place to youth graduate
Edwin van der Sar
Edwin van der Sar (; born 29 October 1970) is a Dutch football executive and former professional player who is currently the chief executive of AFC Ajax, with whom he began his senior playing career in the early 1990s; he is considered to be a m ...
, and never regained it.
In the 1994 summer, Menzo signed with
PSV Eindhoven
Philips Sport Vereniging (; en, Philips Sports Association ), abbreviated as PSV and internationally known as PSV Eindhoven (), is a Dutch sports club from Eindhoven, Netherlands. It is best known for its professional football department, whi ...
, where he backed up
Ronald Waterreus
Ronald Katarina Martinus Waterreus (; born 25 August 1970) is a Dutch former footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He notably played for PSV Eindhoven and Rangers, before ending his career at New York Red Bulls in the Major League Soccer.
Club ...
for two seasons. The 33-year-old managed to revive his career in Belgium with
Lierse SK
Koninklijke Lierse Sportkring (), often simply known as Lierse, was a Belgian professional football club from the city of Lier in the Antwerp province. Lierse have won four championship titles and two Belgian Cups. Lierse was one of the six ...
, which he helped win one
league
League or The League may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band
* ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football
Sports
* Sports league
* Rugby league, full contact footba ...
and one
cup
A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, china, clay, ...
, eventually amassing nearly 100 official appearances. For a brief period of time, he also played in France for
Girondins de Bordeaux
Football Club des Girondins de Bordeaux (), commonly referred to as Girondins de Bordeaux ( oc, Girondins de Bordèu) or simply Bordeaux, is a French professional football club based in the city of Bordeaux in Gironde, Nouvelle-Aquitaine. The ...
, arriving in August 1997 to replace
Gilbert Bodart
Gilbert Bodart (born 2 September 1962) is a Belgian football manager and former player.
Playing career
Bodart was born in Ougrée, Belgium. A goalkeeper, he played a long time with Standard Liège. Bodart also played 12 times with Belgium from ...
. However, having lost his place to
Ulrich Ramé
Ulrich Jean Eugène Ramé (born 19 September 1972) is a French former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
In a professional career which spanned two decades, he played mainly for Bordeaux (14 seasons), appearing in more than 500 ...
(who would be the club's first-choice for more than one decade), he returned to Lierse, in January 1998.
In the summer of 2001, after a second spell at Ajax, Menzo joined amateur club
AGOVV Apeldoorn
AGOVV () is a Dutch association football club based in Apeldoorn. It was established on 25 February 1913. The club played in professional football from 1954 to 1971 and from 2003 to 2013. AGOVV's male first squad plays in 2022–23 in the Tweede ...
, helping it to the
amateur title. He retired from football at the end of the season.
International career
Menzo gained six
caps
Caps are flat headgear.
Caps or CAPS may also refer to:
Science and technology Computing
* CESG Assisted Products Service, provided by the U.K. Government Communications Headquarters
* Composite Application Platform Suite, by Java Caps, a Java ...
for
the Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
, the first arriving in 1989. He then spent nearly three years without any further appearances, but was summoned for the squads present at both the
1990 FIFA World Cup
The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, a quadrennial football tournament for men's senior national teams. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event for a second time (the first being Me ...
and
UEFA Euro 1992
The 1992 UEFA European Football Championship was hosted by Sweden between 10 and 26 June 1992. It was the ninth UEFA European Championship, which is held every four years and supported by UEFA.
Denmark won the 1992 championship, having qualifi ...
, as third-choice.
After legendary
Hans van Breukelen
Johannes Franciscus "Hans" van Breukelen (; born 4 October 1956) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He was the technical director of the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) from 2017 until 2018.
Van Breuke ...
retired from international play following the latter competition, Menzo was named the starter for the
qualification stages of the
1994 World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup was the 15th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football, soccer teams. It was hosted by the United States and took place from June 17 to July 17, 1994, at nine venues across the countr ...
; following two unassuming performances, the 1–2 loss in
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
and a 2–2 home draw against
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
, he was benched, and ultimately did not even made the squad at all (
Ed de Goey
Eduard Franciscus "Ed" de Goeij (, anglicised to de Goey; born 20 December 1966) is a Dutch former professional association football, football Goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper. In a 20-year career, he played for Sparta Rotterdam, Fe ...
,
Theo Snelders
Theodorus Antonius Gerardus Snelders (born 7 December 1963) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
Club career
Snelders was born in Westervoort, Gelderland. He started his career with FC Twente but is mostly rem ...
and van der Sar would be the goalkeepers listed as starter, reserve and third respectively).
Managerial career
In the summer of 2004, after former Ajax teammate
Marco van Basten
Marcel "Marco" van Basten (; born 31 October 1964) is a Dutch football manager and retired professional player, who played for Ajax and AC Milan, as well as the Netherlands national team, as a striker. Widely regarded as one of the greatest pl ...
became head coach of the national team, Menzo was named its goalkeeping coach, remained there for two years.
When coach
Peter Bosz
Peter Sylvester Bosz (, born 21 November 1963) is a Dutch professional football manager and former player. Playing career
Club
A midfielder, Bosz started his professional career played with Vitesse in 1981; after a loan season with then amat ...
left in June 2002, Menzo became AGOVV's manager, remaining in the position for only one season: AGOVV became a professional club in the
second division
In sport, the Second Division, also called Division 2 or Division II is usually the second highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Following the rise of Premier League style compet ...
, but he did not have the qualifications to exercise in that category, subsequently moving to Amsterdam-based amateur club
Amsterdamsche FC
Amsterdamsche Football Club, known as AFC, is a football club from Amsterdam, Netherlands. It is currently playing in the Tweede Divisie, the third tier of football in the Netherlands.
History
19th century: Foundation
AFC was founded in 1895 ...
.
In February 2005, Menzo received the necessary diploma to coach professional clubs. That summer, he returned as head manager of AGOVV. A year later, he joined
FC Volendam
Football Club Volendam () is a professional Association football, football club based in Volendam, Netherlands. They play in the Eredivisie, the top tier of Dutch football league system, Dutch football from the 2022–23 season following promotion ...
, lasting two seasons (incomplete) and signing with
Cambuur Leeuwarden
SC Cambuur, also known as Cambuur Leeuwarden, or simply Cambuur, () is a Dutch football club from the city of Leeuwarden formed on 19 June 1964. They currently play in the Eredivisie, the top tier of Dutch football, after winning the 2020–21 Ee ...
, which he led to the second position in the second level in
2009–10, even though the team ultimately failed in the playoffs.
In October 2010, Menzo resigned from his position at Cambuur in order to join
Vitesse Arnhem
Vitesse may refer to:
* Vitesse Models, a diecast model car company
* Vitesse (band), Dutch rock band
* Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse, a car
* Rover 216 Vitesse, a car
* Rover 3500 Vitesse, a car
* Rover 800 Vitesse, a car
* Triumph Vites ...
as assistant to new head coach
Albert Ferrer
Albert Ferrer Llopis (; born 6 June 1970) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a right back, and was also a coach.
Having represented local team Barcelona for almost a decade, he went on to appear for England's Chelsea until his retir ...
. In May 2013, he became the head coach of
Lierse S.K.
Koninklijke Lierse Sportkring (), often simply known as Lierse, was a Belgian professional football club from the city of Lier in the Antwerp province. Lierse have won four championship titles and two Belgian Cups. Lierse was one of the six Be ...
, where he stayed until his sacking at the end of August 2014. On 28 October 2016, Menzo was appointed head coach of South African Premier Soccer League team,
Ajax Cape Town
Cape Town Spurs F.C. (formerly known as Ajax Cape Town) is a South African professional football club based in Parow in the city of Cape Town that plays in the National First Division. Dutch Eredivisie club AFC Ajax was their parent club and m ...
. He left just before Christmas 2017.
On 14 January 2019, Menzo was appointed as the manager of the reserve team of
Beijing Sinobo Guoan
Beijing Guoan Football Club () is a professional football club that currently participates in the Chinese Super League under licence from the Chinese Football Association (CFA). The team is based in the Chaoyang District in Beijing and their ho ...
in China.
On 29 August 2022, Menzo was appointed as the manager for Beijing Guoan's first team.
Honours
Ajax
*
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a European football club competition contested annually by the winners of domestic cup competitions. The cup was, chronologically, the second seasonal inter-European club competition organised by UEFA. The tournam ...
: 1986–87
*
UEFA Cup
A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store Solid, solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, porcela ...
: 1991–92
*
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie (; ''"Honour Division"'' or ''"Premier Division"'') is the highest level of professional football in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956, two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is c ...
: 1984–85, 1989–90, 1993–94
*
KNVB Cup
The KNVB Beker (; en, KNVB Cup), branded as the TOTO KNVB Beker for sponsorship reasons, is a competition in the Netherlands organized by the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) since 1898. It was based on the format of the English FA Cup. Ou ...
: 1985–86, 1986–87, 1992–93, 1995–96
Lierse
*
Belgian Pro League
The Belgian Pro League,(officially the Jupiler Pro League due to sponsorship reasons with Jupiler), is the top league competition for association football clubs in Belgium. Contested by 18 clubs since the 2020–21 season and reduced to 16 team ...
: 1996–97
*
Belgian Cup
The Belgian Cup (french: link=no, Coupe de Belgique; nl, Beker van België []; german: link=no, Belgischer Fußballpokal) is the main Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in Belgium, run by the Belgia ...
: 1998–99
References
External links
Beijen profile
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Menzo, Stanley
1963 births
Living people
Sportspeople from Paramaribo
Dutch footballers
Netherlands international footballers
Surinamese footballers
Surinamese emigrants to the Netherlands
Association football goalkeepers
Eredivisie players
AFC Ajax players
HFC Haarlem players
PSV Eindhoven players
Belgian First Division A players
Lierse S.K. players
Ligue 1 players
FC Girondins de Bordeaux players
1990 FIFA World Cup players
UEFA Euro 1992 players
Dutch expatriate footballers
Expatriate footballers in Belgium
Expatriate footballers in France
Dutch expatriate sportspeople in Belgium
Dutch expatriate sportspeople in France
Dutch football managers
AGOVV Apeldoorn managers
Amsterdamsche FC managers
FC Volendam managers
SC Cambuur managers
Lierse S.K. managers
Ajax Cape Town F.C. managers
Beijing Guoan F.C. managers
UEFA Cup winning players
Association football goalkeeping coaches
Beijing Guoan F.C. non-playing staff