Dick Schoenaker


Dirk "Dick" Hendricus Schoenaker is a retired football midfielder from the Netherlands, who represented his native country at the 1978 FIFA World Cup in Argentina, wearing the number three jersey.

Career

His football-career started at Wageningen and De Graafschap Doetinchem. He was bought by Ajax Amsterdam by leaving Ajax-coach Rinus Michels at the end of the 1975/1976 season. He went to Ajax summer 1976, simultaneously with Hans Erkens and Johan Zuidema and has been by far the most successful of the 3 midfielders, their first Ajax-coach being Tomislav Ivic. Schoenaker displayed unbridled energy at the midfield, a rumbled ability to run, the vigour as attacking midfielder to disturb players of the opponent sometimes reconquering balls, achieved a high quote in scored goals per match and had been a very sporting player.
Also he has been captain of Ajax. In Schoenaker's 9 seasons at Ajax, he won 6 Dutch Eredivisie championship titles and 2 Dutch Cups . In the period between 1976 and 1985, Ajax also lost 3 Dutch Cup-finals .
European successes were scarce during this period; the two best achievements were: a semi-final finish in the European Champions Cup during the 1979–80 season, and a quarter-final finish in the European Champions Cup I during the 1977–78 season. During the 1978–79 season Ajax was eliminated in the 3rd round of UEFA Cup, and during the 1984–85 season Red Boys Differdange was beaten 14–0, a Dutch record, but in the 2nd round of that tournament Ajax was eliminated.
Summer 1985 Schoenaker went to play for FC Twente Enschede, where he ended his career. Schoenaker obtained a total number of thirteen caps, scoring six goals.