Former football coach Nol de Ruiter passed away in the night from Tuesday to Wednesday at the age of 85. He was best known as Rinus Michels’ right-hand man at the European Championship won by Oranje in 1988.
“He had some ailments, but also his favorite pastimes,” his son-in-law Foeke Booy told Ad. “His health had become fragile. As a family, we are happy that he ultimately passed away in a dignified manner.”
De Ruiter was coach of FC Den Bosch, SC Cambuur and ADO Den Haag, among others, in his life. He celebrated his greatest success as head coach in his hometown at FC Utrecht. With that club he won the KNVB Cup in 1985.
After his period at FC Utrecht, De Ruiter transferred to the KNVB, where he was assistant to national coach Michels at the European Championship won by the Netherlands in 1988. He was assistant to the Dutch national team between 1987 and 1990.
During the European Championship in 1988, De Ruiter documented everything in a large black map, also known as ‘Nol’s map’. Everything was in it: from daily schedules to room layouts and from standard situations to analyzes of the opponents.
De Ruiter Kept A Diary Duration the 1990 World Cup
De Ruiter also kept a diary during the disastrous World Cup for Oranje in 1990. During that period he was assistant to Leo Beenhakker, with whom he swept the floor in the book NOL – which was published almost twenty years later.
De Ruiter called Beenhakker, among other things, one big hot air balloon. “Leo is an incredibly good actor. But the discussions have no substance at all, the training sessions are not prepared and mean nothing. The organization is bad,” he wrote in his diary.
After his period at Oranje, De Ruiter remained active in the football world. He was interim coach at FC Utrecht several times and was also a scout for the club from the Dom city for many years.
“As a player, coach and administrator, he has left his mark on our club,” FC Utrecht writes in response to his death. “The club is grateful to De Ruiter for his years of dedication and passion. His legacy lives on in the foundations of our club.”