Rob Alflen (born 7 May 1968) is a Dutch

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

manager and former player who is the assistant manager of Dutch

Eredivisie The Eredivisie (; "Honour Division" or "Premier Division") is a professional association football league in the Netherlands and the highest level of the Dutch football league system. The league was founded in 1956, two years after the start o ...

club

SC Cambuur SC Cambuur, also known as Cambuur Leeuwarden, or simply Cambuur, () is a Dutch professional Association football, football club from the city of Leeuwarden formed on 19 June 1964. They currently play in the Eerste Divisie, the second tier of Dutc ...

Playing career

Club

Alflen was born in

Utrecht Utrecht ( ; ; ) is the List of cities in the Netherlands by province, fourth-largest city of the Netherlands, as well as the capital and the most populous city of the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of Utrecht (province), Utrecht. The ...

. He played for

FC Utrecht Football Club Utrecht () is a Dutch professional association football, football club based in Utrecht. The club competes in the Eredivisie, the top tier of Dutch football league system, Dutch football, and plays its home matches at the Stadion ...

Ajax Amsterdam Amsterdamsche Football Club Ajax (), also known as AFC Ajax, Ajax Amsterdam, or commonly Ajax, is a Dutch professional Association football, football Football team, club based in Amsterdam, that plays in the , the top tier in Dutch football. ...

, Vitesse Arnhem,

Sparta Rotterdam Sparta Rotterdam () is a Dutch professional football club based in Rotterdam. Established on 1 April 1888, Sparta Rotterdam is the oldest professional football team in the Netherlands. Sparta currently competes in the Eredivisie, the top flig ...

, and Cambuur Leeuwarden in the

Managerial career

Since 2004, Alflen has been co-presenter of the TV program Namen & Rugnummer on RTV Utrecht. Alflen started his coaching career as a youth coach of FC De Bilt, and later became manager of the first team for the 2006–07 season. In the following season, he became assistant manager of HFC Haarlem but still remained as manager of De Bilt. From 2008 until 2010, he was manager of FC Breukelen. In February 2009, he also took a job at

Jong FC Utrecht Jong FC Utrecht (U23) is a Dutch football team, based in Utrecht. It is the reserve team of FC Utrecht and plays in the Eerste Divisie since the 2016–17 Eerste Divisie season. Current squad Out on loan Techni ...

as manager of the team alongside his manager job at Breukelen. When Erwin Koeman quit as head coach of FC Utrecht in October 2011, Alflen was assigned as assistant coach of

Jan Wouters Jan Jacobus Wouters (born 17 July 1960) is a Dutch professional football coach and former player. He played as a defensive midfielder and was Dutch Footballer of the Year in 1990. Career Wouters played for several clubs including PSV, Utrech ...

for the first team of FC Utrecht. He became head coach after Wouters left the club in June 2014. On 25 March 2015

said that coach Alflen and his advisor

Co Adriaanse Jacobus "Co" Adriaanse (born 21 July 1947) is a Dutch association football, football Manager (association football), manager and former player who played as a centre-back. Playing career As a professional player, Adriaanse played for six seasons ...

would step down from their roles with the Dutch club at the end of the season. On 11 January 2016 he became an assistant at

Heracles Heracles ( ; ), born Alcaeus (, ''Alkaios'') or Alcides (, ''Alkeidēs''), was a Divinity, divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of ZeusApollodorus1.9.16/ref> and Alcmene, and the foster son of Amphitryon.By his adoptive descent through ...

after

Hendrie Krüzen Hendrik "Hendrie" Krüzen (born 24 November 1964) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He is the assistant manager of Heracles Almelo. Club career Krüzen was born in Almelo, Overijssel. He made his senior debu ...

left the club. On 16 April 2018, it was announced that Alflen would take over as the head coach of

Helmond Sport Helmond Sport () is a Dutch professional football club based in Helmond, North Brabant. Founded in 1967 following the acquisition of the professional license of , the club achieved promotion to the top-tier Eredivisie in 1982. After two seasons ...

on a two-year contract starting next season. On 8 May 2019, Helmond announced, that they had sacked Alflen after a disappointing season, the worst season in the club's history with only four victories in 38 games.

Personal life

Alflen's father was the Dutch wrestling champion Loek Alflen.

Career statistics

References

1968 births Living people Footballers from Utrecht (city) Dutch men's footballers Men's association football midfielders FC Utrecht players AFC Ajax players SBV Vitesse players Sparta Rotterdam players Heracles Almelo players SC Cambuur players UEFA Europa League–winning players Eredivisie players Eerste Divisie players Dutch football managers FC Utrecht managers Helmond Sport managers Eredivisie managers Eerste Divisie managers Heracles Almelo non-playing staff 20th-century Dutch sportsmen {{Netherlands-footy-midfielder-stub