Former international goalkeeper Jan Jongbloed, two-time World Cup finalist with the Netherlands in 1974 and 1978, has died aged 82 following a long illness, the Dutch Football Federation announced on Thursday. “It is with sadness that we have learned of the death of Jan Jongbloed (…) The KNVB wishes the loved ones a lot of courage to overcome this great loss”, declared the federation in a press release published on its site.
The goalkeeper had been part of the golden generation of the “Oranje” of the 1970s, with whom he had played in two consecutive World Cup finals in 1974 and 1978, losing each time against the host country, the FRG then Argentina. The 1978 final was won 3-1 by the Argentines, the epilogue of a disputed World Cup in the midst of a military dictatorship and a climate of intimidation denounced by the Oranje. Jongbloed had distinguished himself by not hesitating to leave his penalty area, and had distinguished himself by playing these two World Cup finals without gloves.
Historic goalkeeper for DWS Amsterdam, He played 717 professional matches and only retired at the age of 44 in 1985 while playing for Go Ahead Eagles, after suffering a heart attack during a match. . This longevity had earned him in 1983 to beat the record for the oldest active player in the Dutch championship.
