Bennie Muller

{{Infobox football biography

|name = Bennie Muller

|image = Bennie Muller 1961.jpg

|caption = Muller in 1961

|full_name =

|birth_date = {{birth date|1938|8|14|df=y}}

|birth_place = Amsterdam, Netherlands

|death_date = {{death date and age|2024|1|17|1938|8|14|df=y}}

|death_place =

|height =

|position = Midfielder

|years1 = 1958–1970

|clubs1 = Ajax

|caps1 = 341

|goals1 = 30

|years2 = 1970–1971

|clubs2 = Holland Sport

|caps2 =

|goals2 =

|years3 = 1971–1972

|clubs3 = Blauw-Wit

|caps3 =

|goals3 =

|totalcaps = 341+

|totalgoals = 30+

|nationalyears1 = 1960–1968

|nationalteam1 = Netherlands

|nationalcaps1 = 43

|nationalgoals1 = 2

}}

Bennie Muller (14 August 1938 – 17 January 2024) was a Dutch professional footballer who played as a midfielder for Ajax and the Netherlands national team.

Early life

Muller was born in the Jewish Quarter of Amsterdam-East.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4OP_5zzOBNMC&q=Bennie+Muller+jewish&pg=PT97|title=Jewish Jocks: An Unorthodox Hall of Fame|first1=Franklin|last1=Foer|first2=Marc|last2=Tracy|date=30 October 2012|publisher=Grand Central Publishing|isbn=9781455516117|via=Google Books}} His grandfather was a fruit seller named Levi Sluiter.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ik79OnN0BpMC&q=Bennie+Muller+jewish&pg=PA189|title=Ajax, the Dutch, the War: The Strange Tale of Soccer During Europe's Darkest Hour|first=Simon|last=Kuper|date=11 September 2012|publisher=PublicAffairs|isbn=9781568587233|via=Google Books}} His mother was incarcerated in Westerbork transit camp during World War II. Approximately 200 members of Muller's extended family were killed in the Holocaust.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-XcjCQAAQBAJ&q=Bennie+Muller+jewish&pg=PT160|title=Brilliant Orange: The Neurotic Genius of Dutch Soccer|first=David|last=Winner|date=29 July 2008|publisher=Overlook Press|isbn=9781590208021|via=Google Books}}

Club career

Muller played club football for Ajax beginning in 1958, and was its captain.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VC1aclsVRDgC&q=Bennie+Muller+jewish&pg=PT172|title=Ajax, the Dutch, the War: The Strange Tale of Soccer During Europe's Darkest Hour|first=Simon|last=Kuper|date=11 September 2012|publisher=PublicAffairs|isbn=9781568587240|via=Google Books}} He made his debut for Ajax against MVV and played 426 official matches for the club.{{cite web|url=https://www.ajax.nl/artikelen/voormalig-ajax-middenvelder-bennie-muller-85-overleden/|website=Ajax|title=Voormalig Ajax-middenvelder Bennie Muller (85) overleden|language=nl|date=17 January 2024|access-date=17 January 2024}} He won five league titles and three domestic cups with them.{{cite web|url=https://www.ad.nl/nederlands-voetbal/clubicoon-ajax-en-oud-international-bennie-muller-85-overleden~ae2b3814/?referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.nl%2F|title=Clubicoon Ajax en oud-international Bennie Muller (85) overleden|newspaper=AD|language=nl|date=17 January 2024|access-date=17 January 2024}}

International career

Muller made his debut for the Netherlands national team in an April 1960 friendly match against Bulgaria, earning 43 caps in total, and also serving as captain.{{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/bmuller-intl.html|title=Bennie Muller – International Appearances|website=RSSSF|accessdate=4 October 2010}} His final international was an October 1968 World Cup qualification match against Bulgaria.{{cite web|url=https://eu-football.info/_player.php?id=14552|title=Bennie Muller, international football player|accessdate=17 January 2024|website=EU-football}}

Personal life

File:Huwelijk Bennie Muller 1961.jpg

Muller was Jewish,{{cite book |author1=Franklin Foer |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4OP_5zzOBNMC&pg=PT130 |title=Jewish Jocks: An Unorthodox Hall of Fame |author2=Marc Tracy |date=30 October 2012 |publisher=Grand Central Publishing |isbn=978-1-4555-1611-7 |pages=130–}}{{cite web |url=http://www.sem40.ru/sport/24907/ |title=ÓÐÏÒÔ - Центральный Еврейский Ресурс. Сайт русскоязычных евреев всего мира. Еврейские новости. Еврейские фамилии |accessdate=14 October 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140302165122/http://www.sem40.ru/sport/24907/ |archivedate=2 March 2014}} and was one of only six Jewish players to have played for Ajax – the others being Eddy Hamel, Johnny Roeg, Sjaak Swart, Daniël de Ridder and Ilan Boccara.{{Cite web|url=https://www.jpost.com/magazine/anne-frank-and-football-559980|title=Anne Frank and antisemitism: The unwelcome focus of European soccer|website=The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com|date=16 June 2018 }}{{Cite web|url=https://pesstatsdatabase.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=36615|title=Bennie Muller | 1968–1969 - PES Stats Database|website=pesstatsdatabase.com|access-date=27 June 2018|archive-date=27 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180627062540/https://pesstatsdatabase.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=36615|url-status=dead}}

Muller married on 27 September 1961. He had a daughter, Petra,[http://proxy.handle.net/10648/ab08adbe-d0b4-102d-bcf8-003048976d84 Aankomst Ajax op Schiphol, Bennie Muller werd op Schiph begroet door zijn dochtertje Petra]. Nationaal Archief 2010–2013 and a son Danny, who was also a professional footballer. Muller later owned a cigar shop near Amsterdam Centraal station.

Bennie Muller died on 17 January 2024, at the age of 85.{{Cite web |date=18 January 2024 |title=Ajacied Bennie Muller (1938-2024) voelde zich een slachtoffer van de verzakelijking van het voetbal |url=https://www.volkskrant.nl/sport/ajacied-bennie-muller-1938-2024-voelde-zich-een-slachtoffer-van-de-verzakelijking-van-het-voetbal~b64548ce/ |access-date=18 January 2024 |website=Volkskrant |language=nl}}{{Cite web |date=17 January 2024 |title=Voormalig Ajax en Oranje-voetballer Bennie Muller (85) overleden |url=https://nos.nl/artikel/2505280-voormalig-ajax-en-oranje-voetballer-bennie-muller-85-overleden |access-date=17 January 2024 |website=NOS |language=nl}}