Antoine Kohn

Antoine "Spitz" Kohn (1 November 1933 – 24 November 2012) was a Luxembourg football player and football manager.

Antoine Kohn
Kohn (left) with Louis Van Gaal at AFC Ajax in 1988.
Personal information
Full name Antoine Kohn
Date of birth (1933-11-01)1 November 1933
Place of birth Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
Date of death 24 November 2012(2012-11-24) (aged 79)
Position(s) Striker
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1949–1954 Jeunesse Esch
1954–1958 Karlsruher SC 66 (32)
1958–1959 FC Basel 23 (11)
1959–1963 Fortuna '54 119 (62)
1963–1964 Sportclub Enschede 17 (12)
1964–1965 Fortuna '54 28 (19)
1965–1968 FC Twente 29 (11)
International career‡
1953–1965 Luxembourg 7 (1)
Managerial career
1972–1979 FC Twente
1980–1981 Go Ahead Eagles
1981 Club Brugge
1982–1983 FC Twente
1985 Ajax Amsterdam (caretaker and Dutch champions)
1988 Ajax Amsterdam (caretaker)
1988–1989 Ajax (caretaker)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 2 March 2009
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 2 March 2009

Club career

Kohn played as a striker, and spent most of his career plying his trade abroad, in Germany, Switzerland, and finally Netherlands, where he later became a successful manager. During his playing days, he earned the nickname "Spitz" for his ferocity and goal-scoring instinct.

International career

Kohn made his debut for Luxembourg in a September 1953 World Cup qualification match against France, in which he immediately scored a goal. He went on to earn 7 caps, scoring one goal, all of them in FIFA World Cup qualification matches.[1][2] He won a total of 16 caps (6 goals) including unofficial matches.[3]

He played his final international game in September 1965, a 2–5 defeat by Yugoslavia.

International goals
Scores and results list Luxembourg's goal tally first.
#DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
120 September 1953Stade Josy Barthel, Luxembourg, Luxembourg France1–11–61954 World Cup qualifying

Manager career

After retiring as a player, Kohn became manager at FC Twente in July 1972 and clinched runner-up spot in the 1973–74 season, in the 1972–73 season FC Twente finished 3rd in the Dutch competition, in the 1974–75, 1975–76 and 1977–78 seasons, FC Twente finished as 4th club in the Dutch competition. In May 1975 they reached the UEFA Cup Final, losing 1–5 on aggregate to German side Borussia Mönchengladbach. The Dutch Cup was won in the 1976–77 season (FC Twente-PEC Zwolle 3–0), in the 1978–79 season the Cup final was lost (Ajax-FC Twente 1-1, 3–0).

Kohn moved on to Go Ahead Eagles in 1980 and Club Brugge in 1981 before rejoining Twente in the 1982/1983 season, but he could not save them from relegation that year. Between June 1984 and June 1990 he was assistant-coach at Ajax Amsterdam. After the firing of coach Aad de Mos, Kohn was the responsible manager, the last 5 rounds of the 1984/1985-season, coaching Ajax to the Dutch championship, with players like Hans Galjé, Stanley Menzo, Sonny Silooy, Frank Rijkaard, Ronald Koeman, Gerald Vanenburg, Marco van Basten, Rob de Wit, John van 't Schip and John Bosman. After 5 rounds in the 1988/1989 season Kohn became the responsible manager at Ajax, his assistant being Louis van Gaal.[4]

He finished his career as a scout for Udinese and SC Heerenveen.

Honours (as a player)
1951, 1954
1954
1955, 1956

References
  1. Record at FIFA Tournaments Archived 2 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine – FIFA
  2. Record at FIFA Tournaments Archived 2 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine – FIFA
  3. Jeunesse claim bragging rights in derby win, Luxemburger Wort, 26 November 2012
  4. Spitz Kohn, Louis van Gaal Archived 10 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine- Ajax (in Dutch)
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