1. Overview
Denny Domingues Landzaat (born 6 May 1976) is a Dutch former professional footballer who primarily played as a midfielder. He is currently serving as the assistant coach for the Indonesia national football team. Throughout his extensive playing career, Landzaat featured for several prominent clubs in the Netherlands and England, including AFC Ajax, AZ Alkmaar, Wigan Athletic, Feyenoord, and FC Twente. He also represented the Netherlands national football team at the youth and senior levels, including participation in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Following his retirement as a player, Landzaat transitioned into coaching, holding various roles at club and national team levels before his current position with Indonesia.
2. Personal Life and Background
Landzaat was born and raised in Amsterdam, Netherlands. He is of Indonesian descent, with his heritage tracing back to the Moluccan people through his mother's side. His father is also of Moluccan origin.
3. Playing Career
Denny Landzaat's playing career spanned over two decades, beginning in the youth ranks of a major Dutch club and progressing through various professional teams in the Netherlands and England, culminating in international representation for the Netherlands.
3.1. Youth Career
Landzaat began his football education at the youth academy of SC Buitenveldert before joining the renowned youth system of AFC Ajax.
3.2. Professional Club Career
Landzaat's professional club career saw him play for several clubs, establishing himself as a consistent and influential midfielder.
3.2.1. Ajax
After developing in the Ajax youth academy, Landzaat made only one league appearance for the senior team during the 1995-96 season before moving on to seek more playing time.
3.2.2. MVV Maastricht
Landzaat joined MVV in 1996, marking his first significant spell in senior professional football. He played for the club until 1999, making over 100 league appearances and contributing to their promotion to the Eredivisie in the 1996-97 season.
3.2.3. Willem II
In 1999, Landzaat moved to Willem II, where he continued to play consistently. He remained with the club until 2003, establishing himself as a key player in their midfield.
3.2.4. AZ Alkmaar
Landzaat joined AZ in 2003. During the 2005-06 season, he served as the team's captain, leading AZ to a strong second-place finish in the Eredivisie.
3.2.5. Wigan Athletic
On 18 July 2006, Landzaat made a move to the English Premier League, joining Wigan Athletic for an undisclosed transfer fee, which was reported to be around 2.50 M GBP. He signed a three-year contract with the club. His first goal for Wigan came on 30 January 2007 in a 2-3 loss against Reading. He followed this with a notable 89 ft (27 m) strike at the Emirates Stadium on 11 February in a 1-2 defeat to Arsenal. On 18 August 2007, Landzaat scored his first home goal for Wigan at the JJB Stadium by converting a penalty against Sunderland in a 3-0 victory. He also opened the scoring in Wigan's 5-3 win over local rivals Blackburn Rovers.
3.2.6. Feyenoord
Landzaat returned to the Netherlands on 25 January 2008, joining Feyenoord for a transfer fee of 1.00 M GBP. He signed a three-and-a-half-year contract with the club. He scored on his debut for Feyenoord on 24 February 2008 in a 3-3 draw against Heracles.
3.2.7. FC Twente
After his contract with Feyenoord expired, Landzaat signed a one-year deal with Twente in August 2010. This contract was extended multiple times during his tenure. With Twente, he won the KNVB Cup in the 2010-11 season and the Johan Cruyff Shield in 2010.
3.2.8. Willem II
Following the expiration of his contract with Twente in the summer of 2013, Landzaat was without a club at the start of the 2013-14 season. However, on 16 January 2014, he signed a contract with Willem II until the end of the season. He played a part in the team's successful promotion back to the Eredivisie before retiring from professional football at the end of that season.
3.3. International Career
Denny Landzaat represented the Netherlands at various levels throughout his career. He was a member of the Dutch squad that participated in the 1995 FIFA World Youth Championship. At the senior level, Landzaat competed in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He was initially part of Marco van Basten's provisional squad for UEFA Euro 2008 but was released on 21 May 2008. Over his international career from 2001 to 2008, he earned 38 caps and scored one goal. His sole international goal came on 3 September 2004 against Liechtenstein in a friendly match, which the Netherlands won 3-0.
4. Coaching Career
After concluding his playing career, Landzaat transitioned into coaching, taking on various roles within club academies, national teams, and senior club staff.
4.1. Early Coaching
Landzaat officially ended his playing career in the summer of 2014. He immediately signed a contract with AZ Alkmaar until 2017, serving as an individual coach for the first team and for Jong AZ, the club's reserve team. A year later, in July 2015, he was also appointed as an assistant manager to Martin Haar for Jong AZ. From January 2016, Landzaat took on the role of manager for AZ's U15 team while still maintaining his individual coaching duties for the Jong and first teams, as well as his assistant manager position for Jong AZ. In the summer of 2016, he assumed charge of the club's U17 squad. In the summer of 2017, he extended his contract for another year and was re-appointed as assistant manager for Jong AZ, once again under Martin Haar.
4.2. National Team Roles
In addition to his club coaching duties, Landzaat also served as an assistant manager in an advisory role for the Netherlands national football team under head coach Danny Blind, beginning in September 2016.
4.3. Club Coaching
Landzaat's club coaching experience includes assistant roles at several prominent teams. For the 2018-19 season, he was appointed assistant to Giovanni van Bronckhorst at Feyenoord. When Jaap Stam was appointed manager for Feyenoord in the summer of 2019, Landzaat continued in his assistant role but stepped down on 28 October 2019, the same day Stam resigned. One week later, on 4 November 2019, he was appointed assistant manager to Henk ten Cate at the Saudi Professional League club Al-Ittihad. On 19 June 2022, Landzaat was announced as the assistant manager under John van den Brom at Lech Poznań, the defending champions of the Polish Ekstraklasa. He departed Lech Poznań by mutual consent on 18 December 2023, the day after van den Brom's dismissal.
4.4. Indonesia National Team
On 8 January 2025, Denny Landzaat was appointed as an assistant coach for the Indonesia national football team, serving under head coach Patrick Kluivert.
5. Career Statistics
This section provides comprehensive statistical data for Denny Landzaat's professional playing career, including appearances and goals by club, season, and competition, as well as his international goal.
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Ajax | 1995-96 | Eredivisie | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| MVV | 1996-97 | Eerste Divisie | 34 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 34 | 2 | ||
| 1997-98 | Eredivisie | 34 | 4 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 35 | 4 | |||
| 1998-99 | 34 | 4 | 2 | 1 | - | - | 36 | 5 | ||||
| Total | 102 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 105 | 11 | ||
| Willem II | 1999-2000 | Eredivisie | 25 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | - | 29 | 4 | |
| 2000-01 | 33 | 12 | 3 | 0 | - | - | 36 | 12 | ||||
| 2001-02 | 34 | 16 | 3 | 2 | - | - | 37 | 18 | ||||
| 2002-03 | 34 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 1 | - | 42 | 6 | |||
| 2003-04 | 13 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | - | 18 | 5 | |||
| Total | 139 | 38 | 12 | 5 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 162 | 45 | ||
| AZ Alkmaar | 2003-04 | Eredivisie | 17 | 3 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 17 | 3 | ||
| 2004-05 | 33 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 4 | - | 47 | 15 | |||
| 2005-06 | 29 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 42 | 12 | ||
| Total | 79 | 22 | 4 | 3 | 21 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 106 | 30 | ||
| Wigan Athletic | 2006-07 | Premier League | 33 | 2 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 34 | 2 | ||
| 2007-08 | 19 | 3 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 19 | 3 | ||||
| Total | 52 | 5 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 53 | 5 | ||||
| Feyenoord | 2007-08 | Eredivisie | 11 | 2 | 3 | 2 | - | - | 14 | 4 | ||
| 2008-09 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 1 | ||
| 2009-10 | 20 | 2 | 7 | 0 | - | - | 27 | 2 | ||||
| Total | 38 | 5 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 51 | 7 | ||
| Twente | 2010-11 | Eredivisie | 27 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 12 | 2 | - | 44 | 4 | |
| 2011-12 | 16 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 29 | 1 | ||
| 2012-13 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | ||
| Total | 50 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 21 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 80 | 5 | ||
| Willem II | 2013-14 | Eerste Divisie | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 9 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 470 | 82 | 37 | 11 | 54 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 568 | 103 | ||
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 September 2004 | Stadion Galgenwaard, Utrecht, Netherlands | LIE | 3-0 | 3-0 | Friendly |
6. Honors
Denny Landzaat achieved several titles and awards throughout his playing career with various clubs:
- Ajax
- Eredivisie: 1995-96
- MVV
- Eerste Divisie: 1996-97
- Feyenoord
- KNVB Cup: 2007-08
- Twente
- KNVB Cup: 2010-11
- Johan Cruyff Shield: 2010
- Willem II
- Eerste Divisie: 2013-14