We meet Rinus Israel in a bicycle trade in Landsmeer. And that is striking, because a bicycle trade is not the first thing you associate with the former footballer. He says he is a fan of cycling, but then more as a follower of the large cycling rounds.
The bicycle shop is his permanent place from Monday to Friday. He comes to ‘do a cup of coffee’ and talks to the owner and his customers. A Rinus Israel Museum has risen on the wall, with many pictures of Iron Rinus. “But I didn’t do that,” he adds quickly. It turns out to be the work of the owner, a great Feyenoord fan.
DWS
Whoever says Rinus Israel, says Feyenoord. But the born Amsterdammer started his impressive career as a defender of the strong DWS, which even became champion of the Netherlands in 1964. At first the football connoisseurs of the Amsterdam club were not really enthusiastic about his skills.
“DWS was interested and then I played a friendly game there. They were apparently not enthusiastic about what I had shown. I got that contract with hanging and strangling.”
Players then did the contract negotiations themselves, so without the help of a expensive agent. “I had no wishes at all,” says Israel, “I was already happy to have a contract.”