Vurnon Anita
Encyclopedia
Vurnon San Benito Anita (born 4 April 1989) is a Dutch
footballer of Antillean
descent who currently plays as a defensive midfielder for Ajax.
, Anita started to play football at local team CVV Willemstad
. After he and his family moved to the Netherlands in 1997 he started playing for amateur side VV Maarssen. Later he was scouted by Ajax and he joined their world famous youth program in 1999.
As of the 2005–06 season he was promoted to the first team of Ajax and on March 19, 2006 he made his Eredivisie
debut in a 3–2 away loss against FC Groningen. That year he also participated in the KNVB Cup
semi-final against Roda JC. Ajax went on to win the KNVB Cup that year.
The following season he added another match to his Eredivisie
total, bringing it to two appearances. He also made his European debut in the 3-0 away loss against Werder Bremen in the UEFA Cup
.
In the 2007-08 season Anita did not play any matches for the first team, but in the 2008-09 he returned to the first team squad. He played a total of 16 matches, mainly as a replacement for injured or suspended team mates.
In the 2009-10 season Anita became a first team regular under new head coach Martin Jol
. Because of a suspension of Urby Emanuelson
and a long-time injury of Thimothée Atouba, Anita was posted as a left back. Jol was satisfied with his performance and continued to let him play as a left back for most of the season. He also played in the KNVB Cup final against Feyenoord and won his second KNVB Cup. His good performances also led to his debut at the Dutch national team
. However, he was not selected for the squad for 2010 FIFA World Cup
by coach Bert van Marwijk
.
The 2010-11 season started as the previous season ended with Anita playing most matches as a left back. Ajax managed to qualify for the Group stage of the UEFA Champions League for the first time since 2005-06. Because of the poor team performances during the first half of the season, Martin Jol left Ajax in December 2010 and was replaced by Frank de Boer
. He believed Anita should play as a defensive midfielder rather than left back. As a consequence, Anita had to compete with other midfielders for his place in the starting line-up. He successfully did so and managed to play most matches. The season ended with two finals against FC Twente
. Twente won the KNVB Cup final with 3-2, but Ajax secured the Eredivisie championship at the last matchday by winning 3-1. It was the first league title of Anita. In April 2011 it was announced that Anita signed a new contract at Ajax, binding him with the club until 2014.
in Peru
for the Netherlands U-17
, where the Dutch came third. He has also represented the Netherlands U-19
and Netherlands U-21
teams.
On 26 May 2010, Anita made his full international debut for the Netherlands
, coming on as a substitute in a 2-1 friendly victory over Mexico
. He made his first appearance in the starting eleven in a 1-1 friendly draw with Ukraine on 12 August 2010, being substituted at half-time by PSV Eindhoven defender Erik Pieters
.
in South Africa
. However, on 27 May 2010, Netherlands manager Bert van Marwijk
announced that the player would not be part of the final squad of 23 participating in the competition.
|2005–06||rowspan="7"|AFC Ajax||rowspan="7"|Eredivisie
||1||0||1||0||0||0||2||0
|-
|2006–07||1||0||0||0||1||0||2||0
|-
|2007–08||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0
|-
|2008–09||16||0||0||0||5||0||21||0
|-
|2009–10||26||0||5||1||4||0||35||1
|-
|2010–11||31||3||4||1||10||0||45||4
|-
|2011–12||9||0||1||0||2||0||12||0
|-
84||3||11||2||22||0||117||5
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
footballer of Antillean
Netherlands Antilles
The Netherlands Antilles , also referred to informally as the Dutch Antilles, was an autonomous Caribbean country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, consisting of two groups of islands in the Lesser Antilles: Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao , in Leeward Antilles just off the Venezuelan coast; and Sint...
descent who currently plays as a defensive midfielder for Ajax.
Career
In his youth years on CuraçaoCuraçao
Curaçao is an island in the southern Caribbean Sea, off the Venezuelan coast. The Country of Curaçao , which includes the main island plus the small, uninhabited island of Klein Curaçao , is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
, Anita started to play football at local team CVV Willemstad
CVV Willemstad
CVV Willemstad is a professional football club of Curaçao, in the city of Willemstad. It was founded in 1939 and played in the League of Curaçao and Netherlands Antilles.-History:How it all began?...
. After he and his family moved to the Netherlands in 1997 he started playing for amateur side VV Maarssen. Later he was scouted by Ajax and he joined their world famous youth program in 1999.
As of the 2005–06 season he was promoted to the first team of Ajax and on March 19, 2006 he made his Eredivisie
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
debut in a 3–2 away loss against FC Groningen. That year he also participated in the KNVB Cup
KNVB Cup
The KNVB Cup is a competition in the Netherlands organized by the Royal Dutch Football Association since 1899. It was based on the format of the English FA Cup. Outside of the Netherlands, it is often referred to as the Dutch Cup...
semi-final against Roda JC. Ajax went on to win the KNVB Cup that year.
The following season he added another match to his Eredivisie
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
total, bringing it to two appearances. He also made his European debut in the 3-0 away loss against Werder Bremen in the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
.
In the 2007-08 season Anita did not play any matches for the first team, but in the 2008-09 he returned to the first team squad. He played a total of 16 matches, mainly as a replacement for injured or suspended team mates.
In the 2009-10 season Anita became a first team regular under new head coach Martin Jol
Martin Jol
Maarten Cornelis "Martin" Jol is a Dutch football manager and former midfielder who currently manages Fulham in the Premier League. Jol played over 400 games during his career which included spells in the Netherlands, Germany, and England, as well as earning three caps with the Dutch national team...
. Because of a suspension of Urby Emanuelson
Urby Emanuelson
Urby Vitorrio Diego Emanuelson is a Dutch footballer of Surinamese descent, who plays for Serie A club Milan. He plays as either a left midfielder or left back. Despite playing as a defender, he is best known for attacking attributes such as pace and dribbling.- AFC Ajax :Emanuelson is a product...
and a long-time injury of Thimothée Atouba, Anita was posted as a left back. Jol was satisfied with his performance and continued to let him play as a left back for most of the season. He also played in the KNVB Cup final against Feyenoord and won his second KNVB Cup. His good performances also led to his debut at the Dutch national team
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
. However, he was not selected for the squad for 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
by coach Bert van Marwijk
Bert van Marwijk
Bert van Marwijk OON is the coach of the Netherlands national football team. He also played for Go Ahead Eagles, AZ, MVV, Fortuna Sittard, and other clubs, as well as for the Dutch national team. In 1982, he began his transition into coaching, retiring as a player in 1988 and becoming a full time...
.
The 2010-11 season started as the previous season ended with Anita playing most matches as a left back. Ajax managed to qualify for the Group stage of the UEFA Champions League for the first time since 2005-06. Because of the poor team performances during the first half of the season, Martin Jol left Ajax in December 2010 and was replaced by Frank de Boer
Frank de Boer
Franciscus "Frank" de Boer is a Dutch former professional footballer, and the younger twin brother of Ronald de Boer. Since 6 December 2010 he is the Manager of AFC Ajax.-Club career:...
. He believed Anita should play as a defensive midfielder rather than left back. As a consequence, Anita had to compete with other midfielders for his place in the starting line-up. He successfully did so and managed to play most matches. The season ended with two finals against FC Twente
FC Twente
FC Twente is a Dutch professional football club from the city of Enschede, playing in the Eredivisie. The club was formed in 1965 by the merger of 1926 Eredivisie Champions, Sportclub Enschede and Enschedese Boys...
. Twente won the KNVB Cup final with 3-2, but Ajax secured the Eredivisie championship at the last matchday by winning 3-1. It was the first league title of Anita. In April 2011 it was announced that Anita signed a new contract at Ajax, binding him with the club until 2014.
International
Anita performed in the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Championship2005 FIFA U-17 World Championship
The 2005 FIFA U-17 World Championship was held in the cities of Lima, Trujillo, Chiclayo, Piura and Iquitos in Peru between 16 September and 2 October 2005. Players born after 1 January 1988 could participate in this tournament...
in Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
for the Netherlands U-17
Netherlands national under-17 football team
The Netherlands national under-17 football team represents Netherlands in international football at this age level and is controlled by the Koninklijke Nederlandse Voetbalbond — KNVB, the governing body for football in Netherlands...
, where the Dutch came third. He has also represented the Netherlands U-19
Netherlands national under-19 football team
The Netherlands national under-19 football team represents the Netherlands at this age level and is governed by the Koninklijke Nederlandse Voetbalbond — KNVB...
and Netherlands U-21
Netherlands national under-21 football team
The Netherlands national under-21 football team is the national under-21 team of the Netherlands and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association. The team competes in the European Under-21 Championship, held every two years....
teams.
On 26 May 2010, Anita made his full international debut for the Netherlands
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
, coming on as a substitute in a 2-1 friendly victory over Mexico
Mexico national football team
The Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...
. He made his first appearance in the starting eleven in a 1-1 friendly draw with Ukraine on 12 August 2010, being substituted at half-time by PSV Eindhoven defender Erik Pieters
Erik Pieters
Erik Pieters is a Dutch footballer who currently plays for PSV Eindhoven and the Dutch national team as a left back. He made his professional debut for FC Utrecht before moving to PSV after two seasons in the first team.-Youth:...
.
2010 World Cup
Anita was included in the preliminary squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. However, on 27 May 2010, Netherlands manager Bert van Marwijk
Bert van Marwijk
Bert van Marwijk OON is the coach of the Netherlands national football team. He also played for Go Ahead Eagles, AZ, MVV, Fortuna Sittard, and other clubs, as well as for the Dutch national team. In 1982, he began his transition into coaching, retiring as a player in 1988 and becoming a full time...
announced that the player would not be part of the final squad of 23 participating in the competition.
Career statistics
|-|2005–06||rowspan="7"|AFC Ajax||rowspan="7"|Eredivisie
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
||1||0||1||0||0||0||2||0
|-
|2006–07||1||0||0||0||1||0||2||0
|-
|2007–08||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0
|-
|2008–09||16||0||0||0||5||0||21||0
|-
|2009–10||26||0||5||1||4||0||35||1
|-
|2010–11||31||3||4||1||10||0||45||4
|-
|2011–12||9||0||1||0||2||0||12||0
|-
84||3||11||2||22||0||117||5
Club
Ajax- EredivisieEredivisieThe Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
(1): 2010–112010–11 Eredivisie-Managerial changes:-League table:-Results:... - KNVB CupKNVB CupThe KNVB Cup is a competition in the Netherlands organized by the Royal Dutch Football Association since 1899. It was based on the format of the English FA Cup. Outside of the Netherlands, it is often referred to as the Dutch Cup...
(3): 2005-06, 2006-07, 2009-10 - Johan Cruijff Shield (2): 2006Johan Cruijff-schaal XIThe match for the Johan Cruijff-schaal XI was held on 13 August 2006 between Eredivisie 2005-06 champions PSV and KNVB Cup 2005-06 winners AFC Ajax. Ajax won the match 3–1.-Match details:...
, 2007Johan Cruijff-schaal XIThe match for the Johan Cruijff-schaal XI was held on 13 August 2006 between Eredivisie 2005-06 champions PSV and KNVB Cup 2005-06 winners AFC Ajax. Ajax won the match 3–1.-Match details:...
International
Europe under-18- UEFA-CAF Meridian CupUEFA-CAF Meridian CupThe UEFA/CAF Meridian Cup features Under-18 representative sides from Europe and Africa, and is part of the co-operation programme between UEFA and the CAF.-Meridian Project:...
(1): 20072007 UEFA-CAF Meridian CupThe 2007 UEFA-CAF Meridian Cup was the sixth UEFA-CAF Meridian Cup, an intercontinental football competition for the representative under-18 teams of Europe and Africa. The competition, being held as a two-legged tie for the first time, was played in Barcelona, Spain, on 27 February and 1 March 2007...