Dutch club Ajax Amsterdam announced today the death of its former international player, Wim Surbier, at the age of 75.
Surbier suffered a stroke last June, where he remained in intensive care in a hospital in Amsterdam, before playing with Schalke in the German League (Bundesliga) in 1977 and 1978, after his period with Ajax, before moving to play in the United States of America.
Ajax club praised Surbier through a statement, saying: “As a right back, Surbier was an important element in the overall ball style in Ajax and the Dutch national team during the golden age of the seventies.”
The 1970s saw the most successful team in the history of Ajax, with Surbier playing for the team for 13 years participating in more than 500 games. ”
Surbier crowned the team with the European Cup title, which later changed its name to the Champions League three times in 1971 and 1972. And 1973, the team was also crowned in that period with the Inter Continental Cup and seven Dutch league titles.
Surbier has participated in 60 international matches with the Dutch national team, including his participation in the 1974 and 1978 World Cups.