Joop Stoffelen, known for playing with glasses, joined Ajax Amsterdam at age 15, and played his first match with the first team in 1940. Playing as a central and left midfielder, he was named captain after a few years. In 1947, he débuted for the national team, playing several matches in the run-up to the 1948 Olympics. In London, Stoffelen was not used by coach Carver, but in all Stoffelen played 12 matches for the national team, including 5 as a captain. In 1951, he left for France to become a professional for Racing Club de Paris and FC Toulouse. This earned him a suspension and a ban from the national team, as the Netherlands only permitted amateur football at the time. Upon his return, he briefly played for Amsterdam side Blauw-Wit before becoming a trainer. He was best known for his gig as a coach (through 1992) for the team of former Dutch internationals, which used to play an annual match against the Royal HFC club on New Years’ Day.
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