Arnold Mühren
A graceful Dutch midfielder with a wand of a left foot, he is one of a tiny group of players to win all three major European club trophies.
Born 1951 (age 75)·Dutch footballer and manager·Birthday: June 2·Baby Boomers
Biography
Arnold Mühren carved out a distinguished career defined by technical elegance and big-game success, often from the shadow of his more famous brother, Gerrie. His left foot was a precision instrument, capable of delivering perfect passes and deadly set-pieces. After early success at Ajax, where he won a European Cup, he found his true stage in England with Ipswich Town under Bobby Robson. There, he was the creative heartbeat of a team that conquered Europe, winning the UEFA Cup in 1981. He returned to Ajax to complete a rare continental treble, adding a Cup Winners' Cup in 1987. Mühren's intelligence and composure also made him a vital part of the Netherlands' 1988 European Championship-winning side, providing the iconic, floated cross for Marco van Basten's volley in the final. His career is a masterclass in skillful, effective midfield play.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Arnold was born in 1951, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Arnold Was Born
The biggest hits of 1951
#1 Movie
Quo Vadis
Best Picture
An American in Paris
#1 TV Show
Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts
Arnold's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1951Born
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1956Started school
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1964Became a teenager
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1967Could drive
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1969Could vote
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1972Turned 21
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1981Turned 30
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1991Turned 40
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 50
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 60
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 70
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 75 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the UEFA European Championship with the Netherlands in 1988, providing the assist for Marco van Basten's famous volley in the final.
- Completed a unique set of UEFA club trophies, winning the European Cup (1973), UEFA Cup (1981), and Cup Winners' Cup (1987).
- Was a key creative player for Bobby Robson's Ipswich Town, helping them win the 1981 UEFA Cup.
- Earned 23 caps for the Dutch national team, scoring three goals.
Did You Know?
He is the older brother of Gerrie Mühren, who won three consecutive European Cups with Ajax in the early 1970s.
He scored directly from a corner kick, an 'Olympico', in a UEFA Cup match for Ipswich Town against Widzew Łódź in 1981.
He played his final professional match in the 1988 European Championship final at the age of 37.
“You don't need to be the star, just serve the ball to the right man at the right time.”
