Adri van Tiggelen

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Adri van Tiggelen is a former Dutch footballer who played as a left back. He was born on 16 June 1957 in Oud-Beijerland, Netherlands, and is height 1.83 meters. He was nicknamed “De Spijker” (the nail).

Club career
- Sparta Rotterdam (1978–1983): Made his professional debut in 1978 and became a regular starter, scoring 13 league goals during his time there.
- FC Groningen (1983–1986): Stayed in the Eredivisie and helped Groningen remain a top club.
- R.S.C. Anderlecht (1986–1991): Became a regular in Belgium’s top division.
- PSV Eindhoven (1991–1994): Played nearly 100 games and helped PSV win the 1991–92 Eredivisie title.
- Dordrecht’90 (1994–1995): Finished his playing career in the Dutch top flight.
- Total: 505 club appearances and 26 goals.

International career
- Van Tiggelen earned 56 caps for the Netherlands (1983–1992) and scored no international goals.
- He debuted for the national team on 21 September 1983 against Belgium.
- He played every minute of UEFA Euro 1988, which the Netherlands won. He also appeared in the 1990 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 1992.
- He formed a strong fullback partnership with Berry van Aerle.

Coaching and later career
- After playing, he returned to Sparta Rotterdam as an assistant manager and youth trainer.
- He first became head coach of Sparta in 2005, guiding the team to second place in the Eerste Divisie and helping them return to the top division.
- He had a second spell as Sparta’s head coach in 2007 and later joined Foeke Booy’s coaching staff.

Honours
- With PSV: Eredivisie title (1991–92) and Johan Cruyff Shield (1992).
- With Anderlecht: Belgian League titles (1986–87, 1990–91), Belgian Cup (1987–88, 1988–89), Belgian Supercup (1986, 1987).
- With the Netherlands: UEFA European Championship winner (1988).

Summary
Adri van Tiggelen had a long, successful career as a left back in the Netherlands and Belgium, winning Euro 1988 with his country and playing for top clubs like Sparta Rotterdam, Groningen, Anderlecht, PSV, and Dordrecht’90. After retiring, he moved into coaching, most notably guiding Sparta Rotterdam back to the Eredivisie.