Van Moulijn’s legacy contrasts with Lex Schoenmaker’s new statue

Lex Schoenmaker’s bronze double was unveiled this month at the ADO Den Haag stadium, placing him beside his friend Aad Mansveld and joining more than thirty Dutch football figures already honoured with statues – a tradition that began with Pierre Massy in 1967 and has accelerated dramatically.

From early scepticism to widespread acceptance

When runner‑up Fanny Blankers‑Koen received a statue in Rotterdam in 1956, the public called it “sportverdwazing” and protested, showing how sport monuments were once seen as absurd. "Mensen vonden destijds dat je alleen standbeelden oprichtte voor traditierijke figuren zoals zeerovers, politici of schilders, maar absoluut niet voor een sporter," recalled sport historian Jurryt van de Vooren. Het was destijds onzin, but the tide turned when Pierre Massy became the first footballer honoured with a bronze in 1967.

Meer dan dertig voetbalprominenten zijn in Nederland met een eigen standbeeld vereeuwigd. Today the list includes Coen Moulijn, Johan Cruijff, Abe Lenstra, Willy van der Kuijlen and Ajax’s famed recovery coach Bob Haarms, whose bench sits at the Johan Cruijff Arena entrance. The KNVB even maintains a garden of fourteen statues, featuring Sarina Wiegman, Ruud Gullit and Dennis Bergkamp. "Het heeft zich enorm ontwikkeld," said Van de Vooren, noting that society now values top‑sport achievements far more than before.

Het pas onthulde standbeeld van Lex Schoenmaker bij het stadion van ADO Den Haag, © Pro Shots / Toin Damen, shows the new generation of honourees. "It is absolutely wonderful to stand next to my mate," Schoenmaker laughed on the phone. "It felt strange at first, but it settled very quickly," he added, highlighting how personal the experience can be for the subject.

When a statue disappears

Martin Jol’s life‑size statue was unveiled in 2016 at the RKC stadium, perched on a seat among the supporters. The piece vanished in 2021 when the seating was replaced, and the club later admitted the stone figure had “passed its durability date”. Jol joked, "I have a nice room, but the statue was a bit too big for it," when asked where it might be now.

Richard van der Koppel, the sculptor, said, "They thought I had it," and explained that moving a 150‑200 kg concrete figure requires a crane. RKC’s spokesperson confirmed the club does not know the statue’s whereabouts, echoing Jol’s own uncertainty.

Onze maatschappij has changed, Van de Vooren observes, and the rise in royal honours mirrors that shift. Since King Willem‑Alexander joined the International Olympic Committee in 1998, the number of royal decorations for Dutch athletes has risen sharply. The growing number of statues, from Van Moulijn’s era to Schoenmaker’s today, illustrates how football heroes have moved from the periphery to the centre of public commemoration.