Biography
Who is Dido Havenaar?
Early life and career beginnings
Dido Havenaar was born in Hazerswoude-Dorp in the Netherlands on September 26, 1957. He began his senior club career in his home country by joining ADO Den Haag in 1979. During his time with this Dutch club, he appeared in 80 official matches as a goalkeeper.
Seeking new opportunities abroad, Dido moved to Japan in 1984. He joined the Japan Soccer League club Yamaha Motors and worked under coach Hans Ooft. His strong performances earned him a selection to the Best Eleven squad during the 1986 to 1987 season.
Playing career in Japan
After his success with Yamaha Motors, Dido transferred to Yomiuri in 1989. However, he struggled to secure playing time due to an injury and later transitioned into a coaching role. When the Japan Soccer League reorganized into the J1 League, he returned to active play with Nagoya Grampus Eight.
He later joined Júbilo Iwata in 1995 and played on a regular basis. In 1997, he moved to the Japan Football League club Consadole Sapporo. As the primary goalkeeper, he helped the club win the league title and achieve promotion to the top tier before retiring at the end of the 1998 season.
Coaching accomplishments
Dido started his transition into coaching when he retired from playing in 1991 to become a goalkeeper coach for Toyota Motors, which later became Nagoya Grampus. He also served as a goalkeeper coach for the Japan national team during the qualification matches for the 1994 World Cup.
Over the following decades, Dido worked with several other teams. He coached at Yokohama F. Marinos, helping the club secure league titles in 2003 and 2004. His later coaching stints included positions with Shimizu S-Pulse in Japan and Suwon Samsung Bluewings in South Korea.
Personal life and family
Dido is a tall athlete, standing at 187 centimeters in height. In January 1994, he and his family officially became naturalized citizens of Japan.
His family includes his children, Mike and Nikki. Both of his sons followed in his footsteps to become professional association football players.
Birthday and age
Dido Havenaar was born on September 26, 1957, which makes Dido 69 years old today. That birthday falls under the Libra sign. Dido shares the date with 65 other famous people.
Explore more
