Phillip Cocu

Phillip John-William Cocu (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈfilɪp ˈdʒɔn ˈʋɪlijɑm koːˈky]; born 29 October 1970) is a Dutch professional football manager and former player, currently coaching PSV Eindhoven.

Cocu was born in Eindhoven but raised in Zevenaar, playing youth football for local clubs DCS and De Graafschap. After a year at AFC '34, he started his professional career at AZ. In 1990, Cocu moved to Vitesse. A broken fibula disrupted his first season, but he became a first-team regular in the following four seasons. In 1995, he joined PSV Eindhoven, where he won the KNVB Cup and the Eredivisie title in 1997. Cocu played for FC Barcelona between 1998 and 2004. There, he would become club captain, win La Liga in 1999 and play two Champions League semi-finals. At his return to PSV in 2004, he was the foreign player with the most league appearances for Barcelona. During Cocu’s second stint at PSV, he won another three Eredivisie titles and reached the Champions League semi-finals. After a year at Al Jazira, Cocu retired from professional football.