Yesterday, I received one of those infamous e-mail “lists” from a friend. I have absolutely no desire to meet the people who compile these lists (forgiveness for my friend is in the mail) but this electro-missive, “You know you’re old when …” arrived about the same time as the announcement of Frank Rijkaard as the Netherlands’ head coach. For those of you born after 1980, Rijkaard formed one-third of AC Milan’s celebrated Dutch trio in the late ’80s and early ’90s, along with Ruud Gullit and Marco Van Basten. Ruud grabbed the headlines, Marco got the goals and Frank was the cog. The three had very different personalities: Van Basten a tireless chronicler of his goals; Gullit, who had an opinion, not always well-considered, about everything; and Rijkaard, aggressive on the field and taciturn off it. Of the three, you’d have pegged Van Basten as the likeliest coach of the future, then Gullit and Rijkaard a distant third. It was Van Basten, though, who turned his back on the game. Injuries that have left him with a permanent limp forced him to quit. Gullit has gone on to manage (and get fired) at Chelsea and has now shown up at Newcastle, with the typical promise of “Sexy Football.” Rijkaard returned to Ajax from Milan and helped the team to the 1995 European Cup. His experience and leadership were factors in the team’s success. Two images of Rijkaard stand out. The first is of the young Ajax players tearfully celebrating with him after beating Juventus. The second, an old shot of a young team mascot, Patrick Kluivert, posing with Rijkaard before an Ajax match. Since his retirement, Rijkaard’s methodically collected his coaching licenses and worked his way up the ranks. He may only be 35, but he possesses one vital quality that is immeasurably important to successfully running the Oranje — the players’ respect. FANS: LET’S HEAR YOUR VIEW Is Frank Rijkaard the right man to lead the Netherlands through Euro 2000? Click here to log onto (Soccer) American Graffiti. Then click on the topic entitled “Your View: A wise choice” and respond to Duncan Irving in 200 words or less. Don’t hold nothin’ back! Best responses will be reprinted in Soccer America Magazine. If YOUR View is selected, we’ll send you a cool t-shirt and pin… Because You’re FANATIC.