Netherlands internationals are also a rare breed in the streets of south London.
A four-time Eredivisie winning-manager would look out of place in SE25, right?
Well, that’s exactly what Crystal Palace are going to have to start getting used to with Frank de Boer around for the foreseeable future.
Palace have confirmed De Boer as their new manager – their fourth appointment in five years – as they embark on fifth consecutive season of Premier League football.
Following the shock resignation of Sam Allardyce last month, Palace have been biding their time in searching for his replacement.
Marco Silva went to Watford. Mauricio Pellegrino chose Southampton. Garry Monk swapped Leeds for Middlesbrough. And Manuel Pellegrini… well that was never going to happen.
But, Palace have made a statement of intent luring someone of De Boer’s pedigree to Selhurst Park.
De Boer boasts 112 international caps, five Eredivisie titles, one Champions League, one UEFA Super Cup, all with Ajax, a La Liga title with Barcelona, and more.
And those were just his achievements as a player.
The 47-year-old has been out of management since November when he was sacked by Inter Milan after just 85 days in charge.
Inter were 12th in Serie A at the time and De Boer eventually succumbed to the club’s ruthless hiring and firing of managers that has seen them fail to win the treble since Jose Mourinho managed in 2010.
But judge De Boer on his four-consecutive Eredivisie titles with Ajax between 2010 and 2014 and do not question the footballing knowledge of a man who learned from the likes of
Johan Cruyff and Louis van Gaal.
That’s what Palace’s hierarchy have done.
De Boer impressed the Palace chairman, Steve Parish, and the club’s American major shareholders, David Blitzer and Josh Harris, during a month-long managerial search.
They were impressed by his knowledge of the club and his desire to build something special at Palace.
Allardyce was an appointment to keep the club up following a torrid final few months with Alan Pardew at the helm.
Steve Parish got it spot on in appointing the best man possible to save the club from troubled times and the dreaded fear of relegation.
But it was never going to be the right fit long-term. The Eagles would be battling to finish mid-table the season after he kept them up, and the next, and the one after that, and so on.
What was the plan long-term?
In De Boer, Palace fans can dare to dream.
It’s an exciting appointment. As Paul Merson might rightly point out he’s got no Premier League experience and it’ll take him a while to stamp his authority on the English game.
But look at his CV as a player and manager and you’d be foolish to rule him out in having the ability to take the club to new heights.
Yes, it’s one step at a time and Premier League status is never guaranteed but Palace are set to be in for an exciting few seasons at Selhurst Park.
It’s a new era beginning at Palace – this is the first time in the club’s 112-year history they’ve appointed non-British manager.
Could Palace finally break the top 10 and beyond? They’re about to find out.
All aboard the De Boer bus.
