Tschen La Ling

In this Chinese name, the family name is Ling.

Tschen La Ling (Chinese: 林球立; pinyin: Lín Qiú Lì; born 6 January 1956) is a Dutch former professional footballer who most notably played for Ajax as a right winger. His name has been spelled in various ways throughout his career, but usually as Tscheu La Ling; he was generally uninterested in how it was spelled but revealed in a February 2007 interview that his name was officially Ling Tschen La. In June 2015, he was appointed to the advisory board of Ajax.

Tschen La Ling

Ling with Ajax in July 1979
Personal information
Date of birth	(1956-01-06) 6 January 1956
Place of birth	The Hague, Netherlands
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s)	Right winger
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1973–1975	FC Den Haag	42	(3)
1975–1982	Ajax	172	(54)
1982–1984	Panathinaikos	46	(4)
1984–1985	Marseille	27	(6)
1985–1986	Feyenoord	18	(1)
1986–1987	FC Den Haag	10	(0)
Total		315	(68)
International career
1977–1982	Netherlands	14	(2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Ling is the owner of Slovak football club AS Trenčín and a dietary supplement brand, Fitshape.

Club career

Born in The Hague to a Chinese father and a Dutch mother, Ling began his career with his hometown team Den Haag in the 1973–74 and 1974-75 seasons. He joined Ajax in the 1975-76 season. Ajax won the Eredivisie title in the 4 seasons of 1976-77, 1978–79, 1979–80, and 1981–82, and reached 4 Dutch Cup finals in the 4 consecutive seasons of 1977-78, 1978–79, 1979–80, and 1980–81, but these feats paled in comparison to the European successes during the early 1970s, when Ajax, with players like Johan Cruijff, Johan Neeskens, Johnny Rep, Ruud Krol, Barry Hulshoff, Horst Blankenburg, Arie Haan, Gerrie Mühren, and Piet Keizer won 3 European Cups in the 1970–71, 1971–72, and 1972–73 seasons. Only in 1979-80 was Ajax able to reach a European Cup semi-final. Ling played together with players like Krol, Ruud Geels, Frank Arnesen, Soren Lerby, Simon Tahamata, and Martin van Geel, and later also with Wim Kieft, Frank Rijkaard, Gerald Vanenburg, Jesper Olsen, and Sonny Silooy. In December 1981, Cruijff returned to Ajax. The team was built around him, and Ling lost his place in the starting line-up to Vanenburg. He moved to Panathinaikos in July 1982, and then Marseille in July 1984. He spent a year with Ajax's bitter rival Feyenoord for the 1985-86 season, and moved back to Den Haag for the 1986-87 season before retiring at the end of the season.

International career

Ling played for the Dutch team during qualifying for UEFA Euro 1980. He earned 14 caps for the Netherlands and scored 2 goals from 1977 to 1982.

Honours

Ajax

• Eredivisie: 1976–77, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1981–82
• KNVB Cup: 1978–79, 1981–82

Panathinaikos

• Alpha Ethniki: 1983–84
• Greek Football Cup: 1983–84

External links

• Tschen La Ling at National-Football-Teams.com
• Tschen La Ling at WorldFootball.net
• degoeieouwetijd.nl
• om-passion.com