Gijs De Jong

Gijs de Jong has been full-time secretary-general of the Royal Dutch Football Association since January 2018 and is responsible for the international representation of the KNVB at FIFA, UEFA and contacts with fellow associations and other international organizations.

In addition, international events, innovation (game rule renewal) and World coaches also fall within his range of duties.

Gijs de Jong, born in 1972 in the Brabant village of Asten, graduated in Public Administration from the University of Leiden. He started his career as an event manager and advisor at the Amsterdam ArenA. In the autumn of 2003, he joined the KNVB as a public affairs officer and coordinator for safety and security.

In 2010, De Jong was appointed manager of the Competition Affairs Department, in which role he was responsible for the organization of matches, security, disciplinary matters, referees and public affairs. Four years later, he joined the board as Chief Operating Officer, covering competition cases, events and communications in his portfolio. As of January 2018, De Jong has been Secretary-General with a strong focus on the KNVB's international strategy.

In addition to his work for the KNVB, De Jong has a number of international roles: he is a UEFA representative / FIFA match commissioner and a member of the UEFA National Teams Competitions Committee.

Gijs de Jong has a wife and three children and lives in Asten. In his spare time, he likes to ride a racing bike, play football with his children in the garden or enjoy football in the stadium or on television.