Arie Haan played for famous football clubs such as Ajax Amsterdan (1969-1975), RSC Anderlecht (1975-1981), Standard de Liège (1981-1983) and PSV Eindhoven (1983-1984). As a central defender, he frequently scored goals, mostly with efforts from distance. That is why he was nicknamed Arie Bombarie. Because of his intelligence, people also called him Cunning Arie.

He played 264 games in total and scored 47 goals. 35 of those goals he scored in an Anderlecht shirt. In 1971, he made the most memorable goal of his carreer in the final of the EC I with Ajax against Panathinaikos.

In the 35 international games he played, he found the way to the goal for 6 times. He played his best games on the World Cup of 1978 against West-Germany and Italy.

Even more famous he became as a trainer. Not because he won a lot of prizes, but because he sued the family Vanden Stock and Pär Zetterberg. The Dutchman demanded a damage claim of 250,000 euro for slander. In 1998-'99, under Haan's lead, Anderlecht was on the one but last place in the ranking. When Haan left, the team climbed back to the top of the ranking. At the end of the season, Vanden Stock and Zetterberg blamed Haan for the bad results. He reacted with a law suit which he lost.

Haan worked as a trainer for Antwerp FC, RSC Anderlecht, Standard de Liège, VfB Stuttgart, 1. FC Nürnberg, PAOK Saloniki, Feyenoord, Paniliakos, Omonia Nicosia and Austria Wien. He was also the federal coach of China. Later on he decided to train Persepolis FC in Iran.