Stuivenberg played professionally for SC Telstar and HFC Haarlem, before suffering a serious injury and moving into coaching with Feyenoord and RWD Molenbeek.
Born in Rotterdam, Stuivenberg began his playing career in the academy of his local club, Feyenoord, but was unable to break into the first team and moved to HFC Haarlem.
After spending 13 years coaching at Feyenoord, working with the likes of Robin van Persie, he moved to Al Jazira in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates in 2004 to head their youth system.
[10] On 1 January 2022, Stuivenberg took charge of Arsenal in a 2–1 defeat to Manchester City, as manager Mikel Arteta had tested positive for COVID-19 and was forced to miss the match.
[11][12] On 9 December 2023, Stuivenberg took charge of Arsenal in a 1-0 defeat at Aston Villa, as manager Mikel Arteta had been banned from the touchline, having received three yellow cards to that point in the Premier League 2023/24 Season.