Vandereycken gets Belgium job
Thursday, 22 December 2005
Former international René Vandereycken has been named as the new coach of the Belgium national team and will replace the outgoing Aimé Anthuenis on 1 January.
EURO target
The Belgian Football Association confirmed the 52-year-old's appointment today with Vandereycken agreeing to coach the national team with a view to reaching the finals of UEFA EURO 2008™. Anthuenis stepped down after failing to lead Belgium to UEFA EURO 2004™ or the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals.
New Coach René Vandereycken with Technical Director Michel Preud'homme
Favoured candidate
Vandereycken was long considered a favourite candidate to take the job due to his experience and skill. As a player he represented Sporting Spalbeek, Sporting Hasselt, Club Brugge KV, Genoa 1893, RSC Anderlecht, SV Blau-Weiss Berlin and KAA Gent and played 50 times for the 'Red Devils'.
European successes
He played for Belgium at the 1982 and 1986 World Cups and scored in the final as Belgium won a silver medal at the 1980 UEFA European Championship. He won four Belgian titles with Club Brugge KV and two more with Anderlecht. He played for Club Brugge in the 1978 European Champion Clubs' Cup final against Liverpool FC.
Coaching experience
Since retiring, he has built up coaching experience at Gent, R. Standard de Liège, RWD Molenbeek, Anderlecht, German side 1. FSV Mainz 05, Dutch side FC Twente and most recently KRC Genk.
|
