Thomas Buffel
Encyclopedia
Thomas Buffel is a Belgian
footballer
who plays for Jupiler League side RC Genk. He is an attacking midfielder
and can play as a striker
. He has played at international level for the Belgian football team.
before making a move to The Netherlands
.
Buffel played for the Dutch team Feyenoord in the 1999-2000 season, before moving to their feeder team Excelsior Rotterdam
from 2000 to 2002. He returned to Feyenoord for the 2002-2003 Dutch season. He reportedly fell out with then-manager Ruud Gullit
in the next season "after refusing to sign a new contract".
in January 2005 in a £2.3 million, four-and-a-half year deal. He made his debut in the Scottish Cup
coming on as a substitute against Old Firm
rivals Celtic
in what was to be a 2-1 defeat. However the season did not end badly for him as he was to play a key role in the 2005 Scottish League Cup Final
, where Rangers defeated Motherwell
5-1. He also featured in the Rangers team for the latter part of the season where he would help them to their 51st league title. Making it a double for his first season with the club, he also scored five goals is 18 appearances.
Buffel featured in the Champions League
and helped Rangers reach the last 16 of the tournament, where they lost to Villarreal
3-3 on aggregate and were knocked out on away goals rule. He scored seven goals in 38 appearances during the 2005-2006 season mostly playing in the midfield
.
In the during the 2007 January transfer window
, German
club Hannover 96
expressed an interest in him, with Rangers manager Walter Smith
saying Buffel was free to leave. However, the deal fell through when Buffel was unable to agree personal terms with the Bundesliga side.
It was announced on 9 February 2007 that Buffel would undergo surgery on a long term knee injury and would not take any further part in the 2006-07 season
. He returned to action on December 26 as a substitute in Rangers' 3-1 win over Motherwell
but did not feature regularly.
(on loan) and Hans Cornelis
made the opposite move.
In the 2009-2010 season he won the award of most valuable player. This award is given annually to the player who is considered to perform the best in the previous season. It is awarded based on votes by the fans of KRC Genk.
At domestic level 2010-2011, Thomas Buffel won its second champions title. The championship was confirmed on the final day of the season when they beat Standard Luik.
in October 2002 in what was to be a 1-0 victory. He has since then gained 35 caps and scored 7 goals. In recent times he is still in the picture as a player of the Belgian national football team.
K.R.C Genk:
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
who plays for Jupiler League side RC Genk. He is an attacking midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
and can play as a striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
. He has played at international level for the Belgian football team.
Early career
Buffel began his career with Belgian sides Ruddervoorde and Cercle BruggeCercle Brugge K.S.V.
Cercle Brugge Koninklijke Sportvereniging is a Belgian football team from Bruges. Cercle have played in the Belgian Pro League since the 2003-04 season, having previously spent several years in the Belgian Second Division following relegation in 1997. Their matricule is the n°12. The club play...
before making a move to The Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
Buffel played for the Dutch team Feyenoord in the 1999-2000 season, before moving to their feeder team Excelsior Rotterdam
Excelsior Rotterdam
SBV Excelsior is a professional football club from the Kralingen-Crooswijk district of Rotterdam, Netherlands. It was founded on July 23, 1902 and was formerly known as 'Rotterdamse Voetbal en Atletiek Vereniging Excelsior'...
from 2000 to 2002. He returned to Feyenoord for the 2002-2003 Dutch season. He reportedly fell out with then-manager Ruud Gullit
Ruud Gullit
OON is a Dutch football manager and former football player, who played professionally in the 1980s and 1990s. He was the captain of the Netherlands national team that was victorious at Euro 88 and was also a member of the squad for the 1990 World Cup. He was named the European Footballer of the...
in the next season "after refusing to sign a new contract".
Rangers
Buffel moved to the Scottish side RangersRangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
in January 2005 in a £2.3 million, four-and-a-half year deal. He made his debut in the Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
coming on as a substitute against Old Firm
Old Firm
The Old Firm is a common collective name for the association football clubs Celtic and Rangers, both based in Glasgow, Scotland.The origin of the term is unclear. One theory has it that the expression derives from Celtic's first game in 1888, which was played against Rangers. However, author,...
rivals Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
in what was to be a 2-1 defeat. However the season did not end badly for him as he was to play a key role in the 2005 Scottish League Cup Final
Scottish League Cup 2004-05
The 2004–05 Scottish League Cup was the 59th staging of the Scotland's second most prestigious football knockout competition, also known for sponsorship reasons as the CIS Insurance Cup....
, where Rangers defeated Motherwell
Motherwell F.C.
Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998...
5-1. He also featured in the Rangers team for the latter part of the season where he would help them to their 51st league title. Making it a double for his first season with the club, he also scored five goals is 18 appearances.
Buffel featured in the Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
and helped Rangers reach the last 16 of the tournament, where they lost to Villarreal
Villarreal CF
Villarreal Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. , usually abbreviated to Villarreal CF or just Villarreal, is a Spanish Primera División football club based in Vila-real, a city in the province of Castellón within the Valencian Community...
3-3 on aggregate and were knocked out on away goals rule. He scored seven goals in 38 appearances during the 2005-2006 season mostly playing in the midfield
Midfield
Midfield is the part of a sports pitch that lies approximately in the center. It is a term most commonly associated with football to refer to the area in and around the center circle, as well as the players who occupy that region, but it can be used in field hockey to describe the same area, or in...
.
In the during the 2007 January transfer window
Transfer window
The transfer window is the period during the year in which a football club can transfer players from other countries into their playing staff. Such a transfer is completed by registering the player into the new club through FIFA...
, German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
club Hannover 96
Hannover 96
Hannoverscher Sportverein von 1896, commonly referred to as Hannover 96, Hannover or simply 96, is a German association football club based in the city of Hanover, Lower Saxony.-Foundation to WWII:...
expressed an interest in him, with Rangers manager Walter Smith
Walter Smith
Walter Smith, OBE is a Scottish football manager. His most recent job was at Scottish Premier League club Rangers.Smith had a relatively modest playing career, consisting of two spells with Dundee United which was split by a short time at Dumbarton.A pelvic injury meant he moved in to coaching at...
saying Buffel was free to leave. However, the deal fell through when Buffel was unable to agree personal terms with the Bundesliga side.
It was announced on 9 February 2007 that Buffel would undergo surgery on a long term knee injury and would not take any further part in the 2006-07 season
Rangers F.C. season 2006-07
The 2006–07 season is the 110th season of competitive football by Rangers.-Overview:Rangers played a total of 51 competitive matches during the 2006–07 season. They entered the season under new management with Paul Le Guen having replaced Alex McLeish...
. He returned to action on December 26 as a substitute in Rangers' 3-1 win over Motherwell
Motherwell F.C.
Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998...
but did not feature regularly.
Cercle Brugge
Buffel's Rangers career came to an end when he joined former club Cercle Brugge on 1 July 2008. One season later, Buffel was part of a last minute transfer deal.KRC Genk
In the late evening of 31 August 2009, Cercle Brugge and RC Genk came to an extensive agreement: Buffel was sold to Genk, Jelle VossenJelle Vossen
Jelle Vossen is a Belgian footballer who play as a striker for Belgian Pro League club Genk and the Belgian national team....
(on loan) and Hans Cornelis
Hans Cornelis
Hans Cornelis is a Belgian football player who plays as a right back. He is currently playing for Cercle Brugge....
made the opposite move.
In the 2009-2010 season he won the award of most valuable player. This award is given annually to the player who is considered to perform the best in the previous season. It is awarded based on votes by the fans of KRC Genk.
At domestic level 2010-2011, Thomas Buffel won its second champions title. The championship was confirmed on the final day of the season when they beat Standard Luik.
International career
Buffel made his debut for Belgium against AndorraAndorra national football team
The Andorra national football team represents Andorra in association football and is controlled by the Andorran Football Federation, the governing body for football in Andorra. The team has enjoyed very little success due to the Principality's tiny population, the fourth smallest of any UEFA...
in October 2002 in what was to be a 1-0 victory. He has since then gained 35 caps and scored 7 goals. In recent times he is still in the picture as a player of the Belgian national football team.
| Goal | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30 April 2003 | Stade Roi Baudouin King Baudouin Stadium The King Baudouin Stadium is a sports ground in north-west Brussels, Belgium. It was inaugurated on 23 August 1930 as the Stade du Jubilé or Jubelstadion in the presence of Prince Leopold. It was built to embellish the Heysel plateau in view of the Brussels International Exposition... , Brussels Brussels Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union... |
3 – 1 | Won | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
|
| 2 | 11 October 2003 | Stade Maurice Dufrasne Stade Maurice Dufrasne Stade Maurice Dufrasne is a football stadium in Liège, Belgium. The stadium holds 30,023 people. It is also known as Stade de Sclessin and is the home stadium of Standard Liège... , Liège Liège Liège is a major city and municipality of Belgium located in the province of Liège, of which it is the economic capital, in Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium.... |
2 – 0 | Won | Euro 2004 Qualification | |
| 3 | 18 August 2004 | Ullevaal Ullevaal Stadion Ullevaal Stadion is an all-seater football stadium located in Oslo, Norway. It is the home ground of Vålerenga IF and the Norway national football team, and the site of the Norwegian Cup Final. From its opening in 1926 to 2009 it was the home ground of FK Lyn. With a capacity of 25,572, it is the... , Oslo Oslo Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King... |
2 – 2 | Drawn | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
|
| 4 | 18 August 2004 | Ullevaal Ullevaal Stadion Ullevaal Stadion is an all-seater football stadium located in Oslo, Norway. It is the home ground of Vålerenga IF and the Norway national football team, and the site of the Norwegian Cup Final. From its opening in 1926 to 2009 it was the home ground of FK Lyn. With a capacity of 25,572, it is the... , Oslo Oslo Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King... |
2 – 2 | Drawn | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
|
| 5 | 26 March 2005 | Stade Roi Baudouin King Baudouin Stadium The King Baudouin Stadium is a sports ground in north-west Brussels, Belgium. It was inaugurated on 23 August 1930 as the Stade du Jubilé or Jubelstadion in the presence of Prince Leopold. It was built to embellish the Heysel plateau in view of the Brussels International Exposition... , Brussels Brussels Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union... |
4 – 1 | Won | 2006 World Cup Qualification 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification A total of 197 teams entered the qualification process for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, competing for a total of 32 spots in the final tournament. Germany, as the host, qualified automatically, leaving 31 spots open for competition... |
|
| 6 | 7 September 2005 | Olympisch Stadion Olympisch Stadion (Antwerp) The Olympisch Stadion or Kielstadion was built as the main stadium for the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp. For those games, it hosted the athletics, equestrian, field hockey, football, gymnastics, modern pentathlon, rugby union, tug of war, and weightlifting events. It is currently used as the... , Antwerp |
8 – 0 | Won | 2006 World Cup Qualification 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification A total of 197 teams entered the qualification process for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, competing for a total of 32 spots in the final tournament. Germany, as the host, qualified automatically, leaving 31 spots open for competition... |
Honours
Rangers:- Scottish Premier LeagueScottish Premier LeagueThe Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
: 2004-052004-05 in Scottish footballThe 2004–05 season was the 108th season of competitive football in Scotland.-2004:*6 July 2004 - Nacho Novo from Dundee to Rangers, £450,000*1 July 2004 - Dado Prso from AS Monaco to Rangers, Bosman... - Scottish League CupScottish League CupThe Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
: 2004-052004-05 in Scottish footballThe 2004–05 season was the 108th season of competitive football in Scotland.-2004:*6 July 2004 - Nacho Novo from Dundee to Rangers, £450,000*1 July 2004 - Dado Prso from AS Monaco to Rangers, Bosman...
K.R.C Genk:
- Belgian League Championship: 2010–11
External links
- Official Site of Thomas Buffel (News, video, pictures, biography, statistics, etc.)
- Thomas Buffel at National Football Teams