Wilfried Van Moer
Encyclopedia
Wilfried van Moer is a former Belgian
football
player who won the Belgian Golden Shoe
three times, first in 1966 while at Antwerp then in 1969 and in 1970 while at Standard Liège
.
Prior to 1966 Van Moer played with Beveren
. He went back to his first club after a spell at Beringen
in the early 1980s. He played 57 times and scored 9 goals for the national team between 1966 and 1982, starting in a 1-0 friendly win against Switzerland
on 22 October 1966. Van Moer was in the team for the 1970 and 1982 World Cups and for the Euro 1980 in which Belgium finished second.
Van Moer began with home town club (Beveren-Waas), then in the third tier of the Belgian League. A move to Royal Antwerp in 1965 was influenced not only by a chance to play in the 1st Division, but by the fact he was already working in that city as an electrician. At the end of '66 he won his first Golden Shoe Award, having won his first international cap earlier that year.
It was during his 3 years at Antwerp under the guidance of coach Harry Game, that Van Moer, against his wishes, was moved from a wide right role to central midfield, preparing him to eventually succeed to another of Belgium's most celebrated players Jef Jurion, in the national team.
Following relegation for Antwerp in 1968, a protracted move to Standard Liège
ensued, Van Moer resisting the interest of 1. FC Köln
to remain in Belgium, and also Club Brugge KV, with whom he had made a personal agreement. The 150,000 Euros fee for the now established international was at the time a Belgian record.
Wonderful domestic success followed at Standard, winning the championship in '69, '70 and '71 and making it a hat-trick of Golden Shoes by winning the award in both '69 and '70.
Internationally he was a regular too, appearing in the 1970 World Cup Finals and scoring twice in the only game his country won in Mexico
, 3-0 vs. El Salvador
. Van Moer also played a key role in helping his country qualify for the semi-finals of the European Championship two years later. After Belgium had defended stubbornly in a goalless quarter final, 1st leg in Italy, he scored the opening goal midway through the first-half in the return at Anderlecht
's Parc Astrid
. But then something was to happen, putting the Belgian’s career on hold. On the stroke of half-time, Bertini's lunge resulted in a broken leg for Van Moer, a bitter-sweet day for the home nation who ultimately celebrated a 2-1 victory.
Although he recovered, the leg-break and other injuries restricted his international appearances over the next 3 seasons. By October 1979, aged 34, without an appearance for The Red Devils for four and a half years, international football couldn't have been further from his thoughts. But wily Belgian coach Guy Thys had other ideas. Van Moer was an inspired choice for a Belgian side who had forgotten how to win, as they prepared to take on Portugal
in a ‘do or die’ EC qualifier. Van Moer again came up trumps with the first goal in a 2-0 win. Van Moer also performed key roles in home and away victories over Scotland
, which propelled Belgium
to qualification for the Finals tournament in Italy
.
Striker Horst Hrubesch
may have scored two goals to secure final victory for West Germany
, but for many the outstanding player of the tournament was the Belgian central midfielder with the seemingly boundless energy. He ran the show in most every game he played, scheming, prompting and holding the ball, never wasteful his performances were as dynamic as they were inspirational as Belgium went all the way to their only major Final. Van Moer was arguably the most influential player in the tournament and indeed at 35, his performances earned him 4th place (equalling the best ever showing by a Belgian) in the European Footballer of the Year
poll. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge
, Bernd Schuster
and Michel Platini
finished ahead of him.
Van Moer’s international career went on for another 2 two years, long enough to appear in another World Cup Finals series. Named captain in the absence of Eric Gerets, for the 2nd Phase game against Poland
his international career ended when replaced by François Van der Elst
at half-time. Belgium trailed by two at the interval and went on to lose 0-3, Poland's inspiration coming from Boniek who was the only player to score.
As for his club career, he had left Standard in 1976 and played for the Limburg first division team FC Beringen for a few seasons (he owned a café in the Limburg capital Hasselt). In 1980, after his career had been rekindled, he made a transfer to his original team SK Beveren (which had become Belgian champion in 1979). He stayed there for 2 more seasons and concluded his career in Limburg again at Sint-Truiden, where he became trainer-player.
After he stopped playing football, he became coach with Sint-Truiden, SK Beveren, Assent and FC Diest, before calling it a day, somewhat disappointed by the general professional level of the Belgian football players.
He was called by the Belgian Football Union to do some prospective work and became assistant coach to national coach Paul Van Himst in 1995 after a few heavy defeats of the Red Devils. He succeeded to Van Himst as a head coach in 1996 for 5 games.
However, people in the Football Union and the press were not very delighted by his lack of communicative skills and at the beginning of 1997, he was, in his turn, replaced by Georges Leekens. He has not taken up any managerial tasks since.
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...
football
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...
player who won the Belgian Golden Shoe
Belgian Golden Shoe
In association football, the Belgian Golden Shoe is an award given in Belgium at the beginning of each civil year to the best footballer of the Belgian First Division for the past year. The trophy is sponsored by the Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws....
three times, first in 1966 while at Antwerp then in 1969 and in 1970 while at Standard Liège
Standard Liège
Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège (Dutch: Standard Luik [], German: Standard Lüttich , is a Belgian football club from the city of Liège....
.
Prior to 1966 Van Moer played with Beveren
K.S.K. Beveren
Koninklijke Sportkring Beveren was a Belgian association football club from the town of Beveren in East Flanders. It was famous for its goalkeeping school that has produced such players as Jean-Marie Pfaff, Filip De Wilde, Geert De Vlieger, Erwin Lemmens, and Tristan Peersman, all of whom have...
. He went back to his first club after a spell at Beringen
K. Beringen F.C.
Koninklijke Beringen Football Club was a Belgian football club from the municipality of Beringen, Limburg . It existed between 1924 and 2002.-History:...
in the early 1980s. He played 57 times and scored 9 goals for the national team between 1966 and 1982, starting in a 1-0 friendly win against Switzerland
Switzerland national football team
The Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland...
on 22 October 1966. Van Moer was in the team for the 1970 and 1982 World Cups and for the Euro 1980 in which Belgium finished second.
Van Moer began with home town club (Beveren-Waas), then in the third tier of the Belgian League. A move to Royal Antwerp in 1965 was influenced not only by a chance to play in the 1st Division, but by the fact he was already working in that city as an electrician. At the end of '66 he won his first Golden Shoe Award, having won his first international cap earlier that year.
It was during his 3 years at Antwerp under the guidance of coach Harry Game, that Van Moer, against his wishes, was moved from a wide right role to central midfield, preparing him to eventually succeed to another of Belgium's most celebrated players Jef Jurion, in the national team.
Following relegation for Antwerp in 1968, a protracted move to Standard Liège
Standard Liège
Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège (Dutch: Standard Luik [], German: Standard Lüttich , is a Belgian football club from the city of Liège....
ensued, Van Moer resisting the interest of 1. FC Köln
1. FC Köln
1. FC Köln is a German association football club based in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia. It was formed in 1948 as a merger of the clubs Kölner Ballspiel-Club 1901 and SpVgg Sülz 07....
to remain in Belgium, and also Club Brugge KV, with whom he had made a personal agreement. The 150,000 Euros fee for the now established international was at the time a Belgian record.
Wonderful domestic success followed at Standard, winning the championship in '69, '70 and '71 and making it a hat-trick of Golden Shoes by winning the award in both '69 and '70.
Internationally he was a regular too, appearing in the 1970 World Cup Finals and scoring twice in the only game his country won in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, 3-0 vs. El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
. Van Moer also played a key role in helping his country qualify for the semi-finals of the European Championship two years later. After Belgium had defended stubbornly in a goalless quarter final, 1st leg in Italy, he scored the opening goal midway through the first-half in the return at Anderlecht
Anderlecht
Anderlecht is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region.There are several historically and architecturally distinct districts within the Anderlecht municipality.-Pronunciation:* Dutch: * French:...
's Parc Astrid
Parc Astrid
Parc Astrid or Astridpark is an urban public park in Anderlecht, Brussels, Belgium, inaugurated on August 13, 1911. It was named Parc du Meir/Meirpark until 1935, when the mayor of Anderlecht decided to change the name in memory of Astrid of Sweden, who died in a tragic car accident that year....
. But then something was to happen, putting the Belgian’s career on hold. On the stroke of half-time, Bertini's lunge resulted in a broken leg for Van Moer, a bitter-sweet day for the home nation who ultimately celebrated a 2-1 victory.
Although he recovered, the leg-break and other injuries restricted his international appearances over the next 3 seasons. By October 1979, aged 34, without an appearance for The Red Devils for four and a half years, international football couldn't have been further from his thoughts. But wily Belgian coach Guy Thys had other ideas. Van Moer was an inspired choice for a Belgian side who had forgotten how to win, as they prepared to take on Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
in a ‘do or die’ EC qualifier. Van Moer again came up trumps with the first goal in a 2-0 win. Van Moer also performed key roles in home and away victories over Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, which propelled Belgium
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...
to qualification for the Finals tournament in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
Striker Horst Hrubesch
Horst Hrubesch
Horst Hrubesch is a retired German football player employed as a youth trainer at the German Football Association. His nickname was Das Kopfball-Ungeheuer for his heading skills.-Career:...
may have scored two goals to secure final victory for West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
, but for many the outstanding player of the tournament was the Belgian central midfielder with the seemingly boundless energy. He ran the show in most every game he played, scheming, prompting and holding the ball, never wasteful his performances were as dynamic as they were inspirational as Belgium went all the way to their only major Final. Van Moer was arguably the most influential player in the tournament and indeed at 35, his performances earned him 4th place (equalling the best ever showing by a Belgian) in the European Footballer of the Year
European Footballer of the Year
The "", literally translated as "the golden ball" and often referred to as the European Footballer of the Year award, was an annual association football award. It was presented to the player who had been considered to have performed the best over the previous calendar year...
poll. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge
Karl-Heinz "Kalle" Rummenigge is a German former football player.He had his greatest career success with German club Bayern Munich, where he won the Intercontinental Cup, the European Cup, as well as two league titles and two domestic cups.A member of the German national team, Rummenigge won the...
, Bernd Schuster
Bernd Schuster
Bernhard Schuster is a German football manager and former player, currently unemployed. His nickname is "der Blonde Engel" .-Club career:...
and Michel Platini
Michel Platini
Michel François Platini is a former French football player, manager and current president of UEFA. Platini was a member of the French national team that won the 1984 European Championship, a tournament in which he was the top goalscorer and voted the best player. He participated in the 1978, 1982...
finished ahead of him.
Van Moer’s international career went on for another 2 two years, long enough to appear in another World Cup Finals series. Named captain in the absence of Eric Gerets, for the 2nd Phase game against Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
his international career ended when replaced by François Van der Elst
François Van Der Elst
François J. C. van der Elst is a former Belgian footballer, who played as a striker.Nicknamed Swat, his younger brother, Leo, was also a professional footballer. Both were Belgian internationals.-Football career:...
at half-time. Belgium trailed by two at the interval and went on to lose 0-3, Poland's inspiration coming from Boniek who was the only player to score.
As for his club career, he had left Standard in 1976 and played for the Limburg first division team FC Beringen for a few seasons (he owned a café in the Limburg capital Hasselt). In 1980, after his career had been rekindled, he made a transfer to his original team SK Beveren (which had become Belgian champion in 1979). He stayed there for 2 more seasons and concluded his career in Limburg again at Sint-Truiden, where he became trainer-player.
After he stopped playing football, he became coach with Sint-Truiden, SK Beveren, Assent and FC Diest, before calling it a day, somewhat disappointed by the general professional level of the Belgian football players.
He was called by the Belgian Football Union to do some prospective work and became assistant coach to national coach Paul Van Himst in 1995 after a few heavy defeats of the Red Devils. He succeeded to Van Himst as a head coach in 1996 for 5 games.
However, people in the Football Union and the press were not very delighted by his lack of communicative skills and at the beginning of 1997, he was, in his turn, replaced by Georges Leekens. He has not taken up any managerial tasks since.
External links
- Profile at weltfussball
- The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.