 Van Buyten in 2013 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Daniel Van Buyten[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1978-02-07)7 February 1978 (age 47) | ||
| Place of birth | Chimay, Belgium | ||
| Height | 1.97 m (6 ft 6 in)[2] | ||
| Position | Centre back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1986–1988 | JS Froidchapelle | ||
| 1988–1989 | JSG Lammetal | ||
| 1989–1991 | JS Froidchapelle | ||
| 1991–1993 | Olympic Charleroi | ||
| 1993–1994 | UBS Auvelais | ||
| 1994–1997 | FC Somzée | ||
| 1997–1998 | Charleroi | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1998–1999 | Charleroi | 19 | (1) |
| 1999–2001 | Standard Liège | 57 | (7) |
| 2001–2004 | Marseille | 76 | (12) |
| 2004 | →Manchester City (loan) | 5 | (0) |
| 2004–2006 | Hamburger SV | 61 | (7) |
| 2006–2014 | Bayern Munich | 158 | (20) |
| 2010–2011 | Bayern Munich II | 2 | (0) |
| Total | 378 | (47) | |
| International career | |||
| 2000 | Belgium U18 | 1 | (0) |
| 1999 | Belgium U21 | 6 | (1) |
| 2001–2014 | Belgium | 83 | (10) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Daniel Van Buyten (Dutch pronunciation:[ˈdaːnijɛlvɑmˈbœytə(n)];[a] born 7 February 1978) is a Belgian formerfootballer who played as acentre back. Nicknamed "Big Dan",[3] Van Buyten was known for his uncompromising style of play, exploiting both his physical strength and aerial ability.
Beginning atCharleroi as a striker, Van Buyten's career took off when he converted to a centre back, playing for a series of top flight clubs, includingMarseille,Manchester City,Hamburger SV andBayern Munich. Throughout his career, Van Buyten was also a regular starter for theBelgium national team, amassing 83 caps in an international career that spanned 13 years and which included participation at twoFIFA World Cups.
Van Buyten became the first-ever Belgian winner of theUEFA Champions League when Bayern Munich claimed the European crown in 2013.[4]
Van Buyten joinedOlympique de Marseille in the summer of 2001, leavingBelgian sideStandard Liège with whom he had been with since 1999.[5] After two-and-a-half productive seasons with the club, on 31 January 2004 Van Buyten agreed to a short-term loan agreement withManchester City, signing for thePremier League club until the end of theseason.[6] He proved to be a success in his half-season loan deal at the club, garnering praise from his manager, specifically in his performance againstChelsea. But former managerKevin Keegan conceded that, "I don't think we will keep him at the end of the season as I feel he will go to a big club then."[7]
Van Buyten returned to Marseille at the end of his loan agreement and was signed byBundesliga clubHamburger SV in June 2004 to replace outgoing captainNico-Jan Hoogma, agreeing to a four-year deal with the German side.[8] For Hamburg he made 61German top-flight appearances.[9]
In June 2006,Bayern Munich announced that they had acquired Van Buyten from Hamburg and had signed him to a contract lasting through the2009–10 season.[10] Van Buyten had a highly successful first season at theBavarian club, forming an effective centre-back partnership withLúcio. Van Buyten scored his first goal for Bayern againstEnergie Cottbus on 9 December 2006, scoring the game-winning goal of a 2–1 victory forDie Roten.[11] Van Buyten then scored his second goal for the club on 26 January 2007, levelling the sides at 1–1 but Bayern fell toBorussia Dortmund by a score of 3–2.[12]
Arguably Van Buyten's most valuable contribution in his debut season, however, came againstMilan on 3 April 2007, in the first-leg of theUEFA Champions League quarter-final.[13] Van Buyten scored two away goals to level the match and give Bayern Munich the advantage in the tie. In the quarter-final encounter against Milan, he scored twice with his left foot, once in the 78th minute to take Bayern to 1–1 and then he scored a stoppage time half-volley.[14]
On 4 February 2010, Bayern Munich announced that Van Buyten had signed a new contract that would keep him at the club until 2012.[15][16] During the second half of the 2010–11 season, Van Buyten was mostly relegated to bench player status, but recovered his starting spot towards the end of the season. He was part of the squad that blitzedFC St. Pauli on 11 May 2011, netting a goal in an 8–1 victory that condemned theHamburg-based side to relegation to the2. Bundesliga.[17]
On 17 December 2011, in the match between Bayern Munich and1. FC Köln, Van Buyten struck a free-kick so hard that the ball burst.[18] On 30 April 2012, Van Buyten signed a one-year extension with Bayern Munich.[19]
Despite the arrival of centre-backDante fromBorussia Mönchengladbach in the summer of 2012,[20] Van Buyten became an integral member of the back-line for the Bavarians during the2012–13 campaign, part of a three-man rotation in the centre of defense with Dante andJérôme Boateng. On 6 April 2013, with a 1–0 defeat ofEintracht Frankfurt thanks to a goal fromBastian Schweinsteiger, Van Buyten celebrated his thirdBundesliga championship with Bayern, clinching the club's 23rd national title.[21] Van Buyten played the full 90 minutes in the club's 3–0 second leg semi-final victory overSpanish championsBarcelona on 1 May, clinching a resounding 7–0 aggregate victory and a place in theChampions League final against fellow Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund.[22] Van Buyten is the first Belgian player in a Champions League final.
After heavily been linked with big spendersMonaco,[23] Van Buyten signed a further contract extension with Bayern Munich on a one-year rolling contract.[24] Having been a part member of the squad under managerPep Guardiola, and despite scoring againstWerder Bremen,[25] Van Buyten was rumored to join1. FC Köln on a pre-contract agreement, though this was denied by a club official.[26] After the end of the season, the club did not renew his contract, leaving him a free agent to sign with another club.[27]Belgian Pro League clubAnderlecht offered him a two-year contract in August 2014,[28] but he rejected it, stating that he had retired from competitive football.[29]
Van Buyten was called up to the national team in 2001 and received his first cap forBelgium on 28 February 2001 againstSan Marino in a2002 FIFA World Cup qualifying match,[30] starting in a 10–1 thrashing of the nation.[31] His first goal for the national team came in just his second cap, heading home the equalizing goal in a 2–2 draw withScotland on 24 March 2001, earning a crucial point for ten-man Belgium in World Cup qualifying.[32]
After good performances with Marseille in France, the young defender was included in the 23-man roster for the2002 World Cup inSouth Korea andJapan.[33] He played the full game in Belgium's opening match of the tournament, a 2–2 draw with co-hostsJapan on 4 June.[34] In the second group match, Belgium stuttered to a surprising 1–1 draw withTunisia on 10 June while Van Buyten booked for the Belgians.[35] Van Buyten helped Belgium pick up their first win of the tournament and in doing so progression to the knockout stage, stopping a late flurry fromRussia to secure a 3–2 victory.[36] Finishing as runners-up in the group, Belgium were dealt a tough draw with four-time championsBrazil. Despite a valiant effort, Van Buyten and the Belgians bowed out in the round of 16 as the duo ofRivaldo andRonaldo led Brazil to a 2–0 win.[37] The South Americans would eventually be crowned champions with a defeat ofGermany in thefinal on 30 June by the same scoreline.[38]
Following Belgium's impressive display at the World Cup in Japan and South Korea, much was expected of the small nation in the qualifying phase of theUEFA Euro 2004 tournament and the country was placed in Pot A amongst the best teams in the European federation. Van Buyten played in all eight qualifying games for the national team[39] but Belgium failed to make it to thefinal tournament, missing out on second spot in the group toCroatia on the head-to-head rule.[40]
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On 11 February 2009, he scored a rare double as the Belgians sunkSlovenia 2–0 in a friendly match.[41] Seven months later, on 9 September, Van Buyten notched Belgium's only goal as Belgium slumped to a disappointing 2–1 defeat to lowlyArmenia inFIFA World Cup qualifying.[42] The loss meant that Belgium lost any hope of qualifying for the2010 World Cup inSouth Africa, with head coachFranky Vercauteren resigning minutes after final whistle.[43]
ForEuro 2012 qualification, Belgium were placed inGroup A with the likes of Germany,Turkey andAustria.[44] The defender netted a brace away to Turkey on 7 September 2010, but despite his best efforts, Belgium fell to a 3–2 loss as captainVincent Kompany was sent off for two bookable offenses.[45]
Van Buyten was once again an integral member for the Belgians in yet another qualifying campaign, featuring in seven of the ten qualifying matches for the country.[46] Belgium narrowly missed out in qualifying for the playoff-round, finishing two points behind Turkey with a 3–1 loss to Germany in the final qualifying round game on 11 October 2011.[47]
In2014 World Cup qualifying, the veteran defender made five appearances as Belgium reached its first tournament in 12 years.[48]
On 13 May 2014, Van Buyten was named in Belgium's squad for the2014 World Cup, in Brazil.[49] He was the only player in the squad who had played at a major tournament before.[50] At the age of 36, him and goalkeeperThibaut Courtois were the only Belgian players to play every minute of every match until they were defeated byArgentina in the quarter-finals.[51]
Van Buyten's father, Franz, was a popular Belgian catcher/wrestler in Europe from 1960 to 1980.[52] His mother, Renate, is German.[citation needed]
While he was with Manchester City, he, along with playersDjamel Belmadi andMatías Vuoso, were the victims of theft perpetrated by two bankers. In January 2006, the bank workers, Paul Sherwood, a cashier, and Paul Hanley, his supervisor, were jailed for 32 months and 12 months respectively.[53][54]
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Europe | Other | Total | Ref. | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Charleroi | 1998–99 | First Division | 19 | 1 | — | — | 19 | 1 | [55] | ||||||
| Standard Liège | 1999–2000 | First Division | 28 | 3 | — | — | 28 | 3 | [55] | ||||||
| 2000–01 | 29 | 4 | 2 | 1 | — | 31 | 5 | [55] | |||||||
| Total | 57 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 59 | 8 | — | ||||||
| Marseille | 2001–02 | Division 1 | 23 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 28 | 4 | [55] | ||
| 2002–03 | Ligue 1 | 35 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 41 | 9 | [55] | |||
| 2003–04 | 18 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 1 | — | 29 | 3 | [55] | |||
| Total | 76 | 6 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 98 | 10 | — | ||
| Manchester City | 2003–04 | Premier League | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | [55] | |
| Hamburger SV | 2004–05 | Bundesliga | 34 | 5 | 1 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | — | 39 | 5 | [56] | ||
| 2005–06 | 27 | 2 | 3 | 1 | — | 15 | 2 | — | 45 | 5 | [57] | ||||
| Total | 61 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 84 | 10 | — | ||
| Bayern Munich | 2006–07 | Bundesliga | 31 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 2 | — | 46 | 5 | [58] | |
| 2007–08 | 19 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | — | 27 | 3 | [59] | |||
| 2008–09 | 18 | 3 | 2 | 0 | — | 5 | 1 | — | 25 | 4 | [60] | ||||
| 2009–10 | 31 | 6 | 5 | 2 | — | 12 | 1 | — | 48 | 9 | [61] | ||||
| 2010–11 | 21 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 2 | [62] | |||
| 2011–12 | 13 | 4 | 2 | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | — | 22 | 4 | [63] | ||||
| 2012–13 | 13 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 0 | [64] | |||
| 2013–14 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 1 | [65][66] | |||
| Total | 158 | 20 | 26 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 50 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 250 | 32 | — | ||
| Bayern Munich II | 2010–11 | 3. Liga | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | [62] | ||||
| 2011–12 | Regionalliga Süd | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | [63] | |||||
| Total | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | — | |||
| Career total | 378 | 41 | 38 | 5 | 10 | 0 | 79 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 506 | 55 | — | ||
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24 March 2001 | Hampden Park,Glasgow, Scotland |  Scotland | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2 | 30 March 2005 | Stadio Olimpico,Serravalle, San Marino |  San Marino | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 3 | 7 September 2005 | Olympisch Stadion,Antwerp, Belgium | San Marino | 8–0 | 8–0 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 4 | 6 September 2006 | Republican Stadium,Yerevan, Armenia |  Armenia | 1–0 | 1–0 | UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying |
| 5 | 11 February 2009 | Cristal Arena,Genk, Belgium |  Slovenia | 1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 6 | 2–0 | |||||
| 7 | 9 September 2009 | Republican Stadium, Yerevan, Armenia | Armenia | 1–2 | 1–2 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 8 | 7 September 2010 | Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium,Istanbul, Turkey |  Turkey | 1–0 | 2–3 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying |
| 9 | 2–2 | |||||
| 10 | 11 November 2011 | Stade Maurice Dufrasne,Liège, Belgium |  Romania | 1–0 | 2–1 | Friendly |
Hamburger SV[67]
Bayern Munich[68]
Officer in theWalloon Order of Merit [fr]: 2014[72]
Belgium squads | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||
