 Vandenbergh in 1980 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1959-01-26)26 January 1959 (age 66) | ||
| Place of birth | Ramsel [fr;nl],Herselt, Belgium | ||
| Height | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1976–1982 | Lierse | 178 | (117) |
| 1982–1986 | Anderlecht | 121 | (87) |
| 1986–1990 | Lille | 114 | (38) |
| 1990–1994 | Gent | 110 | (47) |
| 1994–1995 | Molenbeek | 21 | (4) |
| Total | 544 | (293) | |
| International career | |||
| 1979–1991 | Belgium | 48 | (20) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1995 | Westerlo | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Erwin Vandenbergh (Dutch pronunciation:[ˈɛrʋɪɱvɑndə(m)ˈbɛr(ə)x]; born 26 January 1959) is a Belgian retired professionalfootballer who played as aforward. Between 1979 and 1991, he finished six times as topscorer of theBelgian First Division (a still standing record), with three clubs (the first three withLierse, the following two withAnderlecht, and the last one withGent). In 1980, he was European topscorer with 39 goals out of 34 games. As aBelgium national team regular, Vandenbergh scored a memorable victory goal against Argentina in theopening game of the1982 World Cup in Spain.[1]
Vandenbergh also played for the French clubLille with his Belgium national team partnerFilip Desmet under the management of another fellow BelgianGeorges Heylens. His son,Kevin Vandenbergh, also became a professional football striker, mainly atGenk and also for the Belgian national team.[2][3]
At the age of 16, Erwin Vandenbergh made his debut in the team of his hometown, Ramsel. In his first season, the striker immediately scored 18 goals in 28 games. He was quickly noticed by the Belgian elite clubs. Vandenbergh could have gone toBeveren,Diest andLokeren but he chose the nearbyLierse SK, the club he had supported since he was a child.[4] Things went fast. After 6 months with the reserves, his career took off. The young Vandenbergh became the founder of Lierse's rise to the Belgian sub-top.[5] The club was able to force European football in the1977–78 season after finishing fourth in the standings.[citation needed]
In the1979–80 season, Erwin Vandenbergh became thenational andEuropean top scorer with 39 goals, despite the fact that his team only finished sixth in the competition.Juventus,Naples,Hamburg andBayern Munich were angling for his services, without success. He also became top scorer in thefollowing season (24 goals) and in 1981 he won theGolden Shoe.[6] In the1981–82 season, he became Belgium's top scorer once more with 25 goals.
As a result of all that success, Lierse SK had to let their forward go toAnderlecht for 60 million Belgian francs (1.5 million euros), a fortune at the time.[7]
Anderlecht also bought forwardAlex Czerniatynski that season. The collaboration between the two was initially difficult. Erwin Vandenbergh could not thrive in the demanding “Ivic System”. When the Croat was fired 3 months later, Erwin Vandenbergh breathed a sigh of relief. Under the new coach, Anderlecht club iconPaul Van Himst, things went well immediately.[8] He became top scorer in thenational competition for the fourth time in a row, with 20 goals.
In his first season with the club, he also immediately won his first trophy with a team: theUEFA Cup. He just missed the title of top scorer in that tournament, asZoran Filipović, player of their opponents in thefinalBenfica, had scored 1 time more with 8 goals.[9]
Vandenbergh won his first national title with Anderlecht in the1984–85 season. Thefinal of theUEFA Cup was also reached again, but after penalties the trophy went toTottenham.[10]
With the next trainer, problems arose again. The striker thought that the football was too defensive under coachArie Haan. He scored less, although he still netted 27 goals in the1985–86 season under the Dutchman. Anderlecht could also extend their title. When Haan left him out of the selection for most of the European Cup matches, his decision was made: he decided to leave, despite the fact that he still had one more season under contract.
After the1986 World Cup, he left for theFrench Flanders side Lille, which was trained by former Anderlecht starGeorges Heylens.[11] Despite an offer fromBarcelona, the home-loving Vandenbergh chose a team located close to the Belgian border. Although Vandenbergh would later consider rejecting the Barcelona contract as a mistake.[12]
‘’The only thing I regret in my whole career is that I turned down the offer from Barcelona ’'
He would stay at the French club for four seasons, scoring 38 goals in theDivision 1 and 44 overall. These numbers were generally below his standard. Lille was one of the lowest scoring teams in the competition, no trophies could be won and the club usually finished in the middle of the standings at its best. Coach Georges Heylens left at the end of the1989–90 season.[14]
In 1990, aged 31, Vandenbergh moved to Belgian sideAA Gent, coached by his former Anderlecht teammateRené Vandereycken. During the1990–91 season, Gent was also leading the league after 24 games but ultimately had to let the title to his former team Anderlecht.[15] Vandenbergh became top scorer for the sixth and final time, with 23 goals. In the1991–92 season, Gent surprisingly managed to reach the quarter finals of theUEFA Cup.[16]
After his contract withStandard Liège was not extended, coach René Vandereycken moved to Brussels sideRWDM. He convinced Erwin Vandenbergh to also make the transfer to the club.Season 1994–95 would be his only one at the club, and immediately his last as a professional footballer.[17]
Erwin Vandenbergh reached a sporting peak quite early, in 1979. At that time, he was the most productive forward in Europe. That did not go unnoticed by then national coachGuy Thys either. He selected the 20-year-old attacker for theRed Devils. His first international match was on 19 December 1979 againstScotland.[18] Belgium won 1–3 and Vandenbergh scored once.[19]
The successful debut made Vandenbergh a regular in the national team in no time. In 1980 he was allowed to go to theEuropean Championship in Italy. Belgium reached the final, but lost toWest Germany. Vandenbergh had played three times, but he did not score.
In the run-up to the1982 World Cup in Spain, Vandenbergh played sevenWorld Cup Cup qualifying matches in which he scored five times.[20] Belgium played the tournament opening match against reigning world championArgentina inCamp Nou, the stadium of FC Barcelona. Vandenbergh scored the only goal of the match after a long, crooked cross fromFrank Vercauteren. Because of the importance of the goal and the cry of joy - Goaaaal, goal, goal! - from the Belgian reporterRik De Saedeleer, the goal went down in Belgian history as one of the most famous goals ever scored by the Red Devils.[21] De Saedeleer's famous reaction later became the title of Vandenbergh's biography.[22] Belgium eventually won thegroup, but were eliminated in the next round.Poland and theSoviet Union proved too strong.[23]
Vandenbergh was also present at the1984 European Championship. Belgium had won silver at the previous European Championship, so expectations were high. Belgian coach Thys saw how his Red Devils started the tournament well. Vandenbergh scored a goal in the first game for the 2–0 victory againstYugoslavia. But the Belgians only ended up third in thegroup stage, after host countryFrance andDenmark.[24]
At the1986 World Cup in Mexico, Vandenbergh was 27 years old. It would be his last international tournament with the Red Devils. Belgium got through thegroup stage as the best third-placed team. Vandenbergh only played againstMexico. In that match, lost with 1–2, he scored the only Belgian goal.[25] Due to an injury, Vandenberg left the squad earlier than expected.[26] The Red Devils eventually reached thesemi-finals, but this time Argentina, with star playerMaradona, was too strong.[27] Belgium finished the World Cup in fourth place, the best result achieved by the Red Devils until2018.[28]
Belgium did not qualify for the1988 European Championship and the then 31-year-old Vandenbergh was not called up for the1990 World Cup. He had been more or less forgotten at Lille. Guy Thys preferredNico Claesen and attacking midfielders such asJan Ceulemans andMarc Degryse.[29] The non-selection seemed to be the end of Vandenbergh with the national team. But a strong season at KAA Gent brought him back into the spotlight. Vandenbergh was allowed to play in theEuro 1992 qualifying matches again and scored his last goal for the Red Devils at the age of 32.[30] That was in the match againstLuxembourg on 27 February 1991, which was won 3–0.[31]
Vandenbergh can be described as a typical example of a pure striker, capable of making the actions himself but above all instinctively feeling where to position himself to score a goal. Author Raf Willems described him as "A phenomenal finisher but at the same time elegant and aesthetic in his movements. With insight as his greatest quality, as an instinctive gift.".[32]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | Europe | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Lierse | 1976–77 | First Division | 14 | 2 | — | — | 14 | 2 | ||
| 1977–78 | First Division | 34 | 12 | 4 | 4 | — | 38 | 16 | ||
| 1978–79 | First Division | 32 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 5[b] | 2 | 38 | 17 | |
| 1979–80 | First Division | 34 | 39 | 1 | 1 | — | 35 | 40 | ||
| 1980–81 | First Division | 33 | 24 | 4 | 2 | — | 37 | 26 | ||
| 1981–82 | First Division | 31 | 25 | 3 | 1 | — | 34 | 26 | ||
| Total | 178 | 117 | 13 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 196 | 127 | ||
| Anderlecht | 1982–83 | First Division | 32 | 20 | 3 | 2 | 12[c] | 7 | 47 | 29 |
| 1983–84 | First Division | 29 | 20 | 2 | 1 | 9[c] | 4 | 40 | 25 | |
| 1984–85 | First Division | 29 | 20 | 5 | 5 | 3[c] | 3 | 37 | 28 | |
| 1985–86 | First Division | 31 | 27 | 2 | 2 | 5[d] | 1 | 38 | 30 | |
| Total | 121 | 87 | 12 | 10 | 29 | 15 | 162 | 112 | ||
| Lille | 1986–87 | Division 1 | 28 | 8 | 3 | 1 | — | 31 | 9 | |
| 1987–88 | Division 1 | 30 | 11 | 6 | 2 | — | 36 | 13 | ||
| 1988–89 | Division 1 | 31 | 14 | 4 | 1 | — | 35 | 15 | ||
| 1989–90 | Division 1 | 25 | 5 | 3 | 2 | — | 28 | 17 | ||
| Total | 114 | 38 | 16 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 130 | 44 | ||
| AA Gent | 1990–91 | First Division | 34 | 23 | 1 | 0 | — | 35 | 23 | |
| 1991–92 | First Division | 33 | 11 | 6 | 0 | 7[c] | 2 | 46 | 13 | |
| 1992–93 | First Division | 21 | 9 | 1 | 0 | — | 22 | 9 | ||
| 1993–94 | First Division | 22 | 4 | — | — | 22 | 4 | |||
| Total | 110 | 47 | 8 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 125 | 49 | ||
| RWDM | 1994–95 | First Division | 21 | 4 | 1 | 0 | — | 22 | 4 | |
| Career total | 544 | 290 | 50 | 24 | 41 | 19 | 635 | 333 | ||
| National Team | Year | Friendlies | World Cup | European Championships | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Belgium | 1979 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | ||
| 1980 | 3 | 3 | — | 4 | 3 | 9 | 5 | ||
| 1981 | 1 | 0 | — | 4 | 3 | 5 | 3 | ||
| 1982 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 10 | 4 | |
| 1983 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | — | 4 | 2 | ||
| 1984 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | — | 4 | 1 | ||
| 1985 | — | — | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | |||
| 1986 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | |
| 1987 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | ||
| 1988 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| 1989 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 1990 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| 1991 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | 3 | 1 | ||
| Total | 15 | 5 | 16 | 7 | 17 | 8 | 48 | 20 | |
| No. | Cap | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 19 December 1979 | Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland |  Scotland | 1–0 | 3–1 | Euro 1980 qualification |
| 2 | 2 | 17 February 1980 | Stade Municipal, Luxembourg, Luxembourg |  Luxembourg | 1–0 | 5–0 | Friendly |
| 3 | 3–0 | ||||||
| 4 | 4 | 2 April 1980 | Heysel Stadium, Brussels, Belgium |  Poland | 2–0 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 5 | 9 | 19 November 1980 | Heysel Stadium, Brussels, Belgium |  Netherlands | 1–0 ‡ | 1–0 | 1982 World Cup qualification |
| 6 | 10 | 21 December 1980 | Makario Stadium, Nicosia, Cyprus |  Cyprus | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1982 World Cup qualification |
| 7 | 11 | 18 February 1981 | Heysel Stadium, Brussels, Belgium | Cyprus | 2–0 | 3–2 | 1982 World Cup qualification |
| 8 | 13 | 29 April 1981 | Parc des Princes, Paris, Brussels |  France | 0–1 | 2–3 | 1982 World Cup qualification |
| 9 | 14 | 9 September 1981 | Heysel Stadium, Brussels, Belgium | France | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1982 World Cup qualification |
| 10 | 17 | 28 April 1982 | Heysel Stadium, Brussels, Belgium |  Bulgaria | 1–0 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 11 | 19 | 11 June 1982 | Estadi del Futbol Club Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain |  Argentina | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1982 World Cup -Group stage |
| 12 | 24 | 6 October 1982 | Heysel Stadium, Brussels, Belgium |  Switzerland | 3–0 | 3–0 | Euro 1984 qualification |
| 13 | 25 | 15 December 1982 | Heysel Stadium, Brussels, Belgium | Scotland | 1–1 | 3–2 | Euro 1984 qualification |
| 14 | 26 | 30 March 1983 | Zentralstadion, Leipzig, East Germany |  East Germany | 2–0 | 2–1 | Euro 1984 qualification |
| 15 | 29 | 6 October 1982 | Wankdorfstadion, Bern, Switserland | Switzerland | 1–1 | 1–3 | Euro 1984 qualification |
| 16 | 31 | 13 June 1984 | Stade Félix Bollaert, Lens, France |  Yugoslavia | 1–0 | 2–0 | UEFA Euro 1984 -Group stage |
| 17 | 35 | 1 May 1985 | Heysel Stadium, Brussels, Belgium | Poland | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1986 World Cup qualification |
| 18 | 38 | 23 April 1986 | Heysel Stadium, Brussels, Belgium | Bulgaria | 2–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 19 | 40 | 9 June 1986 | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico |  Mexico | 1–2 | 1–2 | 1986 World Cup -Group stage |
| 20 | 48 | 27 March 1991 | Constant Vanden Stock Stadium, Anderlecht, Belgium | Luxembourg | 1–0 | 3–0 | Euro 1992 qualification |
| ‡ | Indicates goal was scored from apenalty kick |
|---|
Anderlecht[35]
Belgium
Individual
