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Erwin Vandenbergh
Erwin Vandenbergh (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɛrʋɪɱ vɑndə(m)ˈbɛr(ə)x]; born 26 January 1959) is a Belgian retired professional footballer who played as a forward. Between 1979 and 1991, he finished six times as topscorer of the Belgian First Division (a still standing record), with three clubs (the first three with Lierse, the following two with Anderlecht, and the last one with Gent). In 1980, he was European topscorer with 39 goals out of 34 games. As a Belgium national team regular, Vandenbergh scored a memorable victory goal against Argentina in the opening game of the 1982 World Cup in Spain.
Vandenbergh also played for the French club Lille with his Belgium national team partner Filip Desmet under the management of another fellow Belgian Georges Heylens. His son, Kevin Vandenbergh, also became a professional football striker, mainly at Genk and also for the Belgian national team.
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 to Beveren, Diest and Lokeren but he chose the nearby Lierse SK, the club he had supported since he was a child. 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. The club was able to force European football in the 1977–78 season after finishing fourth in the standings.[citation needed]
In the 1979–80 season, Erwin Vandenbergh became the national and European top scorer with 39 goals, despite the fact that his team only finished sixth in the competition. Juventus, Naples, Hamburg and Bayern Munich were angling for his services, without success. He also became top scorer in the following season (24 goals) and in 1981 he won the Golden Shoe. In the 1981–82 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 to Anderlecht for 60 million Belgian francs (1.5 million euros), a fortune at the time.
Anderlecht also bought forward Alex 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 icon Paul Van Himst, things went well immediately. He became top scorer in the national 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: the UEFA Cup. He just missed the title of top scorer in that tournament, as Zoran Filipović, player of their opponents in the final Benfica, had scored 1 time more with 8 goals.
Vandenbergh won his first national title with Anderlecht in the 1984–85 season. The final of the UEFA Cup was also reached again, but after penalties the trophy went to Tottenham.
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Erwin Vandenbergh
Erwin Vandenbergh (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɛrʋɪɱ vɑndə(m)ˈbɛr(ə)x]; born 26 January 1959) is a Belgian retired professional footballer who played as a forward. Between 1979 and 1991, he finished six times as topscorer of the Belgian First Division (a still standing record), with three clubs (the first three with Lierse, the following two with Anderlecht, and the last one with Gent). In 1980, he was European topscorer with 39 goals out of 34 games. As a Belgium national team regular, Vandenbergh scored a memorable victory goal against Argentina in the opening game of the 1982 World Cup in Spain.
Vandenbergh also played for the French club Lille with his Belgium national team partner Filip Desmet under the management of another fellow Belgian Georges Heylens. His son, Kevin Vandenbergh, also became a professional football striker, mainly at Genk and also for the Belgian national team.
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 to Beveren, Diest and Lokeren but he chose the nearby Lierse SK, the club he had supported since he was a child. 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. The club was able to force European football in the 1977–78 season after finishing fourth in the standings.[citation needed]
In the 1979–80 season, Erwin Vandenbergh became the national and European top scorer with 39 goals, despite the fact that his team only finished sixth in the competition. Juventus, Naples, Hamburg and Bayern Munich were angling for his services, without success. He also became top scorer in the following season (24 goals) and in 1981 he won the Golden Shoe. In the 1981–82 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 to Anderlecht for 60 million Belgian francs (1.5 million euros), a fortune at the time.
Anderlecht also bought forward Alex 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 icon Paul Van Himst, things went well immediately. He became top scorer in the national 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: the UEFA Cup. He just missed the title of top scorer in that tournament, as Zoran Filipović, player of their opponents in the final Benfica, had scored 1 time more with 8 goals.
Vandenbergh won his first national title with Anderlecht in the 1984–85 season. The final of the UEFA Cup was also reached again, but after penalties the trophy went to Tottenham.