Michel Preud'homme
Michel Preud'homme
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Michel Preud'homme

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Michel Preud'homme

Michel Georges Jean Ghislain Preud'homme[needs IPA] (born 24 January 1959) is a Belgian retired footballer and manager who played as a goalkeeper. Currently, he is vice-president and sports director at Standard Liège.

He was considered one of the world's best and most consistent goalkeepers during his professional career; he was the first winner of the Yashin Award as the best goalkeeper at the 1994 FIFA World Cup.

At club level, Preud'homme played for Standard Liège, Mechelen and Benfica. With Mechelen, he won the Belgian Cup in 1987, the Cup Winner's Cup and the European Super Cup in 1988 and the Belgian league title in 1989. He also won the Portuguese Cup with Benfica in 1996. He retired as a player in 1999, aged 40. For Belgium, Preud'homme was capped 58 times, from 1979 to 1994. Other than the 1994 World Cup, he also played in the 1990 tournament.

Preud'homme is a product of Standard Liège's youth system, which he joined at 10 years old in 1969. He was first called up to the first team in 1977 and made his senior debut in August 1977 after early injuries to the main goalkeeper Christian Piot and his successor Jean-Paul Crucifix. With Standard Liège Preud'homme won the Belgian First Division in 1981–82 and 1982–83. He was also runner-up in the 1981–82 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, losing against F.C. Barcelona.

Preud'homme was transferred to KV Mechelen in 1986. The following seasons would become the most successful for the player (as well for the club), winning the 1986-87 Belgian Cup, the 1987-88 European Cup Winners' Cup, the 1988 European Super Cup and the 1988-89 Belgian First Division. In June 1993, there were negotiations by Sporting CP to sign him, but the transfer never happened.

Preud'homme moved to Portuguese club Benfica in 1994, making his debut on 21 August, against Beira-Mar. On 18 May 1996, Michel won his first trophy in Portuguese football as Benfica defeated Lisbon rivals Sporting CP 3–1 in the Taça de Portugal final.

For his outstanding performances and almost impossible saves, he was nicknamed "Saint Michel" by supporters of Benfica. On 10 August 1999, he played his last match, an off season friendly against Bayern Munich. After his retirement, at age 40, he became Benfica's director of international relations.

Preud'homme made his senior debut on 2 May 1979 in a 0–0 draw with Austria in a UEFA Euro 1980 qualifying match.[citation needed] He served as third keeper behind Jean-Marie Pfaff and Theo Custers in the UEFA Euro 1980 as Belgium lost in the final against West Germany.

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