Norberto Höfling

Norberto Höfling (20 June 1924 – 18 April 2005) was a Romanian footballer and coach.

Norberto Höfling
Norberto Höfling in 1963
Personal information
Date of birth (1924-06-20)20 June 1924
Place of birth Cernăuţi, Kingdom of Romania
Date of death 18 April 2005(2005-04-18) (aged 80)
Place of death Bruges, Belgium
Height 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s) Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1945–1946 Dinamo Cernăuţi
1947–1948 Ciocanul Bucureşti 33 (24)
1948–1949 MTK Budapest 24 (23)
1949–1951 Lazio 72 (25)
1952–1955 Pro Patria 119 (31)
1956 Vicenza 9 (1)
Teams managed
1957–1963 Club Brugge
1963–1964 Feyenoord
1964–1967 Racing White Brussels
1967–1968 Club Brugge
1968–1969 Anderlecht
1969–1971 Daring Club Brussels
1972–1976 AS Oostende
1977–1978 Gent
1980–1981 Pro Patria
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Playing career

Höfling began his career as professional footballer in Romania, being at his peak between 1945 and 1947 when he played for the national team of Romania and also for Carmen Bucureşti, one of the best teams of that period of time.

He left the country in 1948 to play for MTK Budapest and then he followed the route: Lazio Roma, Pro Patria Calcio, ending his career at Vicenza Calcio.

Coaching career

At the age of 33, in 1957, Höfling started his career as football manager at Club Brugge. He left the club after six years, due to a dispute with Fernand Goyvaerts, then the star player of Club Brugge, to coach the Dutch team Feyenoord.[1]

Being sacked from Feyenoord after only one year, Höfling returned to Belgium after he signed with R.W.D. Molenbeek, helping the team to win promotion into Belgian First Division.

In 1967, he rejoined Club Brugge. His second spell at the club was more successful than the first one, winning the Belgian Cup, before being signed by Anderlecht, only to be sacked after few months due to poor results.

A second spell at R.W.D. Molenbeek followed, but this time it was for a short period of time only, as he did not manage to win promotion in the top league, as he did with few years earlier when the team was called "Racing White".

In 1972, he signed with A.S. Oostende and in only two years he promoted the club from the third division to the top league. Again problems arose between him and the administration and the players that led to his retirement in 1976.

He then went to work at K.A.A. Gent before retiring in 1978.

He was 80 years of age when he died in Bruges, Belgium.

References
  1. "Roemeen Höfling nieuwe trainer van Feijenoord". De Tijd (in Dutch). 19 June 1963. Retrieved 21 July 2010.
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