Raymond Goethals

Raymond Goethals (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈrɛmɔ̃ ˈɣutɑls]; 7 October 1921 – 6 December 2004) was a Belgian football coach who led Marseille to victory in the UEFA Champions League final in 1993, becoming the first coach to win a European trophy with a French club.

Raymond Goethals
Goethals in May 1977
Personal information
Date of birth 7 October 1921
Place of birth Forest, Belgium
Date of death 6 December 2004(2004-12-06) (aged 83)
Place of death Brussels, Belgium
Height 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Youth career
1933–1939 Daring Club Bruxelles
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1940–1947 Daring Club Bruxelles
1947–1948 Racing Club Brussels
1948–1952 RFC Hannutois
1952–1957 AS Renaisiènne
Teams managed
1957–1958 RFC Hannutois
1958–1959 Stade Waremmien
1959–1966 Sint-Truiden
1966–1968 Belgium (assistant)
1968–1976 Belgium
1976–1979 Anderlecht
1979–1980 Bordeaux
1980–1981 São Paulo
1981–1984 Standard Liège
1984–1985 Vitória Guimarães
1985–1987 Racing Jet Brussels
1988–1989 Anderlecht
1989–1990 Bordeaux
1990–1993 Marseille
1995 Anderlecht
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Sometimes nicknamed "Raymond-la-science" ("Raymond-the-Science", previously the nickname of Belgian anarchist and Bonnot gang member Raymond Callemin), "le sorcier" ("the Wizard") or "le magicien" ("the Magician"), Goethals was known for his blunt way of speaking, his habit of mispronouncing players' names and his distinctive Brussels accent. A chain smoker, he was likened to TV police detective Lieutenant Columbo. He was the father of the referee Guy Goethals, who officiated at the 1996 European Championship.

Playing career and early coaching career

Goethals began his career as a goalkeeper in the 1930s with Daring Brussels, making his way through the youth ranks of the club before joining Racing Club Brussel in 1947. He remained at Racing Club Brussel until 1948. After a period spent playing for Renaisiènne, he moved into coaching with Hannutois and Waremme, and led Sint-Truiden to second place in the Belgian First Division in 1966.

Belgium national coach

Goethals took charge of the Belgian national side in 1968. Belgium would succeed in qualifying for the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, although they were eliminated in the first round of the tournament. Belgium hosted the 1972 European Championship, having knocked out holders Italy in the qualifying stages, and defeated Hungary in the match for third place after losing in the semi-final to eventual tournament winners Germany. That marked Goethals' greatest success as national team coach. He also took great pride in the fact that Belgium had held the emergent Dutch national team scoreless in both their meetings in 1974 World Cup qualifying. Belgium completed their qualifying campaign without having conceded a single goal, but lost out to the Netherlands on account of their inferior goal difference.

Return to club coaching

In 1976 Goethals' tenure as coach of the national side ended, and he joined Anderlecht as coach. In his first season, Anderlecht reached the final of the European Cup Winners' Cup, where they lost to German side Hamburger SV, but won the trophy the following year with a comprehensive victory over FK Austria/WAC. After spells coaching in France at Bordeaux and in Brazil with São Paulo, Goethals returned to Belgium to coach Standard Liège. Standard Liège were Belgian champions in 1982 and 1983, and they reached the Cup Winners' Cup Final in 1982, losing to Barcelona, who were at a considerable advantage in that the final was played at their home ground, Camp Nou.

Controversy and Goethals' return to Anderlecht

Standard Liège's 1982 championship win was to become the subject of great controversy in 1984. Seemingly preoccupied with winning his first Belgian title, Goethals had suggested and initiated the bribing of the Waterschei players prior to the teams' meeting in the final match of the season, in order to secure championship honours for Standard Liège and ensure that none of his players would miss their European final against Barcelona through injury. Goethals was forced to resign in the wake of the scandal, and he moved to Portugal to take charge of Vitória Guimarães. He then returned to Belgium to coach Racing Jet de Bruxelles before a second spell in charge of Anderlecht, where he won Belgian Cup trophy in 1989. Bordeaux again recruited Goethals, and they finished runners-up in the French championship in 1989–90 behind Marseille. Approaching 70 years of age, Goethals' greatest triumph as a coach was yet to come.

Marseille

In 1990, Goethals was named coach of Olympique de Marseille and was entrusted with the task of leading the club to European Cup success. In his first season, the club narrowly missed out on European glory, losing on penalties in the European Cup Final to Red Star Belgrade. There was recognition for Goethals' coaching abilities, as he was voted 1991 European Coach of the Year. In 1993, Marseille again reached the European Cup final, where they defeated favourites A.C. Milan with a headed goal by Basile Boli. Having achieved his primary objective at Marseille, Goethals left the club.

Marseille were later stripped of their 1993 French championship when it emerged that three Valenciennes players had been offered money to underperform in a crucial match against Marseille. The club were not allowed to defend their European title as a result, and were punished with relegation to the French second division.

Retirement

Goethals' coaching career ended at Anderlecht in season 1995–96, but he remained in demand as a television analyst for his insights into football. He died of bowel cancer aged 83. In 2005, the year following his death, he was voted 38th in De Grootste Belg, a Flemish television programme based on the BBC's 100 Greatest Britons. The number 2 stand at F.C. Brussels' home ground, Edmond Machtens Stadium, was renamed in honour of Goethals in late 2005. He remains today as the oldest winning manager of UEFA Champions League.

Honours

Manager

Anderlecht[1]

Standard Liège[7]

Marseille[10]

Belgium

Individual

References
  1. "RSC Anderlecht | Palmares".
  2. "Amsterdam Tournament".
  3. "Tournois de Paris : une compétition opposant 4 clubs" (in French). Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  4. "Jules Pappaert Cup".
  5. "UEFA Euro 1980".
  6. "Winnaars Brugse Metten".
  7. "Standard de Liège | Palmares".
  8. "Wildstat | Intertoto Cup 1982".
  9. "Wildstat | Intertoto Cup 1984".
  10. "Palmarés OM".
  11. "UEFA Euro 1972".
  12. "Albo "Panchina d'Oro"" (in Italian). Alleniamo.com. Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  13. ""Onze Mondial" Awards".
  14. "Bondscoach reikt Gouden Schoen uit". Voetbalkrant.com (in Dutch). 17 January 2006. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  15. "Who are the best 50 football managers of all-time?".
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