Erwin Vandenbergh

Erwin Vandenbergh
Personnel
birthday	January 26, 1959
place of birth	Ramsel ,  Belgium
size	184 cm
position	Center Forward
Men's
Years	station	Games (goals) 1
1975-1976	K Ramsel FC
1976-1982	Lierse SK	178 (117)
1982-1986	RSC Anderlecht	121 0(87)
1986-1990	Lille OSC	94 0(55)
1990-1994	KAA Gent	110 0(47)
1994-1995	RWD Molenbeek	21 00(4)
National team
Years	selection	Games (goals)
1976-1977	Belgium U-19	6 00(2)
1977-1979	Belgium U-21	7 00(5)
1979-1991	Belgium	48 0(20)
1 Only league games are given.

Erwin Vandenbergh (born January 26, 1959 in Ramsel ) is a former Belgian football player .

The center forward Vandenbergh began his career in 1977 at Lierse SK . The young striker quickly made his way into the Belgian national team and was nominated by national coach Guy Thys for the 1980 European Football Championship in Italy . This EM tournament heralded the most successful period in Belgian football and Vandenbergh was one of the protagonists of the upswing in Belgian football alongside goalkeeper Jean-Marie Pfaff and his striker Jan Ceulemans and was voted Belgium's Footballer of the Year in 1981 .

He was also in the squad for the 1982 World Cup in Spain and scored the 1-0 winner for the Belgians' surprising victory in the opening game against world champions Argentina . Belgium was eliminated in the intermediate round of the tournament. After the tournament, Vandenbergh moved to the traditional Belgian club RSC Anderlecht . At the European Football Championship in France in 1984 , he and his team missed the semi-finals by losing 3-2 in the last group game against Denmark .

The 1986 World Cup in Mexico was the most successful tournament in Belgium's history, finishing fourth. Erwin Vandenbergh, however, injured himself in the first group game against hosts Mexico , and the tournament was already over for him. He had previously scored the 1: 2 tie for the Belgians in the first half. For the rest of the tournament he was replaced by Nico Claesen in the middle of the storm. For Claesen, Vandenbergh's injury was the breakthrough in the Belgian national team.

After the 1986 World Cup, Vandenbergh left Anderlecht and played in the French first division at Lille OSC until 1990 . From 1990 to 1994 he was under contract with KAA Gent . He ended his career in 1995 with FC Brussels . Vandenbergh was Belgian top scorer six times (1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1991). In 1981 he was also the European record goal scorer (39 goals). He is still the only Belgian who has received this award.

His son Kevin Vandenbergh is also a successful soccer player.

Web links

• Erwin Vandenbergh in the database of the Belgian Football Association (English)

predecessor	Office	successor
Jan Ceulemans	Belgium's footballer of the year 1981	Eric Gerets