Eric Gerets facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Eric Gerets

Gerets in 2012
Personal information
Full name	Eric Maria Gerets
Date of birth	(1954-05-18) 18 May 1954 (age 71)
Place of birth	Rekem, Belgium
Height	1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s)	Right-back
Youth career
1964–1971	AA Rekem
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1971–1983	Standard Liège	318	(23)
1983–1984	A.C. Milan	13	(1)
1984–1985	MVV	12	(0)
1985–1992	PSV	200	(8)
Total		543	(32)
International career
1975–1991	Belgium	86	(2)
Managerial career
1992–1994	RFC Liège
1994–1997	Lierse
1997–1999	Club Brugge
1999–2002	PSV
2002–2004	1. FC Kaiserslautern
2004–2005	VfL Wolfsburg
2005–2007	Galatasaray
2007–2009	Marseille
2009–2010	Al-Hilal
2010–2012	Morocco
2012–2014	Lekhwiya
2014–2015	Al Jazira
Medal record Representing  Belgium UEFA European Championship Runner-up 1980 Representing  Morocco (as manager) FIFA Arab Cup Winner 2012 Arab Cup
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Eric Maria Gerets was born on May 18, 1954, in Belgium. He is a very famous Belgian football player and coach. People often called him "The Lion" because of his strong playing style and appearance.

Eric Gerets was known as one of the best right-backs in Europe during his playing days. A right-back is a defender who plays on the right side of the field. He is also considered one of Belgium's greatest football players ever. A big highlight of his career was leading PSV to win their first and only European Cup in 1988. This is one of the biggest club trophies in European football.

After his playing career, Gerets became a successful coach. He is one of only a few managers who have won top league championships in at least four different countries.

Playing Career Highlights

Eric Gerets started playing football as a young amateur for his local team, AA Rekem. He then joined Standard Liège, a professional club. He became a key player there, known for his energy and tough play. He could also throw the ball very far from the sidelines!

Standard Liège Success

Gerets joined Standard Liège in 1971. He quickly became a regular player and helped the team achieve great things. He was the captain of the team during a very successful period in the early 1980s.

With Standard Liège, Eric Gerets won two Belgian league titles in 1982 and 1983. He also helped them win the Belgian Cup in 1981. In 1982, he was given the Belgian Golden Shoe award, which means he was the best player in Belgium that year.

Moving to AC Milan and MVV

In 1983, Gerets moved to Italy to play for the famous club A.C. Milan. However, his time there was short. His contract ended early because of an issue from his time at Standard Liège. It was found that some players and the coach from Standard had been involved in a situation where they tried to influence a match result in 1982. This led to suspensions for some players, including Gerets.

After Milan, he played briefly for MVV in the Netherlands in 1984. He only played a few games there before moving to another Dutch club.

PSV Eindhoven Glory

Eric Gerets in 1976

In 1985, Eric Gerets joined PSV, a top club in the Netherlands. He played alongside other great players like Ruud Gullit and Romário. He quickly became the team captain.

Under coach Guus Hiddink, PSV had an amazing run. They won the Dutch league and cup three years in a row. In 1988, PSV reached the final of the European Cup. They played against Benfica and the game ended 0-0 after extra time. PSV won the trophy after a penalty shootout, with Gerets as their captain. This was a huge moment for the club.

Gerets (left) and Frits Philips (right) posing with the European Cup

Gerets stayed at PSV until he retired from playing in 1992, at 38 years old. During his seven seasons with PSV, he won six Dutch league titles, three Dutch cups, and the European Cup. He is still seen as a true legend and icon for PSV.

International Career with Belgium

Eric Gerets played for the Belgian national team 86 times. He played in four major tournaments: the 1980 European Championship and the World Cups in 1982, 1986, and 1990.

European Championship 1980

In 1980, Gerets played in his first European Championship in Italy. He scored a goal in a 2-1 win against Spain, which helped Belgium win their group. Belgium surprisingly reached the final, where they narrowly lost 2-1 to West Germany.

World Cup Appearances

Ludo Coeck and Gerets during a training of Belgium in 1980

At the 1982 World Cup, Gerets was the captain of the Belgian team. They had a famous 1-0 victory over the defending champions, Argentina, in their first game. Argentina had a young Diego Maradona on their team.

Four years later, in the 1986 World Cup, Belgium had their best World Cup performance at that time. They finished in fourth place. They had surprising wins against the Soviet Union and Spain. However, they lost to Argentina in the semi-finals, who were inspired by Maradona.

Gerets trying to stop Maradona in the semi-finals of the 1986 World Cup

Gerets also captained Belgium in the 1990 World Cup. They lost to England in the second round in the last minute of extra time. Eric Gerets stopped playing for the national team in early 1991 to focus on his club career. For many years, he was the third most-capped player for Belgium.

Managerial Career

After retiring as a player, Eric Gerets became a football manager. He coached many different clubs in several countries.

He started his coaching career in Belgium with RFC Liège, Lierse, and Club Brugge. He won the Belgian league title with Lierse in 1997 and with Club Brugge in 1998.

He then returned to PSV as a manager. He continued his success there, winning the Dutch league title twice in 2000 and 2001.

After PSV, Gerets coached in Germany for 1. FC Kaiserslautern and VfL Wolfsburg. In 2005, he moved to Turkey to manage Galatasaray, where he won the Turkish Premier Super League in 2006.

From 2007 to 2009, he was the coach of Marseille in France. He helped them improve their league position significantly. He then coached Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia, winning the Saudi Professional League in 2010.

Gerets after the celebration of Al Hilal in the 2009–10 Saudi Pro League

He also coached the Morocco national team from 2010 to 2012, winning the Arab Cup in 2012. Later, he managed Lekhwiya in Qatar, winning the Qatar Stars League in 2014. His last coaching job was with Al Jazira in the United Arab Emirates, where he retired from club coaching in 2015.

Eric Gerets faced some health challenges later in his life. In 2013, he had a brain hemorrhage, and his health has slowly declined since then, affecting his speech and walking.

Honours and Awards

Eric Gerets received many awards and honours throughout his career as both a player and a manager.

As a Player

• Standard Liège
  • Belgian First Division: 1981–82, 1982–83
  • Belgian Cup: 1980–81
• PSV
  • Eredivisie (Dutch League): 1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1990–91, 1991–92
  • KNVB Cup (Dutch Cup): 1987–88, 1988–89, 1989–90
  • European Cup: 1987–88
• Belgium National Team
  • UEFA European Championship runner-up: 1980
  • FIFA World Cup fourth place: 1986
• Individual Awards
  • Belgian Golden Shoe: 1982
  • PSV Player of the Century: 1999
  • IFFHS All Time Belgium Dream Team: 2021

As a Manager

• Lierse
  • Belgian First Division: 1996–97
• Club Brugge
  • Belgian First Division: 1997–98
• PSV
  • Eredivisie (Dutch League): 1999–2000, 2000–01
• Galatasaray
  • Süper Lig (Turkish League): 2005–06
• Al Hilal
  • Saudi Professional League: 2009–10
• Morocco National Team
  • Arab Cup: 2012
• Lekhwiya
  • Qatar Stars League: 2013–14
• Individual Awards
  • Belgian Professional Manager of the Year: 1996–97, 1997–98
  • Ligue 1 Manager of the Year: 2008–09

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See also

In Spanish: Eric Gerets para niños