Franky Vercauteren
Encyclopedia
François Vercauteren (born 28 October 1956), nicknamed "The Little Prince", is a former Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

 football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...

 left winger and is now a football manager
Manager (association football)
In association football, a manager is responsible for running a football club or a national team. The manager of a professional club is responsible directly to the club president. The position of manager is almost exclusively used in British football...

, who is currently working for Al Jazira Club.

Career

He made his first team debut for Anderlecht in 1975 against K.R.C. Mechelen
K.R.C. Mechelen
K.R.C. Mechelen is a Belgian association football club from Mechelen in the Antwerp province. It currently plays in the third division B. It is a long-time rival of KV Mechelen. The club's best position ever is a second place in the first division 1951–52...

, replacing Gilbert Van Binst
Gilbert Van Binst
Gilbert Van Binst was a Belgian football player. He played for R.S.C. Anderlecht, Toulouse FC, Club Brugge KV and Belgium .- External links :*...

. But a double surgery in October 1975 and January 1976 slowed down his development. Vercauteren won the 5 European titles of Anderlecht (2 Cup Winners' Cup, 1 UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...

 and 2 Supercups
European Super Cup
The UEFA Super Cup is an annual football game between the reigning champions of the two cup competitions organized by UEFA: the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League...

). He also won two Belgian Cup
Belgian Cup
The Belgian Cup is the main knockout football competition in Belgium, run by the Belgian Football Association. The first cup was held in 1911-12. The most successful cup club is Club Brugge KV with 10 titles followed by RSC Anderlecht and R Standard de Liège...

s, four Belgian Championship titles and won the Belgian Supercup
Belgian Supercup
The Belgian Supercup is a Belgian club competition played on a single match at the league champion venue since 2004 and formerly at the Stade Roi Baudouin, between the winner of the last Belgian Pro League and that of the last Belgian Cup. If both teams are the same, the opponent is declared to...

 twice. In 1987 he moved to FC Nantes Atlantique
FC Nantes Atlantique
Football Club de Nantes is a French association football club based in Nantes, Pays de la Loire. The club was founded on 21 April 1943, during World War II, as a result of local clubs based in the city coming together to form one big club. From 1992–2007, the club was referred to as FC Nantes...

 in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 and came back to Belgium three years later to play with R.W.D. Molenbeek
R.W.D. Molenbeek
Racing White Daring Molenbeek was a Belgian football club founded in 1909 as White Star Club de Bruxelles. It then became a member of the Belgian Football Association later the same year as White Star Athletic Club and received the matricule n°47....

 until 1993. While at Nantes, Vercauteren finished twice the championship
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....

 with the most assists.

International career

Vercauteren played 63 times with the Belgium national football team. He was involved in the 4th-placed team in the 1986 World Cup and also played in the 1982 tournament and in the 1984 European Football Championship. Though he made his national team debut on 16 November 1977 (lost 3–0 to Northern Ireland national football team
Northern Ireland national football team
The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...

), he was not selected for the 1980 Euro where Belgium finished runner-up.

Coaching career

At the end of his playing career, he became the trainer of the youth team from C.S. Braine, a small club in Walloon Brabant
Walloon Brabant
Walloon Brabant is a province of Wallonia in Belgium. It borders on the province of Flemish Brabant and the provinces of Liège, Namur and Hainaut . Its capital is Wavre...

. A year after, he moved to KV Mechelen where he first trained the youth team, then the first team (in 1997–98). At the end of this season, he signed as an assistant manager at his first club, RSC Anderlecht. He was briefly named manager along with his fellow Jean Dockx
Jean Dockx
Jean Baptiste Dockx is a former Belgian International footballer. He played for R.W.D. Molenbeek and R.S.C. Anderlecht, and for the Belgium national football team in the 1970 FIFA World Cup and the 1972 UEFA European Football Championship. He was later a manager, and was caretaker manager of...

 in the 1998–99 season after a disappointing start by manager Arie Haan (Anderlecht fell to the 18th and last place in the beginning of the season). The two men secured among others a nice 0–6 win at Sclessin against old rival Standard Liège
Standard Liège
Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège (Dutch: Standard Luik [], German: Standard Lüttich , is a Belgian football club from the city of Liège....

 and a 2–5 win at K.R.C. Genk
K.R.C. Genk
Koninklijke Racing Club Genk , usually referred to as Racing Genk or simply Genk, is a Belgian professional football club based in the city of Genk in Belgian Limburg. Racing Genk plays in the Belgian Pro League and they have won 3 Belgian champion titles in 1998–99, in 2001–02 and in 2010–11 as...

, to come back in the European places. Anderlecht then hired Aimé Anthuenis as a manager, and Vercauteren became assistant once again. After coach Hugo Broos, successor of Aimé Anthuenis, was dismissed in February 2005, Vercauteren signed as the new manager and won twice the Belgian Championship. On 12 November 2007, after a string of poor and indifferent results, Vercauteren and Anderlecht parted company with assistant coach Ariel Jacobs taking over until the end of the season.

Vercauteren was from 9 April 2009 to 10 September 2009 the Caretaker Manager of Belgium national football team, stepping down after Belgium's defeat in Armenia on 9 September 2009, he was replaced by Dick Advocaat
Dick Advocaat
Dirk Nicolaas "Dick" Advocaat is a Dutch football manager and former player currently the manager of the Russia national football team.He has been moderately successful as a football player and as a coach, which included two stints with the Dutch national football team...

. On 3 December 2009, he signed a contract as Head Coach of K.R.C. Genk
K.R.C. Genk
Koninklijke Racing Club Genk , usually referred to as Racing Genk or simply Genk, is a Belgian professional football club based in the city of Genk in Belgian Limburg. Racing Genk plays in the Belgian Pro League and they have won 3 Belgian champion titles in 1998–99, in 2001–02 and in 2010–11 as...

. On 17 May 2011 Vercauteren celebrated the Belgian Championship with Genk, after a 1–1 home draw against Standard Liège. He also won 2011 Belgian Supercup, and lead his club into play-off for UEFA Champions League. On 8 August 2011, he signed a contract as Head Coach of Al Jazira Club.

Player

Anderlecht
  • Belgian Championship: (4) 1980–81, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87
  • Belgian Cup
    Belgian Cup
    The Belgian Cup is the main knockout football competition in Belgium, run by the Belgian Football Association. The first cup was held in 1911-12. The most successful cup club is Club Brugge KV with 10 titles followed by RSC Anderlecht and R Standard de Liège...

    : (2) 1975, 1976
  • Belgian Supercup
    Belgian Supercup
    The Belgian Supercup is a Belgian club competition played on a single match at the league champion venue since 2004 and formerly at the Stade Roi Baudouin, between the winner of the last Belgian Pro League and that of the last Belgian Cup. If both teams are the same, the opponent is declared to...

    : (2) 1985, 1987
  • UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
    UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
    The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...

     : (2) 1975–76, 1977–78
  • UEFA Cup
    UEFA Cup
    The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...

     : (1) 1982–83
  • European Super Cup
    European Super Cup
    The UEFA Super Cup is an annual football game between the reigning champions of the two cup competitions organized by UEFA: the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League...

     : (2) 1976, 1978

Manager

Anderlecht
  • Belgian Championship: (2) 2005–06, 2006–07


Racing Genk
  • Belgian Championship: (1) 2010–11
  • Belgian Supercup
    Belgian Supercup
    The Belgian Supercup is a Belgian club competition played on a single match at the league champion venue since 2004 and formerly at the Stade Roi Baudouin, between the winner of the last Belgian Pro League and that of the last Belgian Cup. If both teams are the same, the opponent is declared to...

    : (1) 2011
    2011 Belgian Super Cup
    The 2011 Belgian Super Cup is a football match that was played on 21 July 2011, between league winners Genk and the cup winners Standard Liège. Genk won the game one nill and with that won their first Super Cup, after already being on the losing end on five previous occasions.-Match details:...

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