Michaël Goossens
Encyclopedia
Michaël Goossens is a retired Belgian
footballer who played as a striker.
at the age of 16, then moved to Standard Liège
. In 1992–93, he won the Young Professional Footballer of the Year award
whilst, alongside Philippe Léonard
and Régis Genaux
, being part of The Three Musketeers
generation (with Roberto Bisconti
playing a smaller role), hailed for their sporting talent but with a troublesome character.
In September 1996, after helping Standard to two league runner-up places and one Belgian Cup
(1993), Goossens signed for Genoa C.F.C.
in Italy
, but only lasted there one season, as the Liguria
club failed to promote from Serie B
. In the following three years, he played in Germany
with FC Schalke 04
, being used sparingly during his spell, and sharing team with compatriots Nico van Kerckhoven (two seasons) and Marc Wilmots
(three).
With the Gelsenkirchen
club, Goossens notably scored in the quarterfinals of the 1997–98 UEFA Cup against F.C. Internazionale Milano
, but the defending champions were eventually ousted after losing 1–0 away and a 1–1 home draw; with three goals, he was the best scorer in European competition for Schalke, but only netted five times in two and a half seasons combined in the Bundesliga
.
In the 2000 January transfer window, Goossens returned to Standard, exchanged for compatriot Émile Mpenza
. He helped the team reaching the final of the cup in 2000, regaining his previous form and scoring more than 40 official goals.
Goossens then moved abroad again, aged nearly 30, spending one season in Austria
with Grazer AK
, who won the first – and only – double in its history, finishing one point ahead of FK Austria Wien
, which were also the losing side in the domestic cup
.
Subsequently, he returned home and played one year for K. Sint-Truidense VV, coached by former Standard and Schalke teammate Wilmots. Until his 2007 retirement, he would play in the lower and amateur leagues.
for the 1994 FIFA World Cup
qualifiers
, entering the field after 87 minutes.
In the following eight years, he won a further 13 caps
(17 callups), scoring once against Germany
. Like Genaux and Léonard, he would miss the final cuts, after appearing during the qualifying stages, for three World Cups
(1994
, 1998
and 2002
), not being selected for UEFA Euro 2000 due to injury.
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...
footballer who played as a striker.
Club career
Goossens started playing professionally with R.F.C. SeraingR.F.C. Seraing
R.F.C. Seraing is a Belgian football club from the municipality of Seraing, province of Liège.-History:It was created in 1900 as F.C. Sérésien and it registered to the FA the same year as the matricule n°17. The prefix Royal was added in 1928. The named changed in 1994 to R.F.C...
at the age of 16, then moved to 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....
. In 1992–93, he won the Young Professional Footballer of the Year award
Belgian professional football awards
The Belgian professional football awards is a collection of awards given at the end of each season since 1983. The first year, the only award was the Manager of the Year. There are now 5 awards: Footballer, Young Footballer, Goalkeeper, Manager and Referee. The voters are all the players from...
whilst, alongside Philippe Léonard
Philippe Léonard
Philippe Léonard is a retired Belgian footballer, who played as a left defender.After playing most notably for Standard Liège and AS Monaco, he rarely appeared for his following four teams , in a 16-year professional career...
and Régis Genaux
Régis Genaux
Régis Hervé Genaux was a Belgian footballer who played as a right defender, and later a coach.During his career, he represented three teams in three countries, namely Standard Liège and Udinese Calcio; he died at only 35 in November 2008.-Club career:After having started playing football with R...
, being part of The Three Musketeers
The Three Musketeers (disambiguation)
The Three Musketeers is a 19th century novel by Alexandre Dumas, père.The Three Musketeers may also refer to:-Film, stage, and television:* The Three Musketeers in film, the many film adaptations of the novel...
generation (with Roberto Bisconti
Roberto Bisconti
Roberto Bisconti is a Belgian footballer currently playing for R.F.C. Seraing, as a midfielder.-Club career:...
playing a smaller role), hailed for their sporting talent but with a troublesome character.
In September 1996, after helping Standard to two league runner-up places and one 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...
(1993), Goossens signed for Genoa C.F.C.
Genoa C.F.C.
Genoa Cricket and Football Club, commonly referred to simply as Genoa , is a professional Italian football club based in the city of Genoa, Liguria...
in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, but only lasted there one season, as the Liguria
Liguria
Liguria is a coastal region of north-western Italy, the third smallest of the Italian regions. Its capital is Genoa. It is a popular region with tourists for its beautiful beaches, picturesque little towns, and good food.-Geography:...
club failed to promote from Serie B
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
. In the following three years, he played in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
with FC Schalke 04
FC Schalke 04
Fußball-Club Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04, commonly known as simply FC Schalke 04 or Schalke , is a German, association-football club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. Schalke has long been one of the most popular football teams in Germany, even though major...
, being used sparingly during his spell, and sharing team with compatriots Nico van Kerckhoven (two seasons) and Marc Wilmots
Marc Wilmots
Marc Robert Wilmots is a former Belgian football player.-Career:In his club career, that started in 1987, Wilmots played for Sint-Truiden, KV Mechelen, Standard Liège, Schalke 04, and Bordeaux. At Schalke he helped them to the 1997 UEFA Cup Final...
(three).
With the Gelsenkirchen
Gelsenkirchen
Gelsenkirchen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the Ruhr area. Its population in 2006 was c. 267,000....
club, Goossens notably scored in the quarterfinals of the 1997–98 UEFA Cup against F.C. Internazionale Milano
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
, but the defending champions were eventually ousted after losing 1–0 away and a 1–1 home draw; with three goals, he was the best scorer in European competition for Schalke, but only netted five times in two and a half seasons combined in the Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
.
In the 2000 January transfer window, Goossens returned to Standard, exchanged for compatriot Émile Mpenza
Émile Mpenza
Eka Basunga Lokonda "Émile" Mpenza is a Belgian footballer who plays for Neftchi Baku as a striker. He has been capped at international level by Belgium. His older brother, Mbo, was also a footballer who represented Belgium....
. He helped the team reaching the final of the cup in 2000, regaining his previous form and scoring more than 40 official goals.
Goossens then moved abroad again, aged nearly 30, spending one season in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
with Grazer AK
Grazer AK
Grazer AK, founded 18 August 1902 as Grazer Athletik-Sport Klub , is an Austrian sports club, from the city of Graz in the federal state of Styria . The football section is one of the most traditional Austrian clubs, most successful in the decade 1995 – 2005...
, who won the first – and only – double in its history, finishing one point ahead of FK Austria Wien
FK Austria Wien
Fußballklub Austria Wien is an Austrian association football club from the capital city of Vienna. They are considered the most successful club in Austria, having won the highest Austrian Bundesliga 23 times, the Austrian Cup 27 times and the Austrian Supercup 6 times. They also reached the UEFA...
, which were also the losing side in the domestic cup
Austrian Cup
The Austrian Cup, in German: ÖFB-Cup is an annual football competition held by the Austrian Football Association, the ÖFB.It has been held since 1919, with the exception of the time of the Anschluss between 1939 and 1945 and the period between 1950 and 1958 when the competition was deemed of...
.
Subsequently, he returned home and played one year for K. Sint-Truidense VV, coached by former Standard and Schalke teammate Wilmots. Until his 2007 retirement, he would play in the lower and amateur leagues.
International career
Goossens first played with Belgium on 13 February 1993 (aged 19), in a 0–3 win in CyprusCyprus national football team
The Cyprus national football team represents Cyprus in association football and is controlled by the Cyprus Football Association, the governing body for football in Cyprus. Cyprus' home ground is the GSP Stadium in Nicosia and the current coach is Nikos Nioplias...
for the 1994 FIFA World Cup
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
qualifiers
1994 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)
Listed below are the dates and results for the 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the European zone . For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification....
, entering the field after 87 minutes.
In the following eight years, he won a further 13 caps
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
(17 callups), scoring once against Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
. Like Genaux and Léonard, he would miss the final cuts, after appearing during the qualifying stages, for three World Cups
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
(1994
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
, 1998
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
and 2002
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
), not being selected for UEFA Euro 2000 due to injury.