BELGIUM
The
Team
| NAME |
POSITION
|
AGE
|
CLUB |
| |
|
|
|
| Filip De Wilde |
GK
|
33
|
Sporting Lisbon |
| Phillippe Vande Walle |
GK
|
36
|
Lierse |
| Dany Verlinden |
GK
|
34
|
Club Brugers |
| |
|
|
|
| Vital Borkelmans |
D
|
34
|
Club Brugers |
| Bertrand Crasson |
D
|
26
|
Napoli |
| Glen De Boeck |
D
|
26
|
Anderlecht |
| Eric Deflandre |
D
|
24
|
Club Brugers |
| Bart De Roover |
D
|
30
|
NAC Breda |
| Regis Genaux |
D
|
24
|
Udinese |
| Phillipe Leonard |
D
|
23
|
Monaco |
| Eric Van Mier |
D
|
29
|
Lierse |
| Mike Verstraeten |
D
|
30
|
Germinal Ekeren |
| Gordan Vidovic |
D
|
29
|
Excelsior Mouscron |
| |
|
|
|
| Danny Boffin |
M
|
32
|
FC Meltz |
| Enzo Scifo |
M
|
31
|
Anderlecht |
| Lorenzo Staelens |
M
|
33
|
Club Brugers |
| Franky Van der Elst |
M
|
36
|
Club Brugers |
| Nico Van Kerckhoven |
M
|
27
|
Lierse |
| Gert Verheyen |
M
|
27
|
Club Brugers |
| Marc Wilmots |
M
|
28
|
Schalke 04 |
| Gert Claessens |
M
|
25
|
Club Brugers |
| |
|
|
|
| Gilles De Bilde |
F
|
26
|
PSV Eindhoven |
| Michael Goossens |
F
|
24
|
Schalke 04 |
| Emile Lokonda Mpenza |
F
|
19
|
Standard Liege |
| Luc Nilis |
F
|
30
|
PSV Eindhoven |
| Luis Oliveira |
F
|
28
|
Fiorentina |
The
Coach
Coach GEORGE LEEKENS, has earned most of the credit for Belgium's
qualification. Leekens took over in January last year when Belgium
were on the brink of elimination but he soon restored team spirit and confidence.
Leekens, 48, was coaching Excelsior Mouscron until his surprise nomination
to replace Wilfried Van Moer, who was sacked after Belgium's 3-0 defeat
by Holland. Leekens won his Mack The Knife nickname for his scything
tackles in his glory days as a Club Brugers and Belgium defender.
He won five Belgian league titles with Brugers who also reached the final
of the 1976 UEFA Cup but lost to Liverpool. He later returned to
Club Brugers as coach and led them to the Belgian league title in 1990.
He also coached at Anderlecht, Cercle Brugers, Kortijk, Mechelen, Charleroi,
Excelsior Mouscron and at Turkish team Trabzonspor. A personal tragedy
also puts Leekens' achievement into perspective. He spends much of
his time nursing his wife and looking after his young child after his wife
was partly paralysed and suffered brain damage following haemorhage last
year.
How
They Qualified
Asia
Final Round Group B
| Belgium - Turkey |
2 - 1
|
| San Marino - Belgium |
0 - 3
|
| Belgium - Holland |
0 - 3
|
| Wales - Belgium |
1 - 2
|
| Turkey - Belgium |
1 - 3
|
| Belgium - San Marino |
6 - 0
|
| Holland - Belgium |
3 - 1
|
| Belgium - Wales |
3 - 2
|
Playoffs
| Ireland - Belgium |
1 - 1
|
| Belgium - Ireland |
2 - 1
|
Final
Table
|
|
P
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
F
|
A
|
Pts
|
| Holland |
8
|
6
|
1
|
1
|
26
|
4
|
19
|
| Belgium |
8
|
6
|
0
|
2
|
`20
|
11
|
18
|
| Turkey |
8
|
4
|
2
|
2
|
21
|
9
|
14
|
| Wales |
8
|
2
|
1
|
5
|
20
|
21
|
7
|
| San Marino |
8
|
0
|
0
|
8
|
0
|
42
|
0
|
World
Cup Record
|
1930
|
1st Round
|
|
1934
|
1st Round
|
|
1938
|
1st Round
|
|
1954
|
1st Round
|
|
1970
|
1st Round
|
|
1982
|
2nd Round
|
|
1986
|
Fourth Place
|
|
1990
|
2nd Round
|
|
1994
|
2nd Round
|