Raymond Goethals

Playing career

Goethals began his career as a goalkeeper in the 1930s with Daring Brussels, making his way through the youth ranks of the club before joining Racing Club Brussel in 1947. He remained at Racing Club Brussel until 1948.

Coaching career

Early career

After a period spent playing for Renaisiènne, he moved into coaching with Hannutois and Waremme, and led Sint-Truiden to second place in the Belgian First Division in 1966.

Belgium national team

Goethals took charge of the Belgium national team in 1968. Belgium succeeded in qualifying for the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, although they were eliminated in the first round of the tournament.

Belgium hosted the 1972 European Championship, having knocked out holders Italy in the qualifying stages, and defeated Hungary in the match for third place after losing in the semi-final to eventual tournament winners Germany. That marked Goethals' greatest success as national team coach. He also took great pride in the fact that Belgium had held the emergent Netherlands scoreless in both their meetings in 1974 World Cup qualifying. Belgium completed their qualifying campaign without having conceded a single goal, but lost out to the Netherlands on account of their inferior goal difference.

Return to club coaching

In 1976 Goethals' tenure as coach of the national side ended, and he joined Anderlecht as coach. In his first season, Anderlecht reached the final of the European Cup Winners' Cup, where they lost to German side Hamburger SV, but won the trophy the following year with a comprehensive victory over FK Austria/WAC. After spells coaching in France at Bordeaux and in Brazil as football director with São Paulo, Goethals returned to Belgium to coach Standard Liège. Standard Liège were Belgian champions in 1982 and 1983, and they reached the Cup Winners' Cup Final in 1982, losing to Barcelona, who were at a considerable advantage in that the final was played at their home ground, Camp Nou.

Controversy and Goethals' return to Anderlecht

Standard Liège's 1982 championship win was to become the subject of great controversy in 1984. Seemingly preoccupied with winning his first Belgian title, Goethals had suggested and initiated the bribing of the Waterschei players prior to the teams' meeting in the final match of the season, in order to secure championship honours for Standard Liège and ensure that none of his players would miss their European final against Barcelona through injury. Goethals was forced to resign in the wake of the scandal, and he moved to Portugal to take charge of Vitória Guimarães. He then returned to Belgium to coach Racing Jet de Bruxelles before a second spell in charge of Anderlecht, where he won Belgian Cup trophy in 1989. Bordeaux again recruited Goethals, and they finished runners-up in the French championship in 1989–90 behind Marseille. Approaching 70 years of age, Goethals' greatest triumph as a coach was yet to come.

Marseille

In 1990, Goethals was named coach of Olympique de Marseille and was entrusted with the task of leading the club to European Cup success. In his first season, the club narrowly missed out on European glory, losing on penalties in the European Cup Final to Red Star Belgrade. There was recognition for Goethals' coaching abilities, as he was voted 1991 European Coach of the Year. In 1993, Marseille again reached the European Cup final, where they defeated favourites A.C. Milan with a headed goal by Basile Boli. Having achieved his primary objective at Marseille, Goethals left the club.

Marseille were later stripped of their 1993 French championship when it emerged that three Valenciennes players had been offered money to underperform in a crucial match against Marseille. The club were not allowed to defend their European title as a result, and were punished with relegation to the French second division.

Retirement

Goethals' coaching career ended at Anderlecht in season 1995–96, but he remained in demand as a television analyst for his insights into football. He died on 6 December 2004 of bowel cancer aged 83. In 2005, the year following his death, he was voted 38th in De Grootste Belg, a Flemish television programme based on the BBC's 100 Greatest Britons. The number 2 stand at F.C. Brussels' home ground, Edmond Machtens Stadium, was renamed in honour of Goethals in late 2005. He remains today as the oldest winning manager of UEFA Champions League.

Managerial statistics

Honours

Manager

Anderlecht

• European Cup Winners' Cup: 1977–78; runner-up 1976–77
• European Super Cup: 1976, 1978
• Belgian Cup: 1987–88, 1988–89; runner-up 1976–77
• Amsterdam Tournament: 1976
• Tournoi de Paris: 1977
• Jules Pappaert Cup: 1977
• Belgian Sports Merit Award: 1978
• Bruges Matins: 1988

Sao Paulo

• Campeonato Brasileiro Série A runner-up: 1981

Standard Liège

• Belgian First Division: 1981–82, 1982–83
• Belgian Super Cup: 1981, 1983
• European Cup Winners' Cup runner-up: 1981–82
• Intertoto Cup Group winner: 1982, 1984

Bordeaux

• French Division 1 runner-up: 1989–90

Marseille

• French Division 1: 1990–91, 1991–92
• UEFA Champions League: 1992–93; runner-up 1990–91
• Coupe de France runner-up: 1990–91

Belgium

• UEFA European Championship third place: 1972

Individual

• Panchina d'Oro: 1990–91
• Panchina d'Argento: 1991–92
• Onze d'Or Coach of the Year: 1991, 1993
• : From 2011
• Golden Shoe Lifetime Achievement Award: 2014
• France Football 47th Greatest Manager of All Time: 2019
• DH The Best Standard Liège Team Ever: 2020

References

References

1. (23 September 2013). "Técnico estrela da Europa deixou o São Paulo após sofrer com ciúmes em 1980".
2. "RSC Anderlecht {{!}} Palmares".
3. "Amsterdam Tournament".
4. "Tournois de Paris : une compétition opposant 4 clubs".
5. "Jules Pappaert Cup".
6. "UEFA Euro 1980".
7. "Winnaars Brugse Metten".
8. "Standard de Liège {{!}} Palmares".
9. "Wildstat {{!}} Intertoto Cup 1982".
10. "Wildstat {{!}} Intertoto Cup 1984".
11. "Palmarés OM".
12. "UEFA Euro 1972".
13. "Albo "Panchina d'Oro"". Alleniamo.com.
14. ""Onze Mondial" Awards".
15. "Felice Mazzu wint de Guy Thys Award: "Heel belangrijk, want erkenning vanuit de voetbalwereld"". [[Sporza]].
16. (17 January 2006). "Bondscoach reikt Gouden Schoen uit".
17. "Who are the best 50 football managers of all-time?".
18. (18 May 2020). "Voici votre onze de légende du Standard: Gerets et Witsel les plus plébiscités". [[La Dernière Heure]].