Lorenzo Staelens

Lorenzo Jules Staelens (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈloːrɛnzoː ˈstaːləns]; born 30 April 1964) is a Belgian professional football manager and former player. He most recently coached Dutch club HSV Hoek.

Lorenzo Staelens
Personal information
Full nameLorenzo Jules Staelens
Date of birth (1964-04-30) 30 April 1964 (age 60)
Place of birthLauwe, Belgium
Height1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s)Sweeper, midfielder
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1982–1987KWSC Lauwe
1987–1989Kortrijk64(11)
1989–1998Club Brugge286(75)
1998–2000Anderlecht67(10)
2001Ōita Trinita26(2)
International career
1990–2000Belgium70(8)
Managerial career
2002–2003Mouscron
2004Eendracht Aalst
2006–2007Kortrijk (director of sports)[1]
2007–2008Roeselare (assistant)
2008–2013Cercle Brugge (assistant)
2013–2014Cercle Brugge
2015OMS Ingelmunster[2]
2016–2017Royal Mouscron (assistant)
2017–2018KV Kortrijk (assistant)
2018–2019Knokke
2019Lokeren (assistant)
2022HSV Hoek
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Having started his career as a defensive midfielder, he finished it as a sweeper at nearly 40, and scored more than 100 goals overall.

Staelens appeared for the Belgium national team in three World Cups, adding the Euro 2000 tournament played on home soil.

Club career

Born in Lauwe, Staelens started his professional career with K.V. Kortrijk at already 23, and his two solid seasons there attracted the attention of top division giants Club Brugge KV.

There, he proceeded to form a legendary midfield partnership with Franky Van der Elst, that would last nearly a decade. Staelens played 369 games in all competitions for the club, scoring 105 goals.

At already 34, and more often than not playing in the backline, he moved to R.S.C. Anderlecht, still being instrumental in the club's back-to-back championships (2000 and 2001), and winning the Belgian Golden Shoe in 1999; however, he did not finish his last year, moving to Japan's Ōita Trinita in early 2001 and retiring shortly after.

Staelens took up coaching subsequently, first with R.E. Mouscron. After only two months at V.C. Eendracht Aalst, he returned to first club Kortrijk as its general manager, only returning to the benches in 2007, as assistant coach at K.S.V. Roeselare. Staelens kept that role in the subsequent years, with the other team from Bruges, Cercle KSV.

International career

As an inexperienced international player, Staelens was selected to Belgium's squad for the 1990 FIFA World Cup; there, he appeared in the 2–1 group stage loss against Spain.

From then on, Staelens became an essential national team member, representing it also at the 1994 and 1998 World Cups and in UEFA Euro 2000, totalling a further 10 complete matches.[3]

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeague
DivisionAppsGoals
Kortrijk1987–88Belgian Pro League324
1988–89327
Total6411
Brugge1989–90Belgian Pro League344
1990–91334
1991–92315
1992–93347
1993–943312
1994–953416
1995–963012
1996–97318
1997–98266
Total28674
Anderlecht1998–99Belgian Pro League246
1999–2000291
2000–01143
Total6710
Oita Trinita2001J2 League262
Career total44397

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Belgium199030
199130
199241
199360
1994110
199580
199630
199765
199880
1999111
200071
Total708

Honours

Club Brugge[4]

Anderlecht[8]

Individual

References