Guy Thys

Guy Jean-Leonard Thys (6 December 1922 – 1 August 2003) was a Belgian football manager, mostly known for being the most successful manager in the history of the Belgium national football team as he managed to lead the national side to their only UEFA European Championship final in 1980 and a fourth–place finish at the 1986 FIFA World Cup.<ref name="obituary">Template:Cite news</ref> With 114 games between 1976 and 1991, he is the longest-serving national coach in the history of the Red Devils to date.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Career

Player career

Thys was born in Antwerp as son of Belgian international Ivan Thys. He started his career in the 1940s and 50s as a football player with Beerschot, Daring Molenbeek and Standard. Because of the war, nearly five years of his career were lost.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref> In 1952 and 1953 he played two matches with the Red Devils, the Belgium national team.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Manager career

He combined the activities of player and trainer for Cercle Brugge from 1954 until 1958. In 1959 he performed the same functions for Racing Lokeren. He became a full-time trainer with Wezel the same year, followed by Herentals, Beveren, Union Sint-Gillis, and Antwerp. Under Thys' leadership Antwerp was a finalist in the Belgian Cup and twice finished second in the championship.

International management

Thys was appointed Belgium manager in 1976 and remained in the job until 1989, managing the team for 101 games, 45 of which were victories.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

File:Training Belgisch elftal in Brussel trainer Guy Thijs (voorgrond) en links Lamb, Bestanddeelnr 929-4065.jpg

Thys during a training of the Belgian national team, October 1977

Under his lead the Red Devils participated twice in the European Championship, and three times at the World Cup. In 1980, Belgium narrowly lost the European Championship final to Germany in Rome. In the opening game of the 1982 World Cup, Belgium surprised the world by beating the reigning world champions Argentina 1–0.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1986 Belgium finished fourth in the World Cup in Mexico.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> His team beat Spain and the Soviet Union, but was defeated by Diego Maradona and his Argentine team in the semi-finals.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Walter Meeuws succeeded as coach in 1989 him and Thys became a kind of technical director. However, Meeuws was fired after one defeat and two ties. Eight months after stepping down as manager Thys was re-appointed in early 1990 in order to take charge of the team for the 1990 World Cup.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The side duly qualified through the group stage and was knocked out by the England national team in the second round of the tournament.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Thys retired again in 1991.<ref name=":0" />

Death

Guy Thys died on 1 August 2003.<ref name="obituary"/>

Honours

Player

Standard Liège<ref name="eurosport32">Template:Cite web</ref>

• Belgian Cup: 1953–54

Player/Manager

Cercle Brugge

• Belgian Third Division: 1955–56<ref name="eurosport5">Template:Cite web</ref>

Manager

Beveren<ref name="eurosport322">Template:Cite web</ref>

• Belgian Second Division: 1966–67

Royal Antwerp<ref name="eurosport323">Template:Cite web</ref>

• Belgian First Division Runner-up: 1973–74, 1974–75
• Belgian Cup Runner-up: 1974–75

International

Belgium

• UEFA European Championship: 1980 (runners-up)<ref name="eurosport">Template:Cite web</ref>
• FIFA World Cup: 1986 (fourth place)<ref name="eurosport2">Template:Cite web</ref>
• Belgian Sports Merit Award: 1980<ref name="eurosport4">Template:Cite web</ref>

Individual

• World Soccer Magazine Manager of the Year: 1986<ref name="eurosport3">Template:Cite web</ref>
• Coach of the Platina 11 (Best Team of 50 Years Golden Shoe Winners): 2003<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref>
• Template:Ill: From 2011<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• RBFA 125 Years Icons Team Coach: 2020<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

External links

• Template:RBFA player
• Template:WorldFootball.net
• Profile at cerclemuseum.be