Walter Meeuws

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Walter Meeuws (* 11) July 1951 in Gierle) is a former Belgian footballer and current coach.

The defender began his career at VC Gierle. His next stops were KRC Mechelen, Beerschot AC, FC Bruges, Standard Liège, Ajax Amsterdam (July 1984-September 1985) and KV Mechelen.
He was also appointed to the Belgian national team. In total, he completed 52 international games. His greatest success was the final participation in the European Football Championship in 1980. His debut in the team of the rode duivels gave the defender on January 26, 1977 at the friendly match in Rome against Italy. In the World Cup qualification for the 1978 World Cup in Argentina, he was used in three games against Iceland, the Netherlands and Northern Ireland. In the European Championships before the 1980 finals in Italy he was active in all eight games against Austria, Portugal, Scotland and Norway. In Italy coach Guy Thys played on the defensive specialist in the group stage against Italy, England and Spain, as well as in the final on 22 June 1980 in Rome against Germany. With the defensive formation Jean-Marie Pfaff – Eric Gerets, Luc Millecamps, Meeuws and Michel Renquin – Belgium had competed against the DFB team in Rome. In the successful World Cup qualification for the 1982 tournament in Spain, another seven international matches against France, Ireland, Netherlands and Cyprus were added. In the finals in Spain, 31-year-old Meeuws played against El Salvador, Hungary, Poland and the Soviet Union. In the equally successful European Championship qualifying for the 1984 finals in France, the veteran was again used in all six games against Switzerland, the GDR and Scotland. However, he no longer participated in the European Championship tournament in France. After the 1-0 loss on 29 February 1984 in Brussels against the German national football team, he left the national team.

1987 began his coaching career at SK Lierse. In March 1988 he became assistant coach of the national team under Guy Thys. After he was dismissed a year later, Meeuws briefly took over the post of head coach. The next stops were VV St. Truiden, Royal Antwerp, KAA Gent, KV Mechelen, KFC Tielen, SK Lommel and SK Lierse. In 2001 he moved abroad and trained Gençlerbirligi, Raja Casablanca, Al-Ittihad and Al-Jazira Club. In 2006 he returned home and trained the KSK Beveren, after which he moved back to Morocco and Egypt.

Literature
German Sports Club for Football Statistics (DSFS): 50 years of the European Football Championship, Volume 1 – 1960 to 1996. Berlin 2008.
Wieland Becker: The long way to the final. Pro BUSINESS, Berlin 2010, ISBN 978-3-86805-613-6.

Weblinks
Walter Meeuws in the database of the Belgian Football Association

National footballer (Belgium)
Football player (FC Bruges)
Football player (standard Liège)
Footballer (Ajax Amsterdam)
Footballer (KV Mechel)