Month: May 2018

First Division offered more or less familiar season – 4 teams just tried to avoid relegation, 8 were just happy in mid-table, and 6 teams were much stronger, but essentially only two battled for the title. The difference of class between top and bottom was huge as ever – unfortunately, there was no escape from this predicament: small Belgium simply could not produce large pool of classy players, even if foreigners are counted. If a small club, short of cash, had no chance of keeping or recruiting strong Belgians, they were similarly unable to recruit strong foreigners.

The battle for survival ended with FC Winterslag at 18th place and SK Tongeren at 17th – the duo was relegated. Nothing really interesting until we reach the top 6, perhaps with the exception of RWD Molenbeek.

Standing from left: Markus Devries, Dirk Devriese, René Desaeyere, Patrick Gollièrre, Yves De Greef, Cor Brom -coach, Jan Boskamp.

Middle row: Erik Deleu, Harry Soors, Steen Thychosen, Rudi Andries, Nico Jansen, Patrick Thairet, Bernard Verheecke, Jan Ruiter, Jos Smolders.

First row: Franky Vander Elst, Maurice Martens, Alain Cneudt, Michel De Wolf, Sead Susic, Philippe Buyle.

This squad finished 10th. Yes, it was aging, and yes, the club was in decline, but good players were in the squad – Franky vander Elst, Jan Ruiter, Sead Susic, Jan Boskamp, Steen Thychosen was more, much more classier bunch than most clubs had at the moment. This was a squad for the top six, at least by names – yet, it was not even in the upper half of the table.

In contrast, Waterschei SV Thor (Genk) ended 7th – even after selling out at least one match. With players hardly compatible to those RWD Molenbeek had, they ended with 6 points more than the trouble Brussels club. Strong year for Waterschei – they played very well in the Cup Winners Cup as well.

FC Brugge was a bit shaky in the early 1980s , so they were not a factor this season, finishing 5th.

But KAA Ghent was – they ended 4th with 46 points. Royal Antwerp also finished with 46, but with better other records took 3rd place – a big success for them.

The battle for the title was very familiar – Anderlecht vs Standard. Both teams in wonderful form, although there was difference – Anderlecht mostly maintained their strong performance at a level near their best from the mid-70s. This strong Standard vintage reached its peak this very year. Since the race for the title was tough and both clubs also had European tournaments to think of, temptation prickled them to ease the load – and the bribery scandal occurred. But before it was discovered, Anderlecht lost the championship by a point.

Minimal loss, but hardly a tragedy – Anderlecht won European trophy this season. Top, left to right: Martin Lippens (Assistant coach), Ludo Coeck,  Hugo Broos, Walter de Greef, Michel de Groote, Dirk De Vriese, Beeckman (assistant), Morten Olsen, Alex Czerniatinski, Luka Peruzovic, Erwin Vandenbergh, Paul van Himst (Manager)

Bottom, left to right: Tony Goossens, Frank Vercauteren, Henrik Andersen, Per Frimann, Didier Electeur, Kenneth Brylle, Juan Lozano, Wim Hofkens, Johnny van der Zwan, Jacques Munaron.

No wonder  Anderlecht had no worries – no Belgian club was able to afford even slightly similar squad. Seven Belgian national team players, plus Danes, plus excellent Yugoslav. Plenty of European-class stars and legendary Paul van Himst proved he was as good a manager as he was a player. The title was lost, but no sweat – after all, Standard did not win it either.

At the end of the season, Standard (Liege) prevailed with 50 points from 22 wins, 6 ties, and 6 losses. 78-34 goal-difference. It was really tied race with Anderlecht – both leaders had almost the same records and no wonder 1 point was the whole final difference. Standard was at its peak – and excellent squad, shaped carefully by excellent coach, Raymond Goethals. If Anderlecht had 10 stars, Standard had ‘only’ 9. True, one as only a future star – the reserve goalkeeper Bodart. Belgian national team players, Dutch famous names, a Swede, a Turk. If Haan was getting too old, Gerets was just at its peak, and there were Preud’homme and Bodart, who were not even at their peak yet. Very stron squad, playing wonderful football… everything was great, until the little bribing scheme was uncovered. And that was that… winners without a title, wonderful squad, but tainted. Obscured by all that, a problem was hidden – Standard needed changes: it was clear that Haan was too old by now and the club would be unable to keep Gerets, big European club lusted after him. It was tricky moment of time – changes were needed, but not anything drastic – and most likely the scandal disturbed the careful work around the squad.

Scandalous season in Belgium, leaving permanent difficulty for statisticians and historians. Bribing scandal, involving largely Standard (Liege), but seemingly also Anderlecht, was discovered. Penalties were distributed, which at the end affected mostly history and Eric Gerets. The Belgian case was hardly something new or specific, but it opened new dark chapter of football corruption: championships settled late, often in courts, which decisions football federations chose to ignore and all parties involved complaining and claiming injuries for years. In the same time the Belgian scandal seems laughably innocent by today’s levels of corruption: it was typical case at the time, known for years and happening everywhere – candidate for the title decides to take a bit of advantage over tough rival, so they offer the following exchange to a lesser opponent they are going to face: the lowly team offers no resistance and the players of the leaders give their bonuses to the losers after the match. In this case Standard bribed Waterschei SV Thor (Ghenk). The main culprits, as most often happened in that days, were the coach and the captain of Standard – Raymond Goethals and Eric Gerets. Of course, it was laughable to assume they acted on their own and the brass of the club was in the dark, but that was the typical conclusion in the long gone years. Standard won the championship, but when the bribery was discovered, the title was revoked. So, this is how everything is today: Belgium had a final table with Standard on top; has no champion for 1982-83 season; Standard usually claims and counts the title in historic books. As for penalties, suspensions were distributed, but only for playing or coaching in Belgium. Goethals saw what was coming and swiftly got work in Portugal, so when penalties were issued he was not even in the country. And the same with Gerets – he already got lucrative contract with Milan. His suspension was effective only in Belgium, but Milan decided to take a moral standpoint and declared they could not be associated with corrupt players – no matter how good Gerets was, no matter how much the club needed him, no matter he was not banned anywhere else, but Belgium, Milan could not keep him. Milan jumped on the high horse and played moral indignation because they were trying to clean their name from their own bribing scandal in the late1970s, when they were not only stripped from fresh title, but expelled from first division. This, of course, was quickly pointed out, so Milan slightly amended their moralistic tone: they could not be associated with Gerets because they learned their lesson and now were making anything possible to keep absolutely clean image, cleaner than any other club, cleaner than clean. Gerets was not left without a job, though – he went to play in Holland, eventually becoming European champion with PSV Eindhoven. The nd of the story was just a historic limbo – Belgium, today, has a 1982-83 winner and final table, but no champion. Anyhow, all that was the aftermath of the season – but put a shadow over the football played.

Second Division, nothing special, naturally. Except Belgium was unusual and unique – very likely the only country in the world which had smaller second division than the top league. 16 clubs vs 18. Of these 16, one was unchallenged favourite this season:

KV Mechelen won with 46 points, leaving the next in line 8 points behind. For the moment, no news… KV Mechelen – not to be confused with the other club of the city, KRC Mechelen, which finished 5th – played for years, but without success in the top league. A small club, returning to first division. Only later, retrospectively, it was concluded that the rise of KV Mechelen, eventually soaring to European trophy, started this very year.

Only one team was directly promoted, the winner of the championship. For the second promotional spot there was a mini-tournament between the next 4 teams in the final standing. Well, not that… more likely the system used in Holland for years was in place in Belgium too: the season was fivided into quarters and the best of each quarter went to play for first division promotion. It must have been that, for otherwise there is no any meaningful explanation: no problem with K. St.-Niklase SK, 2nd in championship, KSC Hasselt, 3rd, and Beringen FC, 4th, but RC Harelbeke finished 7th. Harelbek did well in the final tournament, but was not able to make a surprise – three teams finished with 7 points and combination of goal-difference and head-to-head records was used to determine the winner. Harelbeke took 3rd place.

Beringen FC won the promotional spot with 3 wins, 1 tie, 2 losses, and 12-8 goal-difference – the only team to score over 10 goals at this stage. Beringen was no news either – like KV Mechelen, they had played in the lower half of first division many years.

The Cup final opposed Dinamo (Zagreb) to FK Sarajevo. Current form hardly mattered, of course – Sarajevo was hungry for success and the rivalry between Bosnians and Croatians was not new. The match ended 3-2, confirming expectation for tough battle, but classier Dinamo won.

FK Sarajevo came very close to a trophy, but was unable to win – given the squad, they were the underdog. Talented bunch, but still not at its prime and really having only a cluster of high-class players.

Given the squad Dinamo had, it was only fair they won. With difficulties, but won. This team deserved every trophy they got – they were at their peak, excellent selection, which was a title contender and may be the strongest in the country. Lost the title, but won the Cup – their 7th, which made for a successful year in the competitive Yugoslav environment.