View source for Louis Pilot

{{short description|Luxembourgish footballer (1940–2016)}}
{{More citations needed|date=June 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2023}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Louis Pilot
| image = Louis Pilot.png
| upright = 0.6
| caption = Pilot in 1963
| full_name = 
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1940|11|11}}
| birth_place = [[Esch-sur-Alzette]], Luxembourg
| death_date = {{death date and age|2016|4|16|1940|11|11|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Senningen]], Luxembourg
| height =
| position = [[Midfielder]]
| youthyears1 = 1953–1957
| youthclubs1 = [[CS Fola Esch|Fola Esch]]
| years1 = 1957–1961
| clubs1 = [[CS Fola Esch|Fola Esch]]
| caps1 =
| goals1 =
| years2 = 1961–1972
| clubs2 = [[Standard Liège]]
| caps2 = 337
| goals2 = 36
| years3 = 1972–1975
| clubs3 = [[Royal Antwerp FC|Antwerp]]
| caps3 = 125
| goals3 = 8
| years4 = 1975–1978
| clubs4 = [[R. Jet Bruxelles]]
| nationalyears1 = 1959–1971
| nationalteam1 = [[Luxembourg national football team|Luxembourg]]
| nationalcaps1 = 49
| nationalgoals1 = 7
| manageryears1 = 1978–1984
| managerclubs1 = [[Luxembourg national football team|Luxembourg]]
| manageryears2 = 1984–1985
| managerclubs2 = [[Standard Liège]]
| manageryears3 = 1985–1988
| managerclubs3 = [[FC Etzella Ettelbruck|Etzella Ettelbruck]]
| manageryears4 = 1990
| managerclubs4 = Etzella Ettelbruck
}}

'''Louis Pilot''' (11 November 1940 – 16 April 2016)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tageblatt.lu/nachrichten/story/19353417|title=Louis Pilot verstorben - Tageblatt|first=Tageblatt|last=Luxembourg|website=Tageblatt.lu|access-date=26 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160505125040/http://www.tageblatt.lu/nachrichten/story/19353417|archive-date=5 May 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> was a Luxembourgish [[association football|football]] player and [[manager (association football)|manager]].

In November 2003, to celebrate [[UEFA]]'s jubilee, he was selected by the [[Luxembourg Football Federation]] as the country's [[UEFA Jubilee Awards|Golden Player]] - the greatest player of the last 50 years.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uefa.com/uefa/news/Kind=256/newsId=130150.html |title=Archived copy |access-date=23 November 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050317084104/http://www.uefa.com/uefa/news/Kind%3D256/newsId%3D130150.html |archive-date=17 March 2005 }}</ref>

==Playing career==
Pilot started his footballing career as a [[midfielder]] at his home town club [[CS Fola Esch|Fola Esch]], before signing for Belgian team [[Standard Liège]] at the age of 20. He went on to play 337 times for Standard, winning four Belgian league titles and two Belgian cups and then moved onto [[R. Antwerp F.C.|Royal Antwerp]] and [[R. Jet Wavre|Racing Jet]]. Pilot also represented the [[Luxembourg national football team|Luxembourg national team]], winning 49 caps between 1959 and 1971, scoring seven goals in this time.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/lux-recintlp.html |title=Luxembourg - Record International Players |publisher=Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation|access-date=26 June 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080429190217/http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/lux-recintlp.html |archive-date=29 April 2008}}</ref> He played in 14 [[FIFA World Cup qualification]] matches.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/statisticsandrecords/players/player=56287/index.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121010001706/http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/statisticsandrecords/players/player=56287/index.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=10 October 2012|title=FIFA Tournaments - Players & Coaches - PILOT Louis|publisher=FIFA|access-date=26 June 2016}}</ref>

He retired from playing football in 1978.

==Managerial career==
Later that year, Pilot returned to Luxembourg and became the national team coach on 12 April, leading his nation in this capacity until 1984, when he became the head coach at the club where he had enjoyed his most successful playing period, [[Standard Liège]]. He lasted only one season at Standard, before returning to Luxembourg and taking up similar roles at [[FC Etzella Ettelbruck|Etzella Ettelbruck]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fc-etzella.lu/le-club/historique |title=Historique |website=www.fc-etzella.lu |access-date=15 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081229050638/http://www.fc-etzella.lu/le-club/historique |archive-date=29 December 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> and [[FC Avenir Beggen|Avenir Beggen]], before assuming a less active role in football.

==Honours==

===As a player===
* [[Belgian League]]: 1963, 1969, 1970, 1971
* [[Belgian Cup]]: 1966, 1967

'''Individual'''
* [[Luxembourgian Footballer of the Year|Luxembourgish Footballer of the Year]]: 1966, 1970, 1971, 1972
* [[Luxembourgian Sportsman of the Year|Luxembourgish Sportsman of the Year]]: 1968, 1969

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.profootball.lu/Navigation+2/Les+Anciens+Internationaux/M_N_O_P_Q_R_/Louis+Pilot.html Bio] - Profootball.lu {{in lang|de}}
*[http://www.standard.be/ndl/a_joueurs_det.php?id=377 Standard stats]{{dead link|date=November 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} - Standard Liege
*[http://www.uefa.com/uefa/history/associationweeks/association=82/newsId=209650.html Luxembourg's Golden Player]{{dead link|date=March 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} - UEFA
*{{NFT player|19572}}

{{Navboxes
|title=Awards
|bg=gold
|fg=navy
|list1=
{{Luxembourg national Division top scorers}}
{{UEFA Jubilee Awards}}
{{Luxembourgish Sportspeople of the Year}}
}}
{{Navboxes
|title= Louis Pilot managerial positions
|list1=
{{Luxembourg national football team managers}}
{{Standard Liège managers}}
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pilot, Louis}}
[[Category:1940 births]]
[[Category:2016 deaths]]
[[Category:Footballers from Esch-sur-Alzette]]
[[Category:Luxembourgian men's footballers]]
[[Category:Men's association football midfielders]]
[[Category:Luxembourg men's international footballers]]
[[Category:UEFA Golden Players]]
[[Category:Belgian Pro League players]]
[[Category:CS Fola Esch players]]
[[Category:Standard Liège players]]
[[Category:Royal Antwerp F.C. players]]
[[Category:Luxembourgian football managers]]
[[Category:Luxembourg national football team managers]]
[[Category:Standard Liège managers]]
[[Category:FC Etzella Ettelbruck managers]]
[[Category:FC Avenir Beggen managers]]
[[Category:Luxembourgian expatriate men's footballers]]
[[Category:Luxembourgian expatriate sportspeople in Belgium]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Belgium]]