View source for Thijs Libregts

{{short description|Dutch footballer and coach}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Thijs Libregts
| image = Bondscoach Thijs Libregts, Bestanddeelnr 934-4425.jpg
| image_size = 230
| caption = Libregts in 1989
| fullname = 
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1941|1|4|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Rotterdam]], Netherlands
| death_date = 
| height = 
| position = [[Defender (association football)|Defender]]
| currentclub = 
| youthyears1 = 
| youthclubs1 = 
| years1 = 1958–1962
| clubs1 = [[Excelsior Rotterdam]]
| caps1 = 
| goals1 = 
| years2 = 1962–1968
| clubs2 = [[Feyenoord]]
| caps2 = 
| goals2 = 
| years3 = 1968–1972
| clubs3 = [[Excelsior Rotterdam]]
| caps3 = 
| goals3 = 
| totalcaps = 
| totalgoals = 
| manageryears1 = 1975&ndash;1980
| managerclubs1 = [[Excelsior Rotterdam]]
| manageryears2 = 1980&ndash;1983
| managerclubs2 = [[PSV Eindhoven]]
| manageryears3 = 1983&ndash;1984
| managerclubs3 = [[Feyenoord]]
| manageryears4 = 1984&ndash;1986
| managerclubs4 = [[Aris Thessaloniki F.C.|Aris]]
| manageryears5 = 1986&ndash;1987
| managerclubs5 = [[PAOK F.C.|PAOK]]
| manageryears6 = 1987&ndash;1988
| managerclubs6 = [[Olympiacos F.C.|Olympiacos]]
| manageryears7 = 1988&ndash;1989
| managerclubs7 = [[Netherlands national football team|Netherlands]]
| manageryears8 = 1991&ndash;1994
| managerclubs8 = [[Iraklis Thessaloniki F.C.|Iraklis]]
| manageryears9 = 1994&ndash;1995
| managerclubs9 = [[Olympiacos F.C.|Olympiacos]]
| manageryears10 = 1998&ndash;1999
| managerclubs10 = [[Nigeria national football team|Nigeria]]
| manageryears11 = 2001&ndash;2002
| managerclubs11 = [[Grazer AK]]
}}
'''Thijs Libregts''' ({{IPA|nl|ˈtɛis ˈlibrɛxts}}; born 4 January 1941) is a Dutch [[Association football|football]] [[coach (sport)|coach]] and former player, who played professionally as a [[Defender (association football)|defender]] in the 1950s. His daughter [[Patricia Libregts|Patricia]] was one of the Netherlands' leading [[water polo]] players in the 1980s and 1990s.

==Club career==
Born in [[Rotterdam]], Libregts began his playing career at [[Excelsior Rotterdam]], where he played from 1958 to 1962. From Excelsior he moved to Rotterdam's larger team [[Feyenoord Rotterdam|Feyenoord]], where he remained until 1968. After six years at Feyenoord, Libregts returned to Excelsior where he played until 1972 when he announced his retirement.

==Managerial career==
Libregts' first coaching position was at Excelsior Rotterdam, where he worked from 1975 to 1980. Excelsior were relegated in Libregts' first season, but they won promotion in 1978–79. From Excelsior he moved to [[PSV Eindhoven]], whom he took to second place in the [[Eredivisie]] in 1981–82. In 1983 Libregts moved to Feyenoord, where he won a league and cup double in his first season. At Feyenoord Libregts he was involved in a race row after he was alleged to have referred to [[Ruud Gullit]] as "blackie" and criticised him for being lazy, though Libregts defended himself by claiming that it was merely a nickname.<ref>Brian Glanville, Footballers Don't Cry p 4</ref>

In November 1984 Libregts moved to Greece with [[Aris Thessaloniki F.C.|Aris Thessaloniki]], where he remained until 1986. In the 1986–87 season he joined [[PAOK F.C.|PAOK]], but his stay was brief and in December 1987 he switched to [[Olympiacos F.C.|Olympiacos]]. Libregts was appointed as [[Netherlands national football team|Netherlands]] manager in 1988 as he took over from [[Rinus Michels]] as coach of the European champions. The Netherlands easily qualified for the [[1990 FIFA World Cup]], but Libregts was replaced by [[Leo Beenhakker]] before the tournament itself.{{citation needed|date=September 2019}}

From 1991 to 1994 he was a coach with [[Iraklis Thessaloniki F.C.|Iraklis Thessaloniki]] in Greece and from 1994 to 1995 returned to coach [[Olympiacos F.C.|Olympiacos]]. Having been dismissed by Olympiakos, Libregts took charge of the [[Nigeria national football team|Nigeria national team]] in August 1998, who he managed until October 1999. After two years out of work Libregts joined [[Grazer AK]] in October 2001 where he remained until August 2002<ref>[http://www.g-a-k.at/archiv/trainer.htm Die Trainer]</ref> and whom he led to the [[ÖFB Cup|Cup]], as well as to the victory in [[Supercup (Austria)|Supercup]].{{citation needed|date=September 2019}}

In August 2002 he was replaced by [[Walter Schachner]] and he has been without a club since then.{{citation needed|date=September 2019}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{worldfootball.net|thijs-libregts}}

{{Eredivisie winning managers}}
{{Navboxes
|title= Thijs Libregts managerial positions
|list1=
{{SBV Excelsior managers}}
{{PSV Eindhoven managers}}
{{Feyenoord managers}}
{{Aris Thessaloniki F.C. managers}}
{{PAOK F.C. managers}}
{{Olympiacos managers}}
{{Netherlands national football team managers}}
{{Iraklis F.C. (Thessaloniki) managers}}
{{Apollon Smyrnis F.C. managers}}
{{Nigeria national football team managers}}
{{Grazer AK managers}}
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Libregts, Thijs}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1941 births]]
[[Category:Men's association football defenders]]
[[Category:Footballers from Rotterdam]]
[[Category:Dutch football managers]]
[[Category:Dutch expatriate football managers]]
[[Category:Dutch men's footballers]]
[[Category:Excelsior Rotterdam players]]
[[Category:Feyenoord players]]
[[Category:Excelsior Rotterdam managers]]
[[Category:PSV Eindhoven managers]]
[[Category:Feyenoord managers]]
[[Category:Eredivisie players]]
[[Category:Eredivisie managers]]
[[Category:Netherlands national football team managers]]
[[Category:Super League Greece managers]]
[[Category:Aris Thessaloniki F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Olympiacos F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Iraklis F.C. (Thessaloniki) managers]]
[[Category:PAOK FC managers]]
[[Category:Grazer AK managers]]
[[Category:Expatriate football managers in Greece]]
[[Category:Nigeria national football team managers]]
[[Category:Expatriate football managers in Nigeria]]
[[Category:Dutch expatriate sportspeople in Nigeria]]
[[Category:20th-century Dutch sportsmen]]