View source for Walter Meeuws

{{short description|Belgian football manager and former player}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Walter Meeuws
| image = Walter Meeuws 1981.jpg
| caption = Meeuws in action for Belgium in 1981
| full_name = Walter Meeuws<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tff.org/Default.aspx?pageID=527&antID=8594 |title=Walter Meeuws |publisher=Turkish Football Federation |access-date=21 December 2020}}</ref>
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1951|7|11|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Gierle]], Belgium
| height = 1.85 m
| position = [[Defender (association football)|Defender]]
| currentclub = 
| youthyears1 = 
| youthclubs1 = 
| years1 = 1970–1972
| clubs1 = [[K.R.C. Mechelen]]
| caps1 = 54
| goals1 = 22
| years2 = 1972–1978
| clubs2 = [[K. Beerschot V.A.C.|Beerschot]]
| caps2 = 154
| goals2 = 25
| years3 = 1978–1981
| clubs3 = [[Club Brugge KV|Club Brugge]]
| caps3 = 90
| goals3 = 16
| years4 = 1981–1984
| clubs4 = [[Standard de Liège]]
| caps4 = 88
| goals4 = 6
| years5 = 1984–1985
| clubs5 = [[AFC Ajax|Ajax]]
| caps5 = 11
| goals5 = 0
| years6 = 1985–1987
| clubs6 = [[KV Mechelen]]
| caps6 = 30
| goals6 = 2
| nationalyears1 = 1977–1984
| nationalteam1 = [[Belgium national football team|Belgium]]
| nationalcaps1 = 46
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| manageryears1 = 1987–1988
| managerclubs1 = [[Lierse S.K. (1906)|Lierse]]
| manageryears2 = 1989–1990
| managerclubs2 = [[Belgium national football team|Belgium]]
| manageryears3 = 1990–1991
| managerclubs3 = [[Sint-Truidense V.V.|Sint-Truiden]]
| manageryears4 = 1991–1993
| managerclubs4 = [[Royal Antwerp F.C.|Antwerp]]
| manageryears5 = 1993–1994
| managerclubs5 = [[K.A.A. Gent|Gent]]
| manageryears6 = 1995–1997
| managerclubs6 = [[Lommel S.K.]]
| manageryears7 = 1998–2001
| managerclubs7 = [[Lierse S.K. (1906)|Lierse]]
| manageryears8 = 2001
| managerclubs8 = [[Gençlerbirliği S.K.|Gençlerbirliği]]
| manageryears9 = 2001–2003
| managerclubs9 = [[Raja Casablanca]]
| manageryears10 = 2004
| managerclubs10 = [[Al-Gharafa Sports Club|Al-Ittihad]]
| manageryears11 = 2005–2006
| managerclubs11 = [[Al Jazira Club|Al Jazira]]
| manageryears12 = 2007–2008
| managerclubs12 = [[K.S.K. Beveren|Beveren]]
| manageryears13 = 2007–2009
| managerclubs13 = [[FAR Rabat]]
| manageryears14 = 2010–2012
| managerclubs14 = [[Wadi Degla Sporting Club|Wadi Degla]]
| manageryears15 = 2016
| managerclubs15 = [[Lommel United]]
}}
'''Walter Meeuws''' (born 11 July 1951) is a Belgian former [[association football|football]] player and manager.

==Playing career==
During his career Meeuws played for [[K. Beerschot V.A.C.]], [[Club Brugge K.V.|Club Brugge]], [[Standard Liège]], [[AFC Ajax|Ajax]], [[K.V. Mechelen]]. He earned 46 caps for the [[Belgium national football team|Belgium national team]], and participated in [[UEFA Euro 1980]] and the [[1982 FIFA World Cup]].

After retiring from playing, he has been working as a manager, including a stint as the national team manager from 1989 to 1990.

As a player, he won four championships, two with Standard in Belgium, one with Bruges in Belgium and one with Ajax in the Netherlands. He also won two cups and played the final of the European Championship with Belgium in Italy in 1980. He is considered one of the best Belgian defenders ever.

==Managerial career==
As a manager, Meeuws won three cups with [[Lierse S.K. (1906)|Lierse S.K.]], [[Royal Antwerp F.C.|FC Antwerp]] and [[FAR Rabat]] (2009), one Supercup with Lierse and was runner-up in the African Champions League Final with [[Raja Casablanca]] and also runner-up with Antwerp in the final of the European Cup-Winners Cup in 1993 at Wembley. He is the last manager ever that reached a European Final with a Belgian Team.

== Honours ==

=== Player ===
'''Club Brugge'''<ref>{{cite web|title=Club Brugge {{!}} Palmares|url=https://www.clubbrugge.be/nl/geschiedenis}}</ref>
* [[Belgian First Division]]: [[1979–80 Belgian First Division|1979–80]]
* [[Belgian Supercup]]: 1980
* [[Kirin Cup|Japan Cup Kirin World Soccer]]: [[Kirin Cup#1981 Japan Cup Kirin World Soccer|1981]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Kirin Cup 1981|url=https://www.leballonrond.fr/edition.php?id_edicao=59845}}</ref>
* [[Jules Pappaert Cup]]: 1978<ref>{{cite web|title=Jules Pappaert Cup|url=https://www.dhnet.be/sports/football/le-trophee-pappaert-c-est-reparti-5bb21893cd70a16d8128c4d6}}</ref>

'''Standard de Liège'''<ref>{{cite web|title=Standard de Liège {{!}} Palmares|url=https://standard.be/fr/palmares}}</ref>
* Belgian First Division: [[1981–82 Belgian First Division|1981–82]], [[1982–83 Belgian First Division|1982–83]]
* Belgian Supercup: 1981, 1983
* [[UEFA Cup Winners' Cup|European Cup Winners' Cup]] runner-up: [[1981–82 European Cup Winners' Cup|1981–82]]
*[[UEFA Intertoto Cup|Intertoto Cup]] Group: [[1982 Intertoto Cup|1982]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Wildstat {{!}} Intertoto Cup 1982|url=http://wildstat.com/p/5015/ch/EUR_IC_1982/stg/all/tour/all/club1/BEL_R_Standard_Liege}}</ref>

'''Ajax Amsterdam'''<ref>{{cite web|title=Ajax {{!}} Prijzenkast|url=https://www.ajax1.nl/prijzenkast-ajax/}}</ref>
* [[Eredivisie]]: [[1984–85 Eredivisie|1984–85]]

'''KV Mechelen'''<ref>{{cite web|title=KV Mechelen {{!}} Geschiedenis|url=http://www.stamnummer25.be/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160206084928/http://www.eurosport.co.uk/football/michel-preud-homme_prs89281/person.shtml|archive-date=6 February 2016|access-date=6 February 2016|publisher=[[Eurosport]]}}</ref>
* [[Belgian Cup]]: [[List of Belgian Cup finals|1986–87]]

'''Belgium'''
* [[UEFA European Championship]] runner-up: [[UEFA Euro 1980|1980]]<ref>{{cite web|title=UEFA Euro 1980|url=https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/history/seasons/1980/matches/}}</ref>
* [[Belgian National Sports Merit Award|Belgian Sports Merit Award]]: 1980<ref>{{cite web|title=UEFA Euro 1980|url=https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/history/seasons/1980/matches/}}</ref>

=== Manager ===
'''Royal Antwerp'''<ref>{{cite web|title=FC Antwerp {{!}} Palmares|url=http://www.rafcmuseum.be/palmares/palmares.php}}</ref>
* [[Belgian Cup]]: [[1991–92 Belgian Cup|1991–92]]
* [[UEFA Cup Winners' Cup]] runner-up: [[1992–93 European Cup Winners' Cup|1992–93]]

'''Lierse'''<ref>{{cite web|title=Lierse SK {{!}} Geschiedenis|url=https://www.lierse.com/club}}</ref>
* Belgian Cup: [[1998–99 Belgian Cup|1998–99]]
* [[Belgian Supercup|Belgian Super Cup]]: [[1999 Belgian Super Cup|1999]]

'''Raja de Casablanca'''
* [[CAF Champions League]] runner-up: [[2002 CAF Champions League|2002]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Walter Meeuws ontslagen in Marokko|url=https://www.vi.nl/nieuws/walter-meeuws-ontslagen-in-marokko}}</ref>

'''FAR Rabat'''<ref>{{cite web|title=FAR Rabat {{!}} Palmarès|url=https://www.les-sports.info/football-far-rabat-resultats-identite-equ2805.html}}</ref>
* [[Moroccan Throne Cup]]: [[2008–09 Moroccan Throne Cup|2009]]

=== Individual ===
* [[Belgian professional football awards#Professional Manager of the Year|Belgian Professional Manager of the Year]]: 1992–93{{citation needed|date=January 2025}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}
*[http://www.footbel.be/en/nationale_elftallen/statistieken_1/aantal_caps.html Royal Belgian Football Association: Number of caps]
*{{WorldFootball.net|walter-meeuws}}
*[http://www.standard.be/fr/a_joueurs_det.php?id=322 Profile at Standard de Liège]

{{Navboxes
| title = Belgium squads
| bg = #D4071A
| fg = #FFCE4A
| bordercolor = Black
| list1 = 
{{Belgium squad UEFA Euro 1980}}
{{Belgium squad 1982 FIFA World Cup}}
}}
{{Navboxes
| title = Managerial positions
| list1 = 
{{Lierse S.K. managers}}
{{Belgium national football team managers}}
{{Sint-Truidense V.V. managers}}
{{Royal Antwerp F.C. managers}}
{{K.A.A. Gent managers}}
{{KV Mechelen managers}}
{{Gençlerbirliği S.K. managers}}
{{Raja Casablanca managers}}
{{Al Jazira Club managers}}
{{Al-Gharafa managers}}
{{Lommel S.K. managers}}
}}
{{Belgian Professional Manager of the Year}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Meeuws, Walter}}
[[Category:1951 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Footballers from Antwerp Province]]
[[Category:Men's association football defenders]]
[[Category:Belgian men's footballers]]
[[Category:Belgian expatriate men's footballers]]
[[Category:Belgium men's international footballers]]
[[Category:UEFA Euro 1980 players]]
[[Category:1982 FIFA World Cup players]]
[[Category:K. Beerschot V.A.C. players]]
[[Category:Club Brugge KV players]]
[[Category:Standard Liège players]]
[[Category:AFC Ajax players]]
[[Category:K.V. Mechelen players]]
[[Category:Belgian Pro League players]]
[[Category:Eredivisie players]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Belgian expatriate sportspeople in the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Belgian football managers]]
[[Category:Lierse S.K. managers]]
[[Category:Al-Gharafa SC managers]]
[[Category:Royal Antwerp F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Belgium national football team managers]]
[[Category:Gençlerbirliği S.K. managers]]
[[Category:K.S.K. Beveren managers]]
[[Category:AS FAR managers]]
[[Category:K.V. Mechelen managers]]
[[Category:K.A.A. Gent managers]]
[[Category:Raja CA managers]]
[[Category:Expatriate football managers in Turkey]]
[[Category:Expatriate football managers in Morocco]]
[[Category:Expatriate football managers in Qatar]]
[[Category:Expatriate football managers in the United Arab Emirates]]
[[Category:Expatriate football managers in Egypt]]
[[Category:Wadi Degla SC managers]]
[[Category:Lommel S.K. managers]]
[[Category:Belgian expatriate sportspeople in Qatar]]
[[Category:Belgian expatriate sportspeople in the United Arab Emirates]]
[[Category:Belgian expatriate sportspeople in Morocco]]
[[Category:Belgian expatriate sportspeople in Egypt]]
[[Category:Belgian expatriate sportspeople in Turkey]]
[[Category:Botola managers]]
[[Category:20th-century Belgian sportsmen]]