COACHES from Belgium

Top 8

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Belgian Coaches of all time. This list of famous Belgian Coaches is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography's online popularity.

1. Raymond Goethals (1921 - 2004)

With an HPI of 65.65, Raymond Goethals is the most famous Belgian Coach.  His biography has been translated into 30 different languages on wikipedia.

Raymond Goethals (French: [ʁɛmɔ̃ ɡutals], Flemish: [rɛːˈmɔ̃ː ˈɣutɑls]; 7 October 1921 – 6 December 2004) was a Belgian football coach who led Marseille to victory in the UEFA Champions League final in 1993, becoming the first coach to win a European trophy with a French club. Sometimes nicknamed "Raymond-la-science" ("Raymond-the-Science", previously the nickname of Belgian anarchist and Bonnot gang member Raymond Callemin), "le sorcier" ("the Wizard") or "le magicien" ("the Magician"), Goethals was known for his blunt way of speaking, his habit of mispronouncing players' names and his distinctive Brussels accent. A chain smoker, he was likened to TV police detective Lieutenant Columbo. He was the father of the referee Guy Goethals, who officiated at the 1992 European Championship and 1996 European Championship.

2. Eric Gerets (b. 1954)

With an HPI of 64.89, Eric Gerets is the 2nd most famous Belgian Coach.  His biography has been translated into 33 different languages.

Eric Maria Gerets (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈeːrɪk ˈxeːrəts]; born 18 May 1954) is a Belgian football manager and former player. As a striker, he started his playing career as an amateur for his local team AA Rekem, before achieving success as a right-back with Standard Liège and PSV. Nicknamed "The Lion (of Flanders)", Gerets was regarded as one of the top right-backs in Europe at his peak and is considered one of the greatest players in Belgian football history. He is famous for having captained PSV to their first and only European Cup win in 1988. As a coach, Gerets is one of six managers – along with José Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, Giovanni Trapattoni, Tomislav Ivić and Ernst Happel – to have won top domestic league championships in at least four countries.

3. Georges Leekens (b. 1949)

With an HPI of 63.01, Georges Leekens is the 3rd most famous Belgian Coach.  His biography has been translated into 20 different languages.

Georges Leekens (born 18 May 1949) is a Belgian football manager and former player. During his managerial career, he oversaw four national football teams: the Belgian, Tunisian, Algerian and Hungarian national football teams. He also managed numerous clubs in Belgium, the Netherlands, Turkey, Tunisia, Iran and Saudi Arabia.

4. Guy Thys (1922 - 2003)

With an HPI of 62.17, Guy Thys is the 4th most famous Belgian Coach.  His biography has been translated into 20 different languages.

Guy Jean-Leonard Thys (6 December 1922 – 1 August 2003) was a Belgian football manager, mostly known for being the most successful manager in the history of the Belgium national football team as he managed to lead the national side to their only UEFA European Championship final in 1980 and a fourth–place finish at the 1986 FIFA World Cup. With 114 games between 1976 and 1991, he is the longest-serving national coach in the history of the Red Devils to date.

5. René Vandereycken (b. 1953)

With an HPI of 59.62, René Vandereycken is the 5th most famous Belgian Coach.  His biography has been translated into 24 different languages.

René Vandereycken (born 22 July 1953) is a Belgian retired professional footballer and manager. During his playing career, he played as a midfielder. He was the head coach of the Belgium national team from 2006 to 2009.

6. Robert Waseige (1939 - 2019)

With an HPI of 57.90, Robert Waseige is the 6th most famous Belgian Coach.  His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.

Robert Waseige (26 August 1939 – 17 July 2019) was a Belgian football manager and player.

7. Hugo Broos (b. 1952)

With an HPI of 57.65, Hugo Broos is the 7th most famous Belgian Coach.  His biography has been translated into 22 different languages.

Hugo Henri Broos (born 10 April 1952) is a Belgian professional football manager and former player. He is currently the manager of the South Africa national team.

8. Tom Saintfiet (b. 1973)

With an HPI of 44.54, Tom Saintfiet is the 8th most famous Belgian Coach.  His biography has been translated into 17 different languages.

Tom Saintfiet (born 29 March 1973) is a Belgian football coach and former player. He is the current head coach of the Mali national team. He managed the Gambian national team from 2018 to 2024, earning a place in the top five list of best coaches of the year in the African continent in 2022 and 2023, voted by Confédération Africaine de Football. In 2022, he was second runner-up for the Royal Belgian Football Association's "Coach of the Year" award. By June 2025, Saintfiet has already achieved 114 FIFA official matches as coach of national teams.