Wouter Vrancken
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date of birth | 3 February 1979 | ||
Place of birth | Sint-Truiden, Belgium | ||
Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Genk (Head coach) | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1999–2004 | Sint-Truidense | 173 | (14) |
2004–2006 |
Gent | 61 | (9) |
2006–2008 | Genk | 56 | (10) |
2009–2010 | Mechelen | 35 | (3) |
2010 | Kortrijk | 2 | (0) |
International career | |||
1997 | Belgium U18 | 1 | (0) |
2000–2002 | Belgium U21 | 17 | (0) |
Managerial career | |||
2009–2011 | RDK Gravelo | ||
2011–2013 | Overpelt VV | ||
2014–2017 | Thes Sport | ||
2017 |
Lommel SK | ||
2017–2018 | Kortrijk (assistant) | ||
2018–2022 |
Mechelen | ||
2022– | Genk | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Wouter Vrancken (born 3 February 1979) is a Belgian football manager and a former defensive midfielder. He is the head coach of Genk.
Playing career
Wouter Vrancken started his playing career as a youth at lower division clubs, beginning at FC Oud Groot Gelmen, progressing through Concordia Duras, Sporting Aalst-Brustem and KSK Tongeren before ending up in the Belgian top flight with home-town club Sint-Truiden.[1] During the build-up to the 1997-98 season, Vrancken moved on from the youths set-up into the Sint-Truiden first team at the age of 18.
Vrancken made his professional debut on September 13, 1997, in the First Division against
After eight seasons at the Stayen, Vrancken moved to
Having enjoyed two seasons in Limburg, Vrancken moved to Mechelen in August 2008, signing a four-year deal.[7] 18 months into his time with the Yellow-Reds, Vrancken moved to Georges Leekens-coached Kortrijk during the 2009-10 winter break in a player-exchange, with Tom Soetaers going in the opposite direction. But only managing two league appearances in the calendar year of 2010 saw Vrancken forced to retire from football through a persistent hip injury and osteoarthritis at the age of 31 on advice from KVK’s then coach Hein Vanhaezebrouck.[8] Vrancken had his contract with Kortrijk dissolved in October 2010, barely nine months after moving from Mechelen.[9]
Coaching career
After seven years coaching in the lower divisions, beginning with part-time roles in the fourth division at RDK Gravelo and Overpelt VV while working in accountancy,[8] Vrancken had a one-year spell back in the top-flight as assistant to Glen De Boeck at Kortrijk for the 2017-18 season.
Vrancken took charge at recently-relegated Mechelen in the summer of 2018, guiding the club back to the
However, due to match-fixing investigations from the season Mechelen were relegated (2017-18) prior to Vrancken's hiring, the Yellow-Reds were not allowed defend the Cup or to play in the
Vrancken steered Mechelen into top-eight finishes for the next three seasons - the highest being sixth in the curtailed
Losing their opening game of the season 3-2 away to champions
Vrancken was named Coach of the Year for 2022 at the Belgian Golden Shoe Awards, off the back of their long unbeaten run.[16] Up to April 2023. Vrancken was sacked for match fixing.[17]
Family
He is married and has two daughters and a son.
Honours
Manager
Mechelen
Individual
References
- ^ a b "Wouter Vrancken, van voetballer tot vader (Wouter Vrancken, a footballer and father" (in Dutch). Voetbal Belgie. 12 June 2006. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
- ^ "Vijf vragen aan Wouter Vrancken en Kris Vincken: je bent jong en je wil wat" (in Dutch). Het Belang van Limburg. 29 April 1998. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
- ^ "Zo piepen de jongen (The boys peep)" (in Dutch). 20 September 2000. Archived from the original on 1 September 2022. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
- ^ "Edgard Troonbeeckx is nieuwe voorzitter van Racing Genk - "De tol van de roem" (Edgard Troonbeeckx is new chairman of Racing Genk - "The toll of fame")" (in Dutch). Het Belang van Limburg. 29 May 1998. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
- ^ "Malinwacoach Wouter Vrancken: 'Bij KAA Gent ontdekte ik mezelf als voetballer' (Malinwa coach Wouter Vrancken: "I discovered myself as a footballer at KAA Gent")" (in Dutch). Sport/Voetbalmagazine. 29 April 2019. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
- ^ "Wouter Vrancken tekent voor vier jaar bij Genk (Wouter Vrancken signs with Genk for four years)" (in Dutch). Het Nieuwsblad. 22 June 2006. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
- ^ "Wouter Vrancken ruilt Genk voor KV Mechelen" (in Dutch). Gazet van Antwerpen. 29 August 2008. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
- ^ a b "De speciale band tussen Wouter Vrancken en zijn laatste coach: "Hein liet me niet vallen. Daar ben ik hem nog altijd dankbaar voor" (The special bond between Wouter Vrancken and his last coach: "Hein did not let me down. I am still grateful to him for that.")" (in Dutch). Het Laatste Niewus. 5 February 2023. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
- ^ "Vrancken is revalideren beu en zet punt achter zijn loopbaan" (in Dutch). Voetbalzone. 14 October 2010. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
- ^ "Vrancken: "Als je de statistieken bekijkt, verdienen wij de promotie" (Vrancken: "If you look at the statistics, we deserve the promotion")" (in Dutch). Sporza. 8 March 2019. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
- ^ "Het motivatiefilmpje dat KV Mechelen naar de titel loodste(The motivation film that guided KV Mechelen to the title)" (in Dutch). Sporza. 17 March 2019. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
- ^ "Succescoach Vrancken tekent bij in Mechelen: "Los van de reeks waarin we volgend seizoen spelen" (Coaching success Vrancken signs at Mechelen)" (in Dutch). Sporza. 28 May 2019. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
- ^ "Footgate: «200.000 euros pour le match contre KV Mechelen»" (in French). L'Avenir. 20 October 2018. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
- ^ "KV Mechelen bevestigt vertrek van coach Wouter Vrancken: "Hij wil hogerop" (KV Mechelen confirms departure of coach Wouter Vrancken: "He wants to go higher")" (in Dutch). Sporza. 15 May 2022. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
- ^ "Racing Genk bevestigt de komst van Wouter Vrancken: "Bouwen aan een nieuw succesverhaal" (Racing Genk confirms the arrival of Wouter Vrancken: "Building a new success story")" (in Dutch). Sporza. 28 May 2022. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
- ^ a b ""Ik moet mezelf in de arm knijpen": geëmotioneerde Wouter Vrancken is de 'Coach van het Jaar' ("I have to pinch myself": emotional Wouter Vrancken is the 'Coach of the Year')" (in Dutch). Het Laatste Niewus. 25 January 2023. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
- ^ "Wouter Vrancken: "Na mijn spelerscarrière had ik het gehad met het voetbal" (Wouter Vrancken: "After my playing career I had had it with football")" (in Dutch). Sporza. 24 October 2022. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
- ^ "Geel-rood delirium op de Heizel: KV Mechelen wint Beker van België". sporza.be. Retrieved 25 March 2021.