Odilon Polleunis
![]() Polleunis in 1968 | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date of birth | 1 May 1943 | ||
Place of birth | Sint-Truiden, German-occupied Belgium | ||
Date of death | 20 September 2023 | (aged 80)||
Place of death | Sint-Truiden | ||
Position(s) | Striker | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1962–1973 | Sint-Truiden | 286 | (89) |
1973–1976 | R.W.D. Molenbeek | 67 | (17) |
1976–1977 | K.S.K. Tongeren | 12 | (0) |
Total | 365 | (106) | |
International career | |||
1968–1975 | Belgium | 22 | (10) |
Managerial career | |||
1991–1992 | Sint-Truiden | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Odilon Polleunis (1 May 1943 – 20 September 2023), nicknamed Lon, was a Belgian footballer who won the Belgian Golden Shoe in 1968 while at Sint-Truiden. He played 22 matches and scored 10 goals for the Belgium national team between 1968 and 1975.
Club career
[edit]Lon Polleunis played most of his career for Sint-Truiden. The stylish attacker, also originating from Sint-Truiden, became a real club icon. With 89 goals, he is still the club's top scorer in the first division.
In the mid-1970s, "Lon" moved to RWDM, with which he won the Belgian title in 1975.
International career
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/61/Odilon_Polleunis_M%C3%A9xico_70.jpg/220px-Odilon_Polleunis_M%C3%A9xico_70.jpg)
Polleunis started in a 2–1 friendly win against the Netherlands on 7 April 1968. He scored on his debut and the first of his seven goals in his first five International games, including a hat-trick against Finland and two against Yugoslavia in World Cup qualifiers in October 1968.
At the 1970 FIFA World Cup Polleunis came on as substitute in Belgium's win against El Salvador and started against Mexico in the third game replacing Raoul Lambert.
Death
[edit]Polleunis died of heart failure on 20 September 2023, at the age of 80.[1]
Honours
[edit]Sint-Truiden
- Belgian First Division runner-up: 1965–66[2]
- Belgian cup runner-up: 1970-71
RWD Molenbeek
- Belgian First Division: 1974–75
- Jules Pappaert Cup: 1975
- Amsterdam Tournament: 1975
Belgium
- UEFA European Championship third place: 1972
Individual
- Belgian Golden Shoe: 1968
- Man of the Season (Belgian First Division): 1971–72[3]
- Honorary Citizen of Sint-Truiden: 2021[4]
References
[edit]- ^ "Lon Polleunis, de Gouden Schoen van 1968 van STVV, is overleden op 80-jarige leeftijd" [Lon Polleunis, STVV's Golden Shoe of 1968, has died at the age of 80]. Sporza (in Dutch). 21 September 2023.
- ^ "Ex-Gouden Schoen Lon Polleunis (80) overleden". Het Laatste Nieuws (in Dutch). 21 September 2023.
- ^ "Homme de la saison belge".
- ^ "Nina Derwael en Lon Polleunis zijn officieel ereburgers van Sint-Truiden". Het Laatste Nieuws (in Dutch). 26 October 2021.
External links
[edit]- Odilon Polleunis at WorldFootball.net
- 1943 births
- 2023 deaths
- Footballers from Sint-Truiden
- Belgian men's footballers
- Men's association football forwards
- Belgium men's international footballers
- 1970 FIFA World Cup players
- UEFA Euro 1972 players
- R.W.D.M. Brussels F.C. players
- Belgian Pro League players
- Sint-Truidense V.V. players
- R.W.D. Molenbeek (1909) players
- K.S.K. Tongeren players
- Sint-Truidense V.V. managers
- Deaths from congestive heart failure
- Belgian football forward stubs