Hugo Broos

Hugo Broos (born 10 April 1952) is a Belgian football manager.

Playing career

He started his football career in his hometown Humbeek, playing for KFC Humbeek and was discovered at the early age of eighteen by a scout from RSC Anderlecht. For more than ten years he was their central defender and helped them win 4 Euro Cup finals, 3 national championships and 4 Belgian Cups. Between 1974 and 1986 he represented his country playing 31 times for the national team, gaining 24 caps and finishing 4th at the World Championship in Mexico in 1986. In 1983 Broos switched teams and started playing for Club Brugge. He played there for 5 seasons until season 87–88. During this period he helped his team gain the Belgian Cup in 1986 and the championship in 1988. In 1988 Broos retired as a professional footballer.

In his career as a football player he won the Belgian Cup 5 times.

Coaching career

From 1991 to 1998 he coached Club Brugge, winning the championship twice in 1992 an 1996. In 1991, 1995 and 1996 his team also won the Belgian Cup. From 2002 until 2005 he coached RSC Anderlecht. Again he managed to get his team into the Champions League and his team won the 2003–2004 season championship. Season 2004–2005 was a turning point however. His team was kicked out of the Champions League and they blew their chances for the Belgian Cup too. After a 0–0 outcome against AA Ghent the verdict fell; on 7 February, Broos got fired for the first time in his career. Later that year in June he became coach for KRC Genk and got back at his former team on 30 September by beating them with 1–4. During the 2007–08 season he was fired again. In the summer of 2008, some sources first reported him signing a coaching contract at Romanian club Vaslui, however he denied their offer "because of a combination of personal and sport-related reasons"