Eric Van Meir
Eric Van Meir ( born February 28, 1968 in Deurne ) is a former Belgian international footballer. He is currently an assistant coach at Lierse SK.
Professional career
Beginnings in Berchem (1985-1991)
Van Meir began his footballing career in his native city of Antwerp. He initially played for KSK Hoboken from the same district. From there he went to the local rivals Berchem Sport, where he came a little to his first professional assignments later. With the then second division, he went straight into the first Belgian Division, where he made the first time the city limits attention. Nevertheless, the team remained only one year in the league, before they descended again as Table. In the second division, he played with Berchem finally three years to 1990 even having to accept relegation to the third tier. When not there and failed to re-emergence in 1991 he left the club.
Sporting Charleroi (1991-1996)
In 1991 he moved to Sporting Charleroi in the first division. In Charleroi, Van Meir injured directly relatively heavy in the preseason. This injury then forced him finally to pursue the rest of the season from the stands. So he came only at the beginning of the next season to his first stakes at Charleroi, most of which were relatively short. The following season he succeeded nevertheless the breakthrough and he could establish himself as a regular player. He also reached with the team after victories over FC Bruges and RSC Anderlecht, the Belgian Cup final. This lost Charleroi but with 0-2 against Standard Liege. Liege was indeed qualified as league runner already for the UEFA Cup, but since this was less important than the European Cup Winners' Cup Liege took part in this and Charleroi remained to participate in the European Cup denied. There succeeded Van Meir and his team to qualify for the next season as a fourth table for the first time for the UEFA Cup. But after Robert Waseige had left the club and was replaced by Georges Leekens ran into the team together not much and it failed in the first round of Rapid Bucharest and was only thirteenth in the league. Under the new coach Luka Peruzović Van Meir played one more season in Charleroi and then moved to Lierse SK.
Lierse SK (1996-2001)
In 1996 he moved to league rivals Lierse SK. With Lierse he was right in his first year under coach Eric Gerets Belgian champion and thus qualified for the first time for the Champions League. In Europe's premier class, the team had no chance and was only one point last in the group stage. Also in the league the team could not confirm the success of the previous year and was only seventh in the final table as the defending champion. This showed that the team had the disposal of Gerets difficult to cope with. However, after the release of the new coach Jos Daerden the end of the season through the team played better and won under Daerdens successor Walter Meeuws the following year the Belgian Cup after a 3-1 victory against Standard Liège. In contrast, the League Lierse could not build on past successes and was re- seventh. In the next two years Lierse finally sank in mid-table and was once a ninth and a tenth time. As Meeuws left Lierse in 2001 was also Van Meir.
Career finale in Liège (2001-2003)
In 2001 he therefore joined Standard Liege. There he played a good first lap under Michel Preud'homme and was fifth in the league. Preud'homme was the following season then replaced by Van Meir's old coach from Charleroi, Robert Waseige. Under his leadership he was due to injury hardly used and ended after a disappointing seventh place his career.
Belgian national
In the Belgian National Team Van Meir made his debut in October 1993 in a friendly against Gabon. Afterwards further nominations and a year later he even took part in the World Cup in the USA, but came to no use and Belgium difference in the second round. After that, it took four years to Belgium took part again in a tournament or a World Cup, because it had failed to qualify for the European Championship 1996. Van Meir was also this time in the squad of the Belgians, but remained again without use. Instead, he was in these years more and more often in the shadow of Bertrand Crasson, one of the strongest competitors on his position. In 2000, he then took part in a European Championship for the first time, since Belgium was host already qualified. But even at this tournament it a use was denied. Two years later, with the 2002 World Cup, his last in the tournament. This time he even came two appearances in the matches against the hosts and Japan against Russia. Shortly after, he ended his career and thus came in the national team to any further operations. His only goal he scored in qualifying for the 1998 World Cup against San Marino.
Achievements
- Belgian champion: 1997
- Belgian Cup winner: 1999
- Belgian Supercup: 1997, 1999