Robert Dekeyser

Bobby Dekeyser in the talk show " Markus Lanz " 2012

Robert " Bobby" Dekeyser ( born October 7, 1964 in Leuven ) is a Belgian businessman and former football goalkeeper. After end of his career as a footballer 1990 he founded the furniture company DEDON.

Biography

Childhood and youth

Dekeyser was born in Leuven, Belgium, the eldest son of a family of entrepreneurs. His parents divorced when he was very young. During his childhood he lived in Belgium, Austria and Germany. This for him very " chaotic " time left in Dekeyser a strong desire for harmony. He describes himself as a rebel and truants, who sought a source of discipline and self-worth in football. At 14, he won a junior competition, the one place in the New York football school of his great idol, the Brazilian striker Pele assured him. Pelé encouraged him to " just to follow his dreams ." At 15, he had already visited nine different schools. One day he just got up in English class and announced, " to throw the school to become a professional footballer ."

Football career

Dekeyser played in his youth, first in Oud -Heverlee Leuven, the local club of his birthplace, and then to B Youth at Wormatia Worms. In 1980, at the age of 16, he was a member of the A- youth of the 1st FC Kaiserslautern, where he was active until 1982. As a full- year old, he came of duty in the Belgian armed forces to serve in accordance with and played from 1984 to 1986 for the second division Royale Union Saint- Gilloise.Auf recommendation of Jean -Marie Pfaff, goalkeeper of Bayern Munich, Dekeyser 1986 as a replacement for the longer time was Raimond Aumann injured obliged. His only competitive match for Bayern, he completed on 18 November 1986 at the DFB Cup second round in the 0-3 defeat against Fortuna Dusseldorf. After just one season without integration into playing, he moved to Bundesliga side 1.FC Nuremberg, but could not prevail against goalkeeper Andreas Koepke and remained there without use.

After a season in the Belgian first division club KRC Genk Dekeyser 1989 moved to TSV 1860 Munich, where he played as a goalkeeper. In his 16th game for the team he was injured seriously in the face with a fist defense by the elbow of another player, and spent several weeks in the hospital. In the hospital bed, he learned from the newspaper that a successor was already committed to him. Despite his anger at the manner of his dismissal he came for three games for TSV 1860 Munich back on the football field, as the substitute goalkeeper failed also injured. He graduated on the 3rd, 11th and 14 August 1991 ( 2nd to 4th Round ) three strong games in the 2nd Bundesliga South (the " Sechzger " had emerged ) against VfB Leipzig ( 0:0), the 1 FC Saarbrücken (1:1) and against SV Waldhof Mannheim ( 1:0). He " best of my career, " describes these three games than that. Although he received many offers from teams in the 1st and 2nd league, he retired at the end of the season 1990/91 from professional football back.

Entrepreneurial career

As the founder of DEDON, the outdoor furniture manufacturer based in Germany and a sales network in over 80 countries, Dekeyser has made a name. He founded the company when he was still recovering in the hospital from his facial injury. As a big fan of outdoor living Dekeyser also founded DEDON ICELAND, a luxurious hotel resort in the Philippines, as well as DEDON TRAVEL, a travel agency with a focus on outdoor trips.

2009 founded Dekeyser Dekeyser & Friends, " to inspire young people to pursue their own dreams and to change the world ", a foundation based in Geneva, with the target. Since its inception, the Foundation brought young people between 18 and 28 years of age in the context of meetings with mentors or " friends " together, such as the German skier and double Olympic Gold medalist Markus which Meier and Mustafa Erdoğan, the leader of a traditional Turkish dance group.

Private life

In September 2010, while he happened to be on a business trip to the Philippines, Dekeyser learned that his wife, Ann -Kathrin, with whom he has been married for over 20 years, in Germany was in a coma. She died before he made ​​it home.

His autobiography was published in May 2012 Not for sale in Germany and climbed on the sales lists in business literature equal to the top. Dekeyser travels most of the year; his permanent residence is in Hamburg, Germany.

Dekeyser lives with the American actress Gina Gershon in a relationship.