Robert Deveen
Personal information
Full name Louis Robert Deveen
Date of birth (1886-03-25)25 March 1886
Place of birth Bruges, Belgium
Date of death 8 December 1939(1939-12-08) (aged 53)
Place of death Bruges, Belgium
Position(s) Striker
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1904–1914 Club Brugge 196 (256)
International career
1906–1913 Belgium 23 (26)
Managerial career
Racing de Tournai
1932–1934 Olympique Lillois
1934–1935 Lens
1938–1939 Club Brugge
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Robert Deveen, officially Louis Robert Deveen,[1] (25 March 1886[1] in Bruges – 8 December 1939 in Bruges) was a Belgian football player and manager. He was born in Bruges.[2]

He played for Club Brugge and Belgium, scoring 26 goals in just 23 caps,[3][4] including 13 goals against France.[5]

Club career

Robert Deveen caused a stir as an unparalleled finisher during Club Brugge's pioneering years and as an international. He was the top scorer in the Belgian First Division in two back-to-back seasons in 1905 and 1906.[6] During his years with Club Brugge he formed a successful and high-scoring attacking trio with Hector Goetinck and Charles Cambier. He played in the first team in Bruges from 1906 until the First World War, and was therefore not part of the club which was Belgian champion in 1920.[7] With the outbreak of the First World War, Deveen ended his career as an active football player at the age of 28.[7]

International career

In 1907, after being the top scorer in Belgium for the second year in a row, De Veen was called up for the national team for the first time, making his debut at the age of 20 years and 26 days.[3] On the occasion of his first selection, on 22 April 1906 against France in Paris, he scored 2 of Belgium's 5 goals.[3] Seven days later against the Netherlands in Antwerp, he scored the first hat-trick in the history of Belgian football.[3] He was particularly successful with France as he scored a total of 13 goals against them, including a 5-goal haul in a 7–1 win on 30 April 1911 in Brussels,[3] although France was still playing without a coach while the Belgian team had already hired its first coach, the Scotsman William Maxwell, only in 1910.[5]

His 26 goals for Belgium was the fourth-best international tally in Europe Pre-1920, only behind Vivian Woodward of England (29), Poul Nielsen of Denmark (40), and Imre Schlosser of Hungary (57).[2]

Managerial career

He first coached Racing de Tournai before leaving for the north of France, where he trained RC Lens, Olympique Lillois, and even AS Nancy, with excellent results. After his short period at Club, De Veen coached many small clubs in West Flanders. He ended his career at Club Brugge in the 1962–63 season.[7] His two sons Bob and Florimond started playing football in youth at RC Doornik when he was a manager there.[7]

Career statistics

International goals

National team Year Apps Goals
Belgium 1906 3 5
1907 2 0
1908 3 4
1909 4 5
1910 5 3
1911 2 5
1912 2 2
1913 2 2
Total 23 26
Belgium score listed first, score column indicates score after each Robert Deveen goal.
List of international goals scored by Robert Deveen.[3][4]
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 22 April 1906 Stade français à la Faisanderie, Saint-Cloud, France  France 4–0 5–0 Friendly match
2. 5–0
3. 29 April 1906 Beerschot A.C. ground, Antwerp, Belgium  Netherlands 3–0 5–0 1906 Coupe Van den Abeele
4. 4–0
5. 5–0
6. 12 April 1908 Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir, Colombes, France  France 1–0 2–1 Friendly match
7. 2–0
8. 18 April 1908 Longchamps, Brussels, Belgium England England amateurs 1–3 2–8
9. 2–4
10. 19 April 1909 White Hart Lane, London, England 1–4 2–11
11. 2–10
12. 9 May 1909 Stade du Vivier d'Oie, Brussels, Belgium  France 1–0 5–2
13. 2–0
14. 3–1
15. 13 March 1910 Olympic Stadium, Antwerp, Belgium  Netherlands 1–0 3–2 1910 Coupe Van den Abeele
16. 2–1
17. 3 April 1910 Stade de la F.G.S.P.F., Gentilly, France  France 3–0 4–0 Friendly match
18. 30 April 1911 Rue de Forest, Brussels, Belgium 1–0 7–1
19. 2–0
20. 3–0
21. 6–0
22. 7–1
23. 20 February 1912 Stadion Broodstraat, Antwerp, Belgium   Switzerland 8–2 9–2
24. 9–2
25. 9 March 1913 Olympic Stadium, Antwerp, Belgium  Netherlands 1–1 3–3 1913 Coupe Van den Abeele
26. 2–1

Honours

Player

Club Brugge

Manager

Olympique Lillois

Individual

Club Brugge

Records

References

  1. ^ a b Civil status register, birth register of the city of Bruges, 1886, record nr. 356
  2. ^ a b "Official international world records 1872 – 1920". iffhs.de. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Robert De Veen, international footballer". eu-football.info. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Robert Deveen – Goals in International Matches". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. 18 January 2018. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Treize buts pour le seul Deveen!" [Thirteen goals for Deveen's alone!]. dhnet.be (in French). 18 February 2004. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  6. ^ "Topscorers in Belgium 1895-2001" (in Dutch). Belgian Soccer History. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
  7. ^ a b c d "La biographie de de Veen en tant qu'entraîneur" [The Biography of de Veen as a coach]. archive.wikiwix.com (in French). 18 February 2004. Retrieved 4 July 2023.

External links

Belgian Pro League top scorers
Ligue 1 winning managers
RC Lens โ€“ managers
Olympique Lillois โ€“ managers
Club Brugge KV โ€“ managers
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