Guy Thys

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Guy Thys

| image = Guy Thys (1976).jpg

| image_size = 250

| caption = Guy Thys pictured in 1976

| fullname = Guy Jean Léonard Thys

| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1922|12|6}}

| birth_place = Antwerp, Belgium

| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|2003|8|1|1922|12|6}}

| death_place = Antwerp, Belgium

| height = {{convert|1.82|m|abbr=on}}

| position = Forward

| currentclub =

| clubnumber =

| youthyears1 = 1934–1939

| youthclubs1 = Beerschot

| years1 = 1939–1950

| years2 = 1942–1943

| years3 = 1950–1954

| years4 = 1954–1958

| clubs1 = Beerschot

| clubs2 = → Daring Bruxelles (loan)

| clubs3 = Standard Liège

| clubs4 = Cercle Brugge

| caps1 = 143

| caps2 = 26

| caps3 = 104

| caps4 = 107

| goals1 = 60

| goals2 = 12

| goals3 = 46

| goals4 = 41

| totalcaps = 380

| totalgoals = 159

| nationalyears1 = 1952–1953

| nationalteam1 = Belgium

| nationalcaps1 = 2

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| manageryears1 = 1954–1958

| manageryears2 = 1958–1959

| manageryears3 = 1960–1963

| manageryears4 = 1963–1966

| manageryears5 = 1966–1969

| manageryears6 = 1969–1973

| manageryears7 = 1973–1976

| manageryears8 = 1976–1989

| manageryears9 = 1990–1991

| managerclubs1 = Cercle Brugge

| managerclubs2 = Lokeren

| managerclubs3 = Wezel Sport

| managerclubs4 = Herentals

| managerclubs5 = Beveren

| managerclubs6 = Union Saint-Gilloise

| managerclubs7 = Royal Antwerp

| managerclubs8 = Belgium

| managerclubs9 = Belgium

| medaltemplates = {{Medal|Sport|Men's football}}

{{Medal|Country|{{fb|BEL}} (as manager)}}

}}

Guy Jean-Leonard Thys (6 December 1922 – 1 August 2003) was a Belgian football manager, mostly known for being the most successful manager in the history of the Belgium national football team as he managed to lead the national side to their only UEFA European Championship final in 1980 and a fourth–place finish at the 1986 FIFA World Cup.{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1437904/Guy-Thys.html|title=Guy Thys|work=The Telegraph|date=4 August 2003|access-date=26 March 2020}} With 114 games between 1976 and 1991, he is the longest-serving national coach in the history of the Red Devils to date.{{cite web |date=2 March 2025 |title=Bondscoach Guy Thys (1976 – 1989 en 1990 – 1991) |url=https://www.rbfa.be/nl/bondscoach-guy-thys-1976-1989-en-1990-1991 |access-date= |work=rbfa.be |language=}}

Career

= Player career =

Thys was born in Antwerp as son of Belgian international Ivan Thys. He started his career in the 1940s and 50s as a football player with Beerschot, Daring Molenbeek and Standard. Because of the war, nearly five years of his career were lost.{{cite web |last=Colin |first=François |date=1 August 2023 |title=Vandaag 20 jaar terug overleed Guy Thys |trans-title=Today Guy Thys passed away 20 years ago |url=https://dewitteduivel.com/vandaag-20-jaar-terug-overleed-guy-thys/ |access-date= |work=dewitteduivel.com |language=}} In 1952 and 1953 he played two matches with the Red Devils, the Belgium national team.{{cite web |date=14 May 2019 |title=General Information about the player Guy Thys |url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/player/25871/Guy_Thys.html |access-date= |work=national-football-teams.com/ |language=}}

= Manager career =

He combined the activities of player and trainer for Cercle Brugge from 1954 until 1958. In 1959 he performed the same functions for Racing Lokeren. He became a full-time trainer with Wezel the same year, followed by Herentals, Beveren, Union Sint-Gillis, and Antwerp. Under Thys' leadership Antwerp was a finalist in the Belgian Cup and twice finished second in the championship.

= International management =

Thys was appointed Belgium manager in 1976 and remained in the job until 1989, managing the team for 101 games, 45 of which were victories.{{cite web |date=14 May 2019 |title=General Information about the coach Guy Thys |url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/coach/25871/Guy_Thys.html |access-date= |work=national-football-teams.com |language=}}

File:Training_Belgisch_elftal_in_Brussel_trainer_Guy_Thijs_(voorgrond)_en_links_Lamb,_Bestanddeelnr_929-4065.jpg

Under his lead the Red Devils participated twice in the European Championship, and three times at the World Cup. In 1980, Belgium narrowly lost the European Championship final to Germany in Rome. In the opening game of the 1982 World Cup, Belgium surprised the world by beating the reigning world champions Argentina 1–0.{{Cite web |date=11 November 2017 |title=Het kanon van Erwin Vandenbergh: zes keer Belgisch topschutter en eeuwige glorie met treffer tegen Argentinië |trans-title=Erwin Vandenbergh's cannon: six times Belgian top scorer and eternal glory with goal against Argentina |url=https://www.hln.be/rode-duivels/het-kanon-van-erwin-vandenbergh-zes-keer-belgisch-topschutter-en-eeuwige-glorie-met-treffer-tegen-argentinie~ad93a291/ |website=Het Laatste Nieuws |language=nl}} In 1986 Belgium finished fourth in the World Cup in Mexico.{{cite web |date=31 May 2021 |title=Vandaag 35 jaar geleden, start Wereldkampioenschap voetbal 1986 in Mexico |url=https://gisterennogvandaag.wordpress.com/2021/05/31/vandaag-35-jaar-geleden-start-wereldkampioenschap-voetbal-1986-in-mexico/ |access-date= |work=gisterennogvandaag.wordpress.com |language=nl}} His team beat Spain and the Soviet Union, but was defeated by Diego Maradona and his Argentine team in the semi-finals.{{Cite web |date=15 December 2022 |title=Why Diego Maradona against Belgium was his most complete display at the 1986 World Cup |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/3540424/2022/12/15/diego-maradona-belgium-1986-world-cup/ |website=nytimes.com |language=}}

Walter Meeuws succeeded as coach in 1989 him and Thys became a kind of technical director. However, Meeuws was fired after one defeat and two ties. Eight months after stepping down as manager Thys was re-appointed in early 1990 in order to take charge of the team for the 1990 World Cup.{{cite web |date=4 March 2022 |title=Italia 1990 - Belgium preview |url=https://italia1990.com/uefa/group-7/belgium/preview/ |access-date= |work=italia1990.com |language=}} The side duly qualified through the group stage and was knocked out by the England national team in the second round of the tournament.{{cite web |date=20 June 2024 |title=England v Belgium {{!}} Round of 16 {{!}} 1990 FIFA World Cup Italy |url=https://www.plus.fifa.com/en/content/england-v-belgium-round-of-16-1990-fifa-world-cup-italy-highlights/c5ca9a00-cad9-44d8-9958-8ed7e3c7c422?gl=be |access-date= |work=plus.fifa.com |language=}} Thys retired again in 1991.

Death

Guy Thys died on 1 August 2003.

Honours

= Player =

; Standard Liège{{cite web|title=Standard de Liège {{!}} Palmares|url=https://standard.be/fr/palmares}}

Belgian Cup: 1953–54

= Player/Manager =

== Cercle Brugge ==

Belgian Third Division: 1955–56{{cite web|title=Cercle Brugge {{!}} Geschiedenis|url=https://www.cerclebrugge.be/nl/geschiedenis-2|access-date=15 October 2020|archive-date=2 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191102101900/https://www.cerclebrugge.be/nl/geschiedenis-2|url-status=dead}}

= Manager =

; Beveren{{cite web|title=SK Beveren {{!}} Geschiedenis|url=https://www.waasland-beveren.be/club-2/}}

Belgian Second Division: 1966–67

; Royal Antwerp{{cite web|title=FC Antwerp {{!}} Palmares|url=http://www.rafcmuseum.be/palmares/palmares.php}}

Belgian First Division Runner-up: 1973–74, 1974–75
Belgian Cup Runner-up: 1974–75

;

= International =

Belgium

UEFA European Championship: 1980 (runners-up){{cite web|title=UEFA Euro 1980|url=https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/history/seasons/1980/matches/}}
FIFA World Cup: 1986 (fourth place){{cite web|title=FIFA 1986 World Cup|url=https://www.fifa.com/worldcup/archive/mexico1986/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160605153554/http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/archive/mexico1986/|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 June 2016}}
Belgian Sports Merit Award: 1980{{cite web|title=Nationale Trofee voor Sportverdienste|url=https://www.standaard.be/cnt/dmf20191107_04705232}}

= Individual =

World Soccer Magazine Manager of the Year: 1986{{cite web|title="World Soccer" Awards|url=https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/wsoc-awards.html}}
Coach of the Platina 11 (Best Team of 50 Years Golden Shoe Winners): 2003{{Cite web |last=UEFA.com |date=15 January 2004 |title=Aruna voted Belgium's finest |url=https://www.uefa.com/insideuefa/member-associations/BEL/news/0199-0f8452c4cff9-ecec98bb3aad-1000--aruna-voted-belgium-s-finest/ |access-date=8 November 2020 |website=UEFA}}{{dead link|date=March 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
{{ill|Guy Thys Awards|lt=Guy Thys Awards|nl|Guy Thys Awards}}: From 2011{{Cite web |date= |title=Felice Mazzu wint de Guy Thys Award: "Heel belangrijk, want erkenning vanuit de voetbalwereld" |url=https://sporza.be/nl/2022/09/10/felice-mazzu-wint-de-guy-thys-award-heel-belangrijk-want-erkenning-vanuit-de-voetbalwereld~1662802627216/ |website= |publisher=Sporza |language=nl |publication-date=10 September 2022}}
RBFA 125 Years Icons Team Coach: 2020{{cite news |title=Guy Thys désigné sélectionneur de l’équipe idéale des Diables Rouges |language=fr |url=https://www.lesoir.be/347741/article/2021-01-08/guy-thys-designe-selectionneur-de-lequipe-ideale-des-diables-rouges-video}}