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Thomas Buffel

{{Short description|Belgian footballer}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Thomas Buffel

| image = Thomas Buffel.JPG

| upright = 0.9

| caption = Buffel in training with Belgium in 2006

| fullname =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1981|02|19}}

| birth_place = Bruges, Belgium

| height = 1.75 m

| currentclub = Jong Genk (manager)

| position = Attacking midfielder

| youthyears1 = 1986–1990 | youthclubs1 = Daring Ruddervoorde

| youthyears2 = 1990–1997 | youthclubs2 = Cercle Brugge

| youthyears3 = 1997–1999 | youthclubs3 = Feyenoord

| years1 = 1999–2005 | clubs1 = Feyenoord | caps1 = 80 | goals1 = 35

| years2 = 2000–2002 | clubs2 = → Excelsior (loan) | caps2 = 63 | goals2 = 27

| years3 = 2005–2008 | clubs3 = Rangers | caps3 = 51 | goals3 = 8

| years4 = 2008–2009 | clubs4 = Cercle Brugge | caps4 = 35 | goals4 = 5

| years5 = 2009–2018 | clubs5 = Genk | caps5 = 235 | goals5 = 34

| years6 = 2018–2019 | clubs6 = Zulte Waregem | caps6 = 18 | goals6 = 4

| totalcaps = 482

| totalgoals = 113

| nationalyears1 = 1995 | nationalteam1 = Belgium U15 | nationalcaps1 = 2 | nationalgoals1 = 0

| nationalyears2 = 1995–1998 | nationalteam2 = Belgium U16 | nationalcaps2 = 12 | nationalgoals2 = 1

| nationalyears3 = 1995–1998 | nationalteam3 = Belgium U17 | nationalcaps3 = 22 | nationalgoals3 = 14

| nationalyears4 = 1998–1999 | nationalteam4 = Belgium U18 | nationalcaps4 = 11 | nationalgoals4 = 1

| nationalyears5 = 2000 | nationalteam5 = Belgium U19 | nationalcaps5 = 1 | nationalgoals5 = 0

| nationalyears6 = 2002 | nationalteam6 = Belgium U21 | nationalcaps6 = 2 | nationalgoals6 = 0

| nationalyears7 = 2002–2013 | nationalteam7 = Belgium | nationalcaps7 = 36 | nationalgoals7 = 6

| manageryears1 = 2019–2020

| managerclubs1 = Belgium U19 (assistant)

| manageryears2 = 2020–2024

| managerclubs2 = Belgium U21 (assistant)

| manageryears3 = 2021

| managerclubs3 = Cercle Brugge (assistant)

| manageryears4 = 2024–2025

| managerclubs4 = Jong Genk

}}

Thomas Buffel ({{IPA|nl|ˈtoːmɑz ˈbʏfəl}};{{efn|In isolation, Thomas is pronounced {{IPA|nl|ˈtoːmɑs|}}.}} born 19 February 1981) is a Belgian professional football coach and a former player who played as an attacking midfielder or forward. He is the manager of Jong Genk in Challenger Pro League. He represented the Belgium national team at international level.

Club career

File:Thomas Buffel Genk.jpg

=Early career=

Buffel began his career with Belgian sides Daring Ruddervoorde and Cercle Brugge before making a move to the Netherlands.

Buffel played for the Dutch team Feyenoord in the 1999–2000 season, before moving to their feeder team Excelsior Rotterdam from 2000 to 2002. He returned to Feyenoord for the 2002–03 Eredivisie season. He reportedly fell out with then-manager Ruud Gullit in the next season "after refusing to sign a new contract".{{cite news|title=Rangers just fan-tastic|url=http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/hi/sport/6016018.html|date=6 January 2005|access-date=2 December 2015|work=Evening Times|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050216000608/http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/hi/sport/6016018.html|archive-date=16 February 2005}}

=Rangers=

Buffel moved to the Scottish side Rangers in January 2005 in a £2.3 million, four-and-a-half-year deal.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/4132791.stm|work=BBC Sport|title=Rangers secure Buffel signature|date=5 January 2005}} He made his debut in the Scottish Cup coming on as a substitute against Old Firm rivals Celtic in what was to be a 2–1 defeat.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_div_1/4154599.stm|work=BBC Sport|title=Celtic 2-1 Rangers|date=9 January 2005}} However, the season did not end badly for him as he was to play a key role in the 2005 Scottish League Cup Final, where Rangers defeated Motherwell 5–1.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_div_1/4359199.stm|work=BBC Sport|title=Rangers 5-1 Motherwell|date=20 March 2005}} He also featured in the Rangers team for the latter part of the season where he would help them to their 51st league title{{cite news|last1=Grahame|first1=Ewing|title=Novo has Rangers in a party mood|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/2360030/Novo-has-Rangers-in-a-party-mood.html|access-date=5 December 2015|work=The Telegraph|date=23 May 2005}} making it a double for his first season with the club. Buffel scored five goals in 18 appearances in all competitions.{{Soccerbase season|32954|2004|name=Thomas Buffel|access-date=5 December 2015}}{{cite web|title=Rangers Player Thomas Buffel Details|url=http://www.fitbastats.com/rangers/player.php?playerid=1165|website=fitbastats.com|access-date=5 December 2015}}

Buffel featured in the Champions League and helped Rangers reach the last 16 of the tournament, where they lost to Villarreal 3–3 on aggregate and were knocked out on away goals rule. Across all competitions, he scored seven goals in 38 appearances during the 2005–2006 season mostly playing in the midfield.{{citation needed|date=December 2015}}

In the 2007 January transfer window, German club Hannover 96 expressed an interest in him, with Rangers manager Walter Smith saying Buffel was free to leave. However, the deal fell through when Buffel was unable to agree personal terms with the Bundesliga side.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/6311741.stm|title=Buffel Bundesliga move collapses|date= 31 January 2007|work=BBC Sport}} It was announced on 9 February 2007 that Buffel would undergo surgery on a long-term knee injury and would not take any further part in the 2006–07 season.{{cite news|title=Buffel's season ended by injury|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/6348611.stm|access-date=2 December 2015|work=BBC Sport|date=9 February 2007}} He returned to action on 26 September as a substitute in a Scottish League Cup tie against East Fife.{{cite web

|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_cups/7010992.stm

|title=East Fife 0-4 Rangers

|publisher=BBC

|date=26 September 2007 |access-date=18 October 2020}} He would go on to make just five appearances in all competitions in his final season at Rangers.{{Soccerbase season|32954|2007|name=Thomas Buffel|access-date=18 October 2020}}

=Cercle Brugge=

Buffel's Rangers career came to an end when he joined former club Cercle Brugge on 1 July 2008.{{cite news|title=Buffel exits Rangers for Cercle|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/7483845.stm|access-date=2 December 2015|work=BBC Sport|date=1 July 2008}}

=Genk=

In the 2009 summer transfer window Buffel made a last-minute transfer to KRC Genk as part of a deal between Genk and Cercle Brugge with Jelle Vossen (on loan) and Hans Cornelis moving the opposite way.{{cite news|title=Buffel naar Genk, Vossen en Cornelis naar Cercle|trans-title=Buffel to Genk, Vossen and Cornelis to Cercle|url=http://www.demorgen.be/sport/buffel-naar-genk-vossen-en-cornelis-naar-cercle-bd869cba/|access-date=2 December 2015|work=De Morgen|date=1 September 2009|language=nl}}

In the 2010–11 season he won the Belgian league title with Genk.{{cite news|last1=Scholten|first1=Berend|title=Genk pip Standard to Belgian title|url=https://www.uefa.com/news/01f1-0e78734e6e7c-69c017afc020-1000--genk-pip-standard-to-belgian-title/|access-date=5 December 2015|work=UEFA|date=17 May 2011}}

His contract was not renewed at the end of the 2017–18 season.{{cite news |title=Thomas Buffel trekt naar Zulte Waregem |url=http://kw.knack.be/west-vlaanderen/sport/voetbal/zulte-waregem/thomas-buffel-trekt-naar-zulte-waregem/article-normal-325915.html |access-date=19 July 2018 |work=KW |publisher=Knack |date=24 June 2018 |language=nl}}

=Zulte Waregem=

In June 2018, it was announced Buffel would continue his career at Zulte Waregem.

Buffel retired at the end of the 2018–19 season.[https://www.gva.be/cnt/dmf20190516_04405275/afscheid-van-thomas-buffel-zal-hem-nog-lang-heugen-compleet-bestickerde-auto-bloem-en-rode-haarkleur Afscheid van Thomas Buffel zal hem nog lang heugen: compleet bestickerde auto, bloem en rode haarkleur], gva.be, 16 May 2019

International career

Buffel made his debut for Belgium against Andorra in October 2002 in what was to be a 1–0 victory.{{cite news|url=http://www.uefa.com/competitions/EURO/history/Season=2004/Round=1579/Match=69026/index.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20070513043040/http://www.uefa.com/competitions/EURO/history/Season=2004/Round=1579/Match=69026/index.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=13 May 2007|publisher=UEFA|title=Andorra 0-1 Belgium|date=12 October 2002}} He has since then gained 35 caps and scored 7 goals.

Coaching career

Buffel began his coaching career in September 2019, when he was appointed assistant manager to Jacky Mathijssen at the Belgium national U-19 team.[https://sportmagazine.levif.be/sport/foot-national/thomas-buffel-nouvel-adjoint-de-l-equipe-nationale-u19/article-belga-1188103.html?cookie_check=1641413134 Thomas Buffel nouvel adjoint de l'équipe nationale U19], sportmagazine.levif.be, 9 September 2019 In March 2020, Buffel and Mathijssen was promoted to the U-21 national team.[https://www.rbfa.be/fr/nouvelles/jacky-mathijssen-nouvel-entraineur-federal-des-u21 JACKY MATHIJSSEN, NOUVEL ENTRAÎNEUR FÉDÉRAL DES U21], rbfa.be, 14 March 2020

On 3 February 2021, Buffel was also hired as an assistant manager for former club Cercle Brugge under newly appointed manager Yves Vanderhaeghe, next to his job at the national team.[https://www.voetbalkrant.com/nieuws/2021-02-03/officieel-yves-vanderhaeghe-is-de-nieuwe-trainer-van-cercle-brugge-thomas-buffel-wordt-assistent Officieel: Yves Vanderhaeghe is de nieuwe trainer van Cercle Brugge, Thomas Buffel wordt assistent], voetbalkrant.com, 3 February 2020 However, on 5 October 2021, Buffel decided to leave the position, as he was going to start his Pro License course and he therefore no longer could combine his two jobs.[https://sporza.be/nl/2021/10/05/cercle-brugge-neemt-afscheid-van-assistent-coach-thomas-buffel~1633450100262/ Cercle Brugge neemt afscheid van assistent-coach Thomas Buffel], sporza.be, 5 October 2021

On 18 June 2024, Buffel was hired as head coach of Jong Genk, the reserve team of Genk that plays in the second-tier Challenger Pro League.{{cite web|publisher=Genk|url=https://www.krcgenk.be/en/news/5578/thomas-buffel-new-coach-jong-genk|title=Thomas Buffel new coach Jong Genk|date=18 June 2024|access-date=15 January 2025}}

Personal life

Buffel was married to Stephanie De Buysser, with whom he had twin sons born in November 2013. They married in June 2016, when De Buysser was already suffering from colon cancer. On 26 January 2017, De Buysser died.{{cite web|url=http://www.standaard.be/cnt/dmf20170126_02696382|title=Vrouw van Thomas Buffel verliest strijd tegen darmkanker|first=Guy|last=Stevens|date=26 January 2017 }}

Career statistics

=Club=

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

rowspan="2"|Club

!rowspan="2"|Season

!colspan="3"|League

!colspan="2"|Cup

!colspan="2"|Continental

!colspan="2"|Other

!colspan="2"|Total

!rowspan="2"|{{Tooltip|Ref.|Reference}}

DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
rowspan="3"|Excelsior (loan)

|2000–01

|rowspan="2"|Eerste Divisie

|31

12colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—3112

|{{cite web |title=Thomas Buffel » Club matches |url=http://www.worldfootball.net/player_summary/thomas-buffel/2/ |website=worldfootball.net |access-date=19 July 2018}}

2001–02

|32

15colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—3215

|

colspan="2"|Total

!63

270000006327

!–

rowspan="4"|Feyenoord

|2002–03

|rowspan="3"|Eredivisie

|31

18701{{efn|Two appearances in UEFA Super Cup}}03918

|

2003–04

|34

1542colspan="2"|—3817

|

2004–05

|15

260colspan="2"|—212

|

colspan="2"|Total

!80

3500172109837

!–

rowspan="5"|Rangers

|2004–05

|rowspan="4"|Scottish Premier League

|10

1005{{efn|Five appearances, three goals in Scottish Premiership playoffs}}3154

|

2005–06

|24

4715{{efn|Five appearances in Scottish Premiership playoffs}}0365

|

2006–07

|16

35100214

|

2007–08

|1

010200040

|

colspan="2"|Total

!51

8101421037613

!–

rowspan="3"|Cercle Brugge

|2008–09

|Belgian First Division

|30

3colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—303

|

2009–10

|Belgian Pro League

|5

2colspan="2"|–colspan="2"|—25

|

colspan="2"|Total

!35

5000000355

!–

rowspan="10"|Genk

|2009–10

|rowspan="7"|Belgian Pro League

|25

420colspan="2"|—9{{efn|Nine appearances, three goals in Belgian Pro League playoffs}}3367

|{{cite web |title=T. Buffel |url=https://int.soccerway.com/players/thomas-buffel/827/ |website=Soccerway |access-date=19 July 2018}}

2010–11

|26

120207{{efn|Seven appearances in Belgian Pro League playoffs}}0371

|

2011–12

|26

810918{{efn|Seven appearances in Belgian Pro League playoffs, one appearance in Belgian Super Cup}}0449

|

2012–13

|29

45111210{{efn|Ten appearances in Belgian Pro League playoffs}}0557

|

2013–14

|26

3109110{{efn|Nine appearances, three goals in Belgian Pro League playoffs, one appearance in Belgian Super Cup}}3467

|

2014–15

|28

310006{{efn|Six appearances, three goals in Belgian Pro League playoffs}}3356

|

2015–16

|28

6410012{{efn|Twelve appearances, three goals in Belgian Pro League playoffs}}34410

|

2016–17

|rowspan="2"|Belgian First Division A

|21

22017410{{efn|Ten appearances, two goals in Belgian First Division playoffs}}2508

|

2017–18

|26

361009{{efn|Nine appearances in Belgian First Division playoffs}}0414

|

colspan="2"|Total

!235

34243488811438859

!–

Cercle Brugge

|2018–19

|Belgian First Division A

|18

420colspan="2"|—10214

|

colspan="3"|Career total

!482

11327379129317681145

!–

{{notelist}}

=International=

:Scores and results list Belgium's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Buffel goal.

class="wikitable sortable"

|+ List of international goals scored by Thomas Buffel

scope="col"|No.

!scope="col"|Date

!scope="col"|Venue

!scope="col"|Opponent

!scope="col"|Score

!scope="col"|Result

!scope="col"|Competition

align="center"|130 April 2003King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium{{fb|Poland}}align="center"|2–0align="center"|3–1Friendly
align="center"|211 October 2003Stade Maurice Dufrasne, Liège, Belgium{{fb|Estonia}}align="center"|2–0align="center"|2–0Euro 2004 Qualification
align="center"|3rowspan="2"|18 August 2004rowspan="2"|Ullevaal, Oslo, Norwayrowspan="2"|{{fb|Norway}}align="center"| 1–0rowspan="2" align="center"|2–2rowspan="2"|Friendly
align="center"|4align="center"|2–1
align="center"|526 March 2005King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium{{fb|Bosnia-Herzegovina}}align="center"|4–1align="center"|4–12006 World Cup Qualification
align="center"|67 September 2005Olympisch Stadion, Antwerp, Belgium{{fb|San Marino}}align="center"|3–0align="center"|8–02006 World Cup Qualification

Honours

Rangers{{cite web |date=6 January 2023 |title=Rangers - Palmarès |url=https://www.footmercato.net/club/glasgow-rangers/palmares |access-date= |work=footmercato.net |language=fr}}

Genk{{Cite web |last=Projects |first=Sanmax |title=Algemene info {{!}} KRC Genk |url=https://www.krcgenk.be/nl/club/algemene-info |access-date=8 November 2020 |website=www.krcgenk.be |language=nl}}

Individual

  • Pro League Hall of Fame: 2024{{cite web |date=5 November 2024 |title=12 Gouden Schoenen en meer dan 3.000 wedstrijden in België: dit is de Pro League Hall of Fame |trans-title=12 Golden Boots and more than 3,000 matches in Belgium: this is the Pro League Hall of Fame |url=https://sporza.be/nl/2024/11/04/12-gouden-schoenen-en-meer-dan-3000-wedstrijden-in-belgie-dit-is-de-pro-league-hall-of-fame~1730737294540/ |access-date= |work=Sporza |language=nl}}

References

{{reflist}}

External links

  • {{Official website|http://www.thomasbuffel.com/}} {{in lang|nl|en}}
  • {{Soccerbase|32954}}
  • {{RBFA player|PH_1598}}
  • {{NFT|693}}

{{Challenger Pro League managers}}

{{Belgian Sportsperson of the Year}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Buffel, Thomas}}

Category:1981 births

Category:Living people

Category:Footballers from Bruges

Category:Belgian men's footballers

Category:Belgium men's international footballers

Category:Belgium men's under-21 international footballers

Category:Belgium men's youth international footballers

Category:Men's association football midfielders

Category:Cercle Brugge K.S.V. players

Category:Excelsior Rotterdam players

Category:Feyenoord players

Category:Rangers F.C. players

Category:K.R.C. Genk players

Category:S.V. Zulte Waregem players

Category:Eredivisie players

Category:Eerste Divisie players

Category:Scottish Premier League players

Category:Belgian Pro League players

Category:Belgian expatriate men's footballers

Category:Expatriate men's footballers in the Netherlands

Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Scotland

Category:Belgian expatriate sportspeople in the Netherlands

Category:Belgian expatriate sportspeople in Scotland

Category:Belgian football managers

Category:Cercle Brugge K.S.V. non-playing staff

Category:Challenger Pro League managers

Category:21st-century Belgian sportsmen