By Darren Ennis
BRUSSELS, Dec 22 - Former international Rene
Vandereycken has been named as the new national coach of Belgium
until 2008, a spokesman for the FA said on Thursday.
Vandereycken, 52, will take up his new post on Jan. 1 when
current coach Aime Antheunis steps down.
Antheunis takes charge at Belgian first division club,
Lokeren after failing to lead the national team to the World Cup
finals for the first time since 1978.
"There will be a press conference tomorrow at which we will
confirm Vandereycken's appointment," the spokesman added.
Vandereycken was sacked as coach of Racing Genk in the close
season despite guiding them to a UEFA Cup spot.
Previously he had spells as coach with Anderlecht and Ghent
in his homeland along with Mainz 05 in Germany and FC Twente
with whom he won the Dutch Cup
As a player he is best known for his antics during the 1986
World Cup finals when he was sent home from Mexico following a
dispute with the coaching staff.
Former international goalkeeper and chairman of the
technical commission of the Belgian FA, Michel Preud'homme was
responsible for making the recommendation to the executive
committee on Thursday.
Vandereycken became the only realistic candidate after
current Charleroi coach, Jacky Mathijssen and Danish chief
Morten Olsen both ruled themselves out of the running.