Stijn Vreven

Stijn Vreven
Vreven with Vitesse
Personal information
Date of birth (1973-07-18) 18 July 1973 (age 51)
Place of birth Hasselt, Belgium
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Right-back
Youth career
Diepenbeek
Sint-Truiden
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1993–1997 Mechelen 84 (3)
1997–1999 Gent 57 (0)
1999–2003 Utrecht 113 (3)
2003–2004 1. FC Kaiserslautern 8 (0)
2004–2005 Vitesse Arnhem 46 (0)
2006 Omonia 6 (0)
2006–2007 ADO Den Haag 20 (0)
2007–2008 Sint-Truiden 11 (0)
2008 → Tongeren (loan)
2008–2010 Leopoldsburg
2010–2012 Esperanza Neerpelt
International career
Belgium U18 3 (0)
1994–1995 Belgium U21 13 (1)
2002 Belgium 2 (0)
Managerial career
2010–2012 KFC Esperanza Neerpelt
2012–2013 Dessel Sport
2013–2015 Lommel United
2015–2016 Waasland-Beveren
2017–2018 NAC Breda
2018–2019 Beerschot Wilrijk
2019–2020 Lokeren
2020–2021 AS Trenčín
2022–2023 Dessel Sport
2023 Oostende
2024 FK Panevėžys
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Stijn Vreven (born 18 July 1973) is a Belgian professional football manager and a former player.

Playing career

Vreven's career began when he signed a professional contract with Y.R. K.V. Mechelen, making his first first-team appearance in 1993, at the age of 20. After four seasons in Mechelen he moved to K.A.A. Gent where he developed into a better player for another two seasons. Then he made the step abroad to play for Dutch side FC Utrecht. In four seasons Vreven developed from an unknown player into a hero among the FC Utrecht supporters. He's known for his determination and aggressiveness, which gave him the status of a real killer on the pitch. After his period in Utrecht he moved to Germany to play for Bundesliga side 1. FC Kaiserslautern. He was not able to become a first team regular and returned to The Netherlands the year after where he played for Vitesse Arnhem. At Vitesse he showed that he still had the same determination and became a regular from the start. When criticising his own team mates in December 2005 manager Edward Sturing placed Vreven in Vitesse's second team. A few weeks later he left the team to sign a new contract at AC Omonia in Cyprus. After playing just six matches he returned to The Netherlands once again, where he joined ADO Den Haag.

In March 2007, Vreven was diagnosed with diabetes (type 1). This did not stop him, however, from continuing to play football. In August 2007, Vreven played for Sint-Truiden and joined in January 2008 K.S.K. Tongeren on loan.[1] He returned in summer 2008 to K. Sint-Truidense V.V. and moved to K.E.S.K. Leopoldsburg.[2] In November 2010 he left K.E.S.K. Leopoldsburg and signed a contract as player-coach by KFC Esperanza Neerpelt.[3]

Coaching career

From 2012 till June 2015 he was the coach of K.F.C. Dessel Sport. He was the coach of Waasland-Beveren from July 2015 to October 2016.

On 20 June 2023, Vreven was hired as manager of Oostende, recently relegated from the Belgian Pro League.[4] Following a rough start to the season compounded by point deductions owing to missed repayment deadlines, Vreven was dismissed on 11 December 2023, with the club bottom of the Challenger Pro League.[5]

On 28 May 2024, Vreven was appointed manager of FK Panevėžys.

Honours

Utrecht

References

  1. ^ A-kern KESK Leopoldsburg Archived 11 April 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ Stijn Vreven, Speler bij K ESK Leopoldsburg: Zamante
  3. ^ Stijn Vreven – KFC Esperanza Neerpelt Archived 20 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ "WELKOM STIJN VREVEN!" [WELCOME STIJN VREVEN!] (in Dutch). Oostende. 20 June 2023. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  5. ^ "Stijn Vreven moet het (zinkende?) schip verlaten bij KV Oostende". sporza (in Dutch). 11 December 2023. Archived from the original on 11 December 2023. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  6. ^ "2003: FC UTRECHT NEEMT REVANCHE". totoknvbbekker.nl. 12 March 2018. Retrieved 17 October 2020.