Eric Meijers

Last updated

Eric Meijers
Eric Meijers.jpg
Personal information
Date of birth (1963-08-06) 6 August 1963 (age 61) [1]
Place of birth Nijmegen, Netherlands
Team information
Current team
 TEC (head coach)
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
?–1983 NEC
1983–1991 SV Hatert
Managerial career
1992–1999 SV Hatert
1999–2002 RKHVV
2002–2012 Achilles '29
2012–2013 Helmond Sport
2014–2015 JVC Cuijk
2015–2018 Achilles '29
2018–2019 VVSB
2019–2021 SV Spakenburg
2024 DUNO
2024– TEC
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Eric Meijers (born 6 August 1963) is a Dutch professional football manager and former player who is the head coach of Derde Divisie club TEC.

Coaching career

Meijers is mostly known for his ten-year spell as head coach of Achilles '29, which he turned into a mainstay of Dutch amateur football and a national Topklasse in 2012, for which he was awarded the Rinus Michels Award as best amateur coach of the year.

His successes in 2012 won him interest from Eerste Divisie professionals Helmond Sport, who hired him as new head coach for the 2012–13 season in a one-year contract. Thanks also to five wins in the first five games of the seasons, Helmond ended the season in an impressive fourth place, but was defeated by Sparta Rotterdam in the promotion playoffs. Meijers could not repeat his positive performances in the following seasons, as he was dismissed in September 2013 due to poor results after a home loss to Almere City FC. [2]

In January 2014, it was announced Meijers would return into amateur football, replacing Hans Kraay, Jr. at ambitious Topklasse club JVC Cuijk, effective from the following 2014–15 season. [3]

On 9 November 2014, it was announced that he would return to Achilles '29 after the season to succeed François Gesthuizen, who had made the move to professional football. [4] In 2017, he relegated with Achilles '29 to the Tweede Divisie. After the club struggled with bankruptcy for its professional and first team refused to practice, Meijers immediately stepped down from his position on 11 January 2018. [5] Meijers gained national fame in September 2018 because of a trailer for the documentary Voetbal is oorlog (Football is war) about the relegation year with Achilles '29. [6] [7] [8]

Starting November 2018 he began coaching VVSB. [9] He left the position on 14 November 2019 to become the manager of Tweede Divisie club SV Spakenburg. [10] On 8 November 2021, Meijers was sacked by Spakenburg, with the club sitting in seventeenth position in the Tweede Divisie. [11]

On 8 November 2022, Meijers was appointed assistant coach to Hans van de Haar at Tweede Divisie club TEC. [12] In March 2024, it was announced that he would become head coach of Eerste Klasse club DUNO for the 2024–25 season. [13] However, just months into his role at DUNO, Meijers returned to TEC in November 2024 to replace Eric Speelziek as head coach. [14] [15]

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References

  1. ↑ Eric Meijers at Soccerway
  2. ↑ "Trainer Eric Meijers per direct ontslagen bij Helmond Sport" (in Dutch). Omroep Brabant. 28 September 2013. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
  3. ↑ "Eric Meijers volgt Hans Kraay jr op als trainer bij JVC Cuijk" (in Dutch). Omroep Brabant. 9 January 2014. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
  4. ↑ Nieuwkamp, Walter (9 November 2014). "Meijers keert terug als trainer Achilles'29". BN DeStem (in Dutch).
  5. ↑ "Eric Meijers stopt per direct als trainer van Achilles". Omroep Gelderland (in Dutch). 11 January 2018.
  6. ↑ "Trainer Eric Meijers enthousiast over documentaire Achilles". Omroep Gelderland (in Dutch). 29 September 2018.
  7. ↑ "De kutkeeper en de kutkrant gingen viraal: 'Iets positiefs lazen we nooit terug'". Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). 22 December 2018.
  8. ↑ "Voetbal Inside stuk om agressief amateurtrainertje". dumpert.nl (in Dutch). 8 September 2018.
  9. ↑ "VVSB stelt veelbesproken Eric Meijers aan als trainer".
  10. ↑ Eric Meijers nieuwe trainer Spakenburg, omroepgelderland.nl, 14 November 2019
  11. ↑ Amateurclub Spakenburg ontslaat trainer Eric Meijers, gelderlander.nl, 8 November 2021
  12. ↑ "Eric Meijers versterkt per direct technische staf TEC". Voetbalvereniging TEC (in Dutch). 8 November 2022. Archived from the original on 4 August 2024. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  13. ↑ "Eric Meijers nieuwe trainer Duno". DUNO (in Dutch). 30 March 2024. Archived from the original on 26 January 2025. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  14. ↑ "Eric Meijers per direct weg bij Duno". DUNO (in Dutch). 26 November 2024. Archived from the original on 26 January 2025. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  15. ↑ Steenbergen, Marc van; Zundert, Bram van (26 November 2024). "Eric Speelziek na vijf maanden alweer weg bij TEC, Eric Meijers weggekaapt bij 'overvallen en teleurgesteld' DUNO". De Gelderlander (in Dutch). Retrieved 26 January 2025.
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