Johan Walem

Johan Walem (born 1 February 1972) is a Belgian football manager and former player. Walem was considered one of the best Belgian midfielders of his generation. He gained 36 caps for the national team, scoring two goals, of which one at the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea. After his playing career, he worked as head coach of Kortrijk, the Cyprus national team and the Anderlecht women's football team.

Club career Walem was born in Soignies, Belgium. Aged 14, he joined the youth academy of Anderlecht in 1986 after spending six seasons in the youth ranks of RWD Molenbeek. During his time at Anderlecht, he played alongside Bertrand Crasson, with whom he had developed a close friendship. Walem made his first-team debut for Anderlecht in 1991 at the age of 19, two years after Crasson, in an away match against Lierse. Aged 19, he also made his European Cup debut on October 2, 1991, against Grasshoppers in Zurich, a match that saw the Belgian team win 0-3. Following his breakthrough season, he was named Belgian Young Professional Footballer of the Year.

A creative central midfielder, Walem was known for his vision, passing ability, technical skills, and strong left foot. Although highly regarded for his playmaking qualities, he scored relatively few goals, recording 18 goals in 247 official appearances. During his time at Anderlecht, which lasted until 1997, he won three Belgian league titles and one Belgian Cup.

In 1997, Walem moved to Italy, where he played in Serie A for Udinese. At Udinese, he was nicknamed Il Geometra (The Geometer) as he was very precise in his passes. His partnership with German striker Oliver Bierhoff was also praised at that time. In 1999, he joined Parma. After a two-season spell with Standard Liège, he returned to Italy to play in Serie B with Torino and Catania. Walem retired from professional football in 2005.

International career One of his country's top prospects in his position, after playing for every youth team starting with the U15s, Walem joined the Belgian senior national team in 1991, making his debut on November 20, 1991, in a 0-1 defeat to Germany in Euro '92 qualifying.

He played until 2002, making 36 appearances and scoring two goals, including one in the 2002 World Cup, the only one he played in his career, in a 3-2 victory against Russia. Walem scored the goal that sent his team to the round of 16.

At the World Cup held in South Korea and Japan, the Red Devils were eliminated in the round of 16 by Brazil (2-0), who went on to lift the trophy. Walem was otherwise called up for the 2000 European Championships, which were played in Belgium and the Netherlands, but was never used due to an ankle injury.

Coaching career He initially worked as a television football analyst for Belgacom TV before pursuing a full-time coaching career. He began coaching with the reserve team of Anderlecht, remaining in charge for two seasons. He subsequently worked with Udinese's Under-21 team, had two spells as head coach of the Belgium Under-21 national team, and also managed KV Kortrijk. He later became head coach of the Cyprus national team. As coach of the Anderlecht woman's team, he won the Belgian championship in 2022.

Career statistics

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

Honours

Player Anderlecht Belgian First Division: 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95 Belgian Cup: 1993–94; runner-up 1996–97 Belgian Super Cup: 1993, 1995

Parma Supercoppa Italiana: 1999

Udinese UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2000

Belgium FIFA Fair Play Trophy: 2002 World Cup

Individual Belgian Young Professional Footballer of the Year: 1991–92

Managerial statistics

TeamFromToRecordGWDLWin %Cyprus25 January 202017 February 2021