Eric Meijers

Eric Meijers

Personal information
Date of birth	(1963-08-06) 6 August 1963 (age 61)[1]
Place of birth	Nijmegen, Netherlands
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(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
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Eric Meijers (born 6 August 1963) is a Dutch football manager.

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]

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