Waseige - great motivator (Allsport).

By Reece Killworth, Sportinglife.com

Robert Waseige was just what Belgian football needed after Georges Leekens' spell as national coach.

Waseige is a man who knows which players he wants and knows what he wants from those players - and he usually gets it.

Since replacing Leekens in August 1999, Wasiege has turned the Belgian side around.

At the end of Leekens' spell, in which he had used no less than 70 players in 29 games, Belgium were 33rd in the FIFA rankings - below the likes of Israel and Zambia.

But two years was all it took Waseige to get them back into the top 25, and they now sit in 22nd.

Often criticised for his one-dimensional outlook, Waseige has built a reputation as a superb man-motivator.

He knows his players better than anyone and knows how to get them peforming at their best - something he has learned during his 31-year career as a coach.

After an unspectacular career as a player with FC Luettich, RWD Molenbeek and KFC, Waseige broke into coaching in 1971.

After a spell with KFC, Waseige climbed his way through the Belgian leagues with Sporting Lokeren and Charleroi before switching to Portuguese giants Sporting Lisbon.

He was back at Charleroi a year later, though, before the national side came calling in their time of crisis.

A three-time Belgian coach of the year, Waseige doesn't suffer fools gladly and has built a reputation as a no-nonsense manager.

The world stage will witness that at first hand this summer, where Waseige will be looking to lead the Red Devils past the group stage.

Three draws and an early exit were all Leekens and his men could achieve in France four years ago.

Now Waseige has the chance to prove just how far he has taken Belgium.