Rob Rensenbrink Explained

Rob Rensenbrink
Fullname:	Pieter Robert Rensenbrink
Birth Date:	3 July 1947
Death Place:	Oostzaan, Netherlands
Birth Place:	Amsterdam, Netherlands
Height:	1.80 m
Position:	Left winger, forward
Youthclubs1:	OVVO Amsterdam
Youthyears2:	–1965
Youthclubs2:	OSV
Years1:	1965–1969
Clubs1:	DWS
Caps1:	120
Goals1:	34
Years2:	1969–1971
Clubs2:	Club Brugge
Caps2:	55
Goals2:	24
Years3:	1971–1980
Clubs3:	Anderlecht
Caps3:	262
Goals3:	143
Years4:	1980
Clubs4:	Portland Timbers
Caps4:	18
Goals4:	6
Years5:	1981–1982
Clubs5:	Toulouse
Caps5:	12
Goals5:	1
Totalcaps:	467
Totalgoals:	208
Nationalyears1:	1968–1979
Nationalteam1:	Netherlands
Nationalcaps1:	46
Nationalgoals1:	14

Pieter Robert Rensenbrink (in Dutch; Flemish pronounced as /ˈrɔp ˈrɛnsə(m)ˌbrɪŋk/; 3 July 1947 – 24 January 2020) was a Dutch footballer and member of the Netherlands national team that reached two FIFA World Cup finals, in 1974 and 1978. A creative and prolific left winger or forward, he became a legend in Belgium while playing in the great Anderlecht sides of the 1970s. He is the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup's all-time top scorer, with 25 goals. A talented dribbler as well as a cool finisher and adequate passer, he only ever missed two penalties in his entire career. He was also the first winner of the Onze d'Or in 1976.

Club career

Born July 3, 1947, in Amsterdam, Rensenbrink started his career at DWS, an Amsterdam amateur club, before moving to Belgian side Club Brugge in 1969. Between 1971 and 1980 he played for Anderlecht where he enjoyed his greatest club successes. In total when in Belgium he twice won the Belgian Championships, the Belgian Cup five times and at European club level the European Cup Winners' Cup twice (in 1976 and 1978, as well as being runner-up in 1977). Rensenbrink delivered a notable performance in the 1976 final as Anderlecht ran out 4–2 winners against West Ham United. He scored two goals, one from the penalty spot and set up François Van der Elst for the fourth goal.^[1] Among his team mates was Dutch internationalist compatriot, Arie Haan. In 1980, he left Anderlecht and wound down his career with a spell at Portland Timbers in the NASL, followed by a brief stay with Toulouse in France in 1981.

International career

Rensenbrink made his international debut for the Netherlands national football team against Scotland in 1968, but picked up relatively few caps due to competition for the forward positions with Johan Cruijff and Piet Keizer. However, Rinus Michels included him for the 1974 FIFA World Cup squad that made the short trip to West Germany.

The Dutch side that took part in the 1974 FIFA World Cup were the pinnacle of Total Football. Most of the 1974 team were made up of players from AFC Ajax and Feyenoord, so Rensenbrink was an outsider and was unfamiliar with playing the system. His preferred position was up front on the left, but that position was already Johan Cruijff's domain, so he played on the left-wing position in midfield, taking over from Ajax player Piet Keizer. He missed one game in the tournament (when Keizer played instead) and was only half-fit for the final after picking up an injury during the semi-final against Brazil. Rinus Michels gambled on Rensenbrink's fitness and played him from start – however he only lasted until half-time and was replaced by René van de Kerkhof. The Netherlands took an early lead through a Johan Neeskens penalty, but goals from Paul Breitner and Gerd Müller gave West Germany a 2–1 victory. Rensenbrink's performances saw him named to the team of the tournament and he was sought by Ajax as a replacement for Keizer. However, contract negotiations fell through and he remained at Anderlecht.^[2]

Rensenbrink stayed in the Netherlands national team during the qualifiers and finals of the 1976 European Football Championship. However, the Netherlands fell at the semi-final stage to Czechoslovakia.

In the 1978 FIFA World Cup tournament in Argentina, the Netherlands again reached the final, but this time without Cruijff (who decided to retire from international football) and under the guidance of Ernst Happel rather than Michels. Out of the shadow of Cruijff, Rensenbrink found more room to showcase his own considerable talent, playing on the left-hand side of a front three alongside Johnny Rep and René van de Kerkhof. He scored a hat-trick in the opening game against Iran, another goal against Scotland which was goal number 1,000 in FIFA World Cup history and a penalty in the 5–1 win over Austria. In the final against Argentina, the Netherlands yet again met the hosts. The Netherlands fell behind to a first-half Mario Kempes strike. After Dick Nanninga's equalizer nine minutes from time, a long pass from the Dutch captain Ruud Krol in the last 30 seconds of normal time gave Rensenbrink a half-chance, but his shot from a very narrow angle hit the post and was cleared by a defender.^[3] Had he scored, it is almost certain that the Netherlands would have won the World Cup with Rensenbrink being top goal scorer. Argentina scored twice in extra-time for a 3–1 victory and the Netherlands again had to settle for the runners-up spot.^[4]

Rensenbrink played some of the qualifiers for Euro 80, but after earning his 46th cap in 1979 (a 2–0 defeat by Poland in a qualifier for Euro 80), he retired from international football at the age of 32, having scored 14 times for his country. He along with Eusébio are the only players to score the most goals from a penalty spot in a tournament (4 in 1978).

He was named by Pelé as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers in March 2004. He was also named Anderlecht's greatest ever foreign player in 2008.

Personal life

Rensenbrink was married and lived in Oostzaan. In the summer of 2015, he revealed that he had been diagnosed with progressive muscular atrophy three years earlier.^[5] He died on 24 January 2020, aged 72. Belgian news sources reported that he had been diagnosed with a muscular disease in 2012 which led to his death.^[6]

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition^[7]

Club	Season	League			National Cup		League Cup		Continental		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
DWS	1965–66	Eredivisie	23	5	3	0	–		–		–		26	5
	1966–67		29	4	2	0	–		2	0	–		33	4
	1967–68		34	10	3	0	–		2	1	–		39	11
	1968–69		34	15	4	3	–		5	1	–		43	19
	Total		120	34	12	3	0	0	9	2	0	0	141	39
Club Brugge	1969–70	First Division	27	10			–		4	3	–		31	13
	1970–71		28	14			–		6	2	–		34	16
	Total		55	24			0	0	10	5	0	0	65	29
Anderlecht	1971–72	First Division	30	16			–		2	0	–		32	16
	1972–73		24	16			–		4	4	–		28	20
	1973–74		29	20			–		2	3	–		31	23
	1974–75		35	19			–		6	3	–		41	22
	1975–76		35	23			–		9	8	–		44	31
	1976–77		34	16			–		9	7	4	2	43	23
	1977–78		24	18			–		7	5	–		31	23
	1978–79		31	12			–		2	0	2	1	33	12
	1979–80		20	3			–		1	0	–		21	3
	Total		262	143			0	0	42	30	4	3	308	176
Portland Timbers	1980	NASL	18	6	–		–		–		–		18	6
Toulouse	1981–82	Division 2	12	1			–		–		–		12	1
Career total			467	208	12	3	0	0	61	37	4	3	544	251

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year^[8]

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Netherlands	1968	3	0
	1969	4	0
	1970	1	0
	1973	2	0
	1974	12	4
	1975	1	0
	1976	6	3
	1977	3	0
	1978	12	7
	1979	2	0
Total		46	14

Honours

Club Brugge^[9]

• Belgian Cup

1969–70

Anderlecht^[10]

• Belgian First Division

1971–72, 1973–74

• Belgian Cup: 1971–72, 1972–73, 1974–75, 1975–76
• Belgian League Cup

1973, 1974

• European Cup Winners' Cup

1975–76, 1977–78; runner-up: 1976–77

• European Super Cup

1976, 1978

• Amsterdam Tournament

1976^[11]

• Tournoi de Paris

1977^[12]

• Jules Pappaert Cup

1977^[13]

• Belgian Sports Merit Award

1978^[14]

Toulouse

• Division 2

1981–82^[15]

Netherlands

• FIFA World Cup

runner-up 1974,^[16] 1978^[17]

• UEFA European Football Championship

third place 1976^[18]

• Tournoi de Paris

1978^[19]

Individual

• Belgian First Division top scorer

1972–73^[20]

• FIFA World Cup All-Star Team

1974, 1978^[21]

• European Cup Winners' Cup top scorer: 1975–76^[22]
• Belgian Golden Shoe

1976^[23]

• Onze d'Or

1976^[24]

• Ballon d'Or

runner-up 1976,^[25] third place 1978^[26]

• Onze de Onze

1976, 1977, 1978, 1979^[27]

• Sport Ideal European XI: 1976,^[28] 1977,^[29] 1978^[30]
• FIFA World Cup Bronze Boot

1978^[31]

• FIFA World Cup Most Assists: 1978^[32]
• Onze de Bronze

1978, 1979^[33]

• France Football's World Cup Top-100 1930–1990 46th: 1994^[34]
• Planète Foot's 50 of the World's Best Players: 1996^[35]
• FIFA 100

2004^[36]

• Placar's 100 World Cup Stars 42nd: 2005^[37]
• Best Foreign Player in the Belgian First Division of All Time: 2007^[38]
• Best RSC Anderlecht Player of All Time: 2008^[39]
• The Best Golden Shoe Team: 2011^[40]
• UEFA Cup Winners' Cup All-time top scorer

(25 goals)

• Scorer of the 1000th World Cup goal^[41]
• DH The Best RSC Anderlecht Team Ever: 2020^[42]

External links

• Portland Timbers stats

Notes and References

1. Web site: RSCA TV – Classic – 1976 – RSC Anderlecht vs West Ham United – UEFA Cup Winner's Cup Final. https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/xOoZO89zctA . 2021-12-21 . live. www.youtube.com.
2. Web site: Player Profile on Robbie Rensenbrink. World Soccer, 1977. 22 June 2015. 13 May 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160513110953/https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwL4ev1QI1K6T25SWEpreFFtcDQ/edit?pli=1. live.
3. https://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/13169168.last-post-rensenbrink-plays-back-painful-miss/ 'Last post: Rensenbrink plays back painful miss'
4. Web site: Rob Rensenbrink: A Post Away From Being A Legend . Caple . Alex . 29 September 2017 . 9 July 2018 . The Versed . Clickon Media . 27 June 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180627005249/https://www.theversed.com/71224/rob-rensenbrink-a-post-away-from-being-a-legend/#.7uT8eY6ZUS . live .
5. http://www.ad.nl/ad/nl/1016/Nederlands-voetbal/article/detail/4109277/2015/07/28/Rob-Rensenbrink-lijdt-aan-afgeleide-van-spierziekte-ALS.dhtml Rob Rensenbrink lijdt aan afgeleide van spierziekte ALS
6. Web site: Netherlands forward Rob Rensenbrink dies at age 72. Associated Press. 26 January 2020. 26 January 2020. 26 January 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200126111514/https://soccer.nbcsports.com/2020/01/25/netherlands-forward-rob-rensenbrink-dies-at-age-72/. live.
7. Web site: Rensenbrink career stats. Football Database.eu. 13 July 2012. 13 July 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140713092144/http://www.footballdatabase.eu/football.joueurs.robby.rensenbrink.16492.en.html. live.
8. https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/rensenbrink-intl.html "Rob Rensenbrink – International Appearances"
9. Web site: Club Brugge Palmares. 8 July 2017. 20 October 2020. 18 July 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170718221444/https://www.clubbrugge.be/nl/geschiedenis. live.
10. Web site: RSC Anderlecht Palmares. 20 October 2020. 11 August 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140811052208/https://www.rsca.be/nl/club/palmares. live.
11. Web site: Amsterdam Tournament. 20 October 2020. 3 October 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181003195533/http://www.rsssf.com/tablesa/amsterdam.html#90. live.
12. Web site: Tournois de Paris : une compétition opposant 4 clubs. 7 September 2017 . 8 November 2020. fr-FR. 9 April 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220409073508/https://www.psgweb.fr/tournoi-de-paris/. live.
13. Web site: Jules Pappaert Cup. October 2018. 20 October 2020. 12 November 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181112181743/https://www.dhnet.be/sports/football/le-trophee-pappaert-c-est-reparti-5bb21893cd70a16d8128c4d6. live.
14. Web site: Nationale Trofee voor Sportverdienste. 20 October 2020. 6 May 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210506183747/https://www.standaard.be/cnt/dmf20191107_04705232. live.
15. Web site: Toulouse Football Club – Palmarès. 20 October 2020. 24 October 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201024211523/https://www.pari-et-gagne.com/toulouse.html. live.
16. Web site: FIFA World Cup 1974. https://web.archive.org/web/20180517171634/http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/archive/germany1974/. dead. 17 May 2018.
17. Web site: FIFA World Cup 1978. https://web.archive.org/web/20180517170604/http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/archive/argentina1978/. dead. 17 May 2018.
18. Web site: UEFA Euro 1976. 20 October 2020. 14 June 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180614050141/http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/season=1976/matches/round=193/match=3693/index.html. live.
19. News: 1978 Tournoi de Paris. RSSSF. 28 February 2017. 13 July 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220713143811/https://www.rsssf.org/tablest/tiparis.html. live.
20. Web site: Topscorer Eerste Klasse. 20 October 2020. 18 October 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201018174912/https://www.voetbal.com/topscoorders/bel-eerste-klasse-a/. live.
21. Web site: FIFA World Cup Awards » All-Star Team. 20 October 2020. 30 June 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160630203237/http://football.sporting99.com/fifa-world-cup-all-star-team.html. live.
22. Web site: Cup Winners Cup Topscorers. 8 November 2020. RSSSF. 2 October 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181002022346/http://rsssf.com/ec/ec2tops.html. live.
23. Web site: Winnaars Gouden Schoen. 20 October 2020. 6 February 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160206094652/https://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf20120111_213. live.
24. Web site: Voetbalvolgers rouwen om 'slangenmens' Rensenbrink: 'Juweel van een voetballer'. 20 October 2020. 22 October 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201022044327/https://www.voetbalprimeur.nl/nieuws/913742/voetbalvolgers-rouwen-om-overleden-rensenbrink-dutch-prince-behind-cruijff-.html. live.
25. Web site: Ballon d'Or 1976. 20 October 2020. 3 March 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160303173728/http://www.francefootball.fr/news/1976-franz-beckenbauer/423402. live.
26. Web site: Ballon d'Or 1978. 20 October 2020. 5 June 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180605095238/http://www.francefootball.fr/news/1978-kevin-keegan/423412. live.
27. Web site: "Onze Mondial" Awards. 2021-12-17. RSSSF. 4 July 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190704020132/http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/onze-awards.html. live.
28. Web site: Sport 1976. BigSoccer . 4 June 2024 .
29. Web site: Sport 1977 . Mundo Deportivo . 4 June 2024 . 11 June 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240611013132/http://hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com/preview/1977/12/31/pagina-3/1402284/pdf.html . live .
30. Web site: Sport 1978 . Mundo Deportivo . 4 June 2024 . 13 June 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240613020027/http://hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com/preview/1979/01/03/pagina-16/1043654/pdf.html . live .
31. Web site: 1978 FIFA World Cup Argentina – Awards. https://web.archive.org/web/20150307173827/http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/archive/argentina1978/awards/index.html. dead. 7 March 2015. FIFA.com. 31 March 2015.
32. News: World Cup 1978. Planetworldcup.com. 29 January 2015. 28 August 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150828000155/http://www.planetworldcup.com/CUPS/1978/wc78statistics.html. live.
33. Web site: 101 voetbaliconen: (81) Rob Rensenbrink. 20 October 2020. 21 October 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201021021503/http://101voetbalmomenten.nl/101-voetbaliconen-81-rob-rensenbrink/. live.
34. Web site: France Football's World Cup Top-100 1930-1990. 2021-12-17. RSSSF. 6 October 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20091006124042/http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/ff-wc100.html. live.
35. Web site: The Best x Players of the Century/All-Time. 2021-12-17. RSSSF. 20 August 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140820050916/http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/best-x-players-of-y.html#planete50. live.
36. Web site: FIFA 100. 20 October 2020. 20 December 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171220002720/http://www.bestfootballplayersever.com/fifa100.php. live.
37. Web site: Os 100 Craques das Copas (Placar Magazine). live. 17 December 2021. 20 June 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130620013430/http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/placwc100.html.
38. Web site: 25 January 2020. Club, Anderlecht en Oranje rouwen om slangenmens Robbie Rensenbrink. 20 October 2020. 19 October 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201019155641/https://sporza.be/nl/2019/06/18/obit-robbie-rensenbrink/. live.
39. Web site: 16 May 2008. Rensenbrink beste speler van Anderlecht allertijden. 20 October 2020. 21 October 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201021110009/https://www.demorgen.be/nieuws/rensenbrink-beste-speler-van-anderlecht-allertijden~b54e10dd/. live.
40. Web site: Het beste Gouden Schoen-elftal ooit. 21 October 2020. 26 October 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201026040855/https://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/go6356m2g. live.
41. Web site: World Cup countdown: Tragic hero scores the competition's 1000th goal. 20 October 2020. 23 October 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201023124039/https://onefootball.com/en/news/world-cup-countdown-tragic-hero-scores-the-competitions-1000th-goal-19500337. live.
42. Web site: La Dernière Heure Het Beste Elftal Aller Tijden. 17 January 2022. 9 January 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220109122258/https://www.voetbalnieuws.be/news/515537/anderlechtfans-kiezen-hun-topelftal-aller-tijden. live.