As coach, he returned in November 2010 to suffer a severe defeat (7-0) with Lierse. “Hard to take, but Dominique’s words (D’Onofrio, then coach of Standard) comforted me at a press conference. He was happy with the victory, but not triumphant. And he added: it hurts my heart for the friend next door.”
Assistant coach, advisor, analyst, a busy daily life
So Van Meir prefers to remember his best memory of Standard: “A 1-0 victory against Anderlecht, goal from Moreira. An incredible atmosphere, 30,000 people in the stadium. You will easily find it on the internet.” In fact. Moreira’s strike, after the relay with Didier Ernst, deceived Filip De Wilde and ended a fifteen-year winless streak for the Rouches against the Mauves, in Sclessin. “A great team, with Dragutinovic, Lukunku, Runje.”
Assistant coach of the national under-19 team, Eric Van Meir is now sports advisor to Lyra-Lierse. “I was first approached to be an ambassador for the club. My role evolved to be a sports advisor. We work in threes, with the coach (Tom Cheers) and the sports manager (Frank Coenen) to make recruitment decisions and make assessments.”
Analyst for Play Sports, Van Meir attends all Lyra-Lierse matches live on site as much as he can. “And when I can’t attend them, I know how to watch them again on video.”he adds. Vaccinated against the coaching virus, Van Meir no longer wishes to take charge of a team. “You depend so much on the results, it’s complicated. It’s not easier when you’re a manager, though. I had to put an end to our collaboration with my friend Bart De Roover (former Lierse teammate)at Lyra-Lierse (in 2023). I can assure you that this is not simple.“
Supporters who finance, players from the area: why Lyra-Lierse, Standard’s opponent in the Cup, is a club apart
