Maarten Martens Explained

Maarten Martens
Birth Date:2 July 1984
Birth Place:Eeklo, Belgium
Height:1.76 m
Position:Attacking midfielder
Currentclub:AZ Alkmaar (head coach)
Youthyears1:1999–2000
Youthclubs1:Klauwaerts Bassevelde
Youthyears2:2000–2003
Youthclubs2:Anderlecht
Years1:2003–2005
Clubs1:Anderlecht
Caps1:1
Goals1:0
Years2:2004–2005
Clubs2:RKC Waalwijk (loan)
Caps2:23
Goals2:2
Years3:2005–2006
Clubs3:RKC Waalwijk
Caps3:22
Goals3:6
Years4:2006–2014
Clubs4:AZ
Caps4:164
Goals4:34
Years5:2014–2015
Clubs5:PAOK
Caps5:13
Goals5:0
Years6:2015
Clubs6:Cercle Brugge (loan)
Caps6:8
Goals6:0
Totalcaps:231
Totalgoals:42
Nationalyears1:2000
Nationalteam1:Belgium U16
Nationalcaps1:6
Nationalgoals1:1
Nationalyears2:2000
Nationalteam2:Belgium U17
Nationalcaps2:3
Nationalgoals2:0
Nationalyears3:2001–2002
Nationalteam3:Belgium U18
Nationalcaps3:7
Nationalgoals3:0
Nationalyears4:2002–2003
Nationalteam4:Belgium U19
Nationalcaps4:14
Nationalgoals4:1
Nationalyears5:2003
Nationalteam5:Belgium U20
Nationalcaps5:1
Nationalgoals5:0
Nationalyears6:2003–2007
Nationalteam6:Belgium U21
Nationalcaps6:28
Nationalgoals6:7
Nationalyears7:2007–2010
Nationalteam7:Belgium
Nationalcaps7:9
Nationalgoals7:0
Manageryears1:2016–2021
Managerclubs1:Club Brugge (youth)
Manageryears2:2021–2023
Managerclubs2:Jong AZ
Manageryears3:2023–2024
Managerclubs3:AZ Alkmaar (assistant)
Manageryears4:2024–
Managerclubs4:AZ Alkmaar

Maarten Martens (born 2 July 1984) is a Belgian professional football coach and a former player who played as a midfielder, either as an attacking midfielder or winger. He is the current head coach of the Dutch club AZ Alkmaar. Martens was known for his flair, dribbling and goalscoring ability as well as his precise passing and creativity. He previously played for Belgian clubs Anderlecht and Cercle Brugge, Dutch clubs RKC Waalwijk and AZ, as well as Greek club PAOK. At international level, he has represented the Belgium national team.

Early career

Born in Eeklo, Maarten Martens took his first steps in football in Klauwaerts Bassevelde. At the age of eight young Martens joined the youth team of Anderlecht. There, over the years he was a teammate of, among others, Urko Pardo, Mark De Man and Xavier Chen. In 2003 Roda showed interest in the young midfielder, but he decided to stay in the team of his heart. In the 2003–04 season, Martens joined the first team, but he did not have many chances to prove himself. Only once under the coach Hugo Broos did he play at the highest level.

Club career

RKC Waalwijk

Martens' improvement made Anderlecht loan him to another club. Over a year RKC Waalwijk wanted the 20-year-old midfielder so it signed on a year loan. Martens, both as a midfield and winger, improves tremendously in his first season. In the summer of 2005 the club bought him from Anderlecht for a three-year contract. Football journalist Johan Derksen said at that time in one of its VI -columns that Martens is a fantastic footballer and will enjoy playing for Waalwijk.

AZ

In the summer of 2006, Martens moved like his compatriot Mousa Dembélé from AZ. It was Louis van Gaal who noticed the young talents. Martens improved even further under Van Gaal instructions. With AZ he had a key role to the struggle for the league title.

On 28 October 2007, Martens had his first injury. This severe injury kept him outside for a long time. Only in the 2008/09 season did Martens go back into the first team. He played almost every match in that season and attracted the attention of the Italian giants Juventus. But the Belgian midfielder remained in the Netherlands and won the championship with AZ. A year later, Martens made his first appearance in the UEFA Champions League.

In April 2011, Martens was the victim of a charge from his compatriot and former teammate Gill Swerts. On his return in August 2011, Martens immediately scored an important goal in the match against PSV. Two weeks later, Martens was injured again. Only in December 2011, he succeeded to come back in the first team.

In August 2012, after the departure of Niklas Moisander and Rasmus Elm, Martens became the captain of the club. Martens played the first few games of the season, but after a serious knee injury missed the rest of the season.

PAOK

On 15 January 2014, Martens signed a contract with Superleague Greece team PAOK until 30 June 2016. After a year with PAOK, Maartens signed on loan with Belgian club Cercle Brugge for the rest of the 2014-15 season, but after the relegation of the club, he returned to PAOK. On 5 August 2015, Martens reached an agreement with PAOK to terminate his contract with the club.

International career

While Martens played for RKC, he earned the interest of Jean-François De Sart. He became the captain of the Belgium U21 team.

Over the years, the young midfielder was part of a strong generation of players like Vincent Kompany, Marouane Fellaini, Jan Vertonghen, Thomas Vermaelen and Mousa Dembélé. He was selected for the U-21 European Championships in 2007. The young Belgians reached the semi-finals and qualified for the Olympic Games in 2008.

At the Olympics, Belgium promoted from Group C along with Brazil through to the quarterfinals. Belgium surprisingly won Italy to the quarterfinals by 3–2. In the semi-final against Nigeria, Belgium lost 4–1. In the game for the bronze medal Brazil defeated the young Red Devils 3–0.

The good performance of the young Devils stood in contrast to the poor results of the first team. Many players, among Martens, from this team after the Olympic Games were promoted to the first team, but Martens throughout the years did not manage to receive a permanent call. But he is, to date, the player with the most appearances in the Belgium U21 team.

Martens made his debut on 7 February 2007 with Belgium. It was coach Rene Vandereycken who selected him for the first time. After his debut, Martens was barely called for the national team following several injuries. In 2009, Frank Vercauteren, called him for the Kirin Cup in Japan. In 2010, under Dick Advocaat, he appeared in his last international match, replacing Wesley Sonck.

Managerial career

In May 2021, Martens started his first job as head coach in Alkmaar, with Jong AZ, after he already worked in the youth of Club Brugge as an assistant coach.

At the end of the 2022–23 season, he was moved from Jong AZ to the main AZ squad as an assistant coach.[1]

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[2] [3]
ClubSeasonLeagueCupEuropeOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Anderlecht2003–04Pro League1000000010
RKC Waalwijk2004–05Eredivisie2324000272
2005–062263100257
Total45871000529
AZ2006–07Eredivisie311010102404612
2007–0870103000110
2008–093273000357
2009–10315106011396
2010–11246209000356
2011–121543395002712
2012–136110200091
2013–14171206010261
Total1643411345761226!45
PAOK2013–14Super League5021002091
2014–1580205200152
Total130415220243
Cercle Brugge2014–15Pro League80000031111
Career total2314222550911231458

Managerial statistics

Honours

AZ

2008–09

2012–13

2009

Notes and References

  1. Web site: AZ Alkmaar. Bekijk de Special Maarten Martens werkt aan de toekomst. View the Special Maarten Martens is working on the future. 15 June 2023. 11 August 2023. nl.
  2. Web site: Maarten Martens » Club matches . worldfootball.net . 13 July 2018.
  3. Web site: M. Martens - Carrière . Voetbal International . 13 July 2018 . Dutch.