Walter Baseggio

Walter Baseggio

Personal information
Full name	Walter Baseggio
Date of birth	19 August 1978 (1978-08-19)
Place of birth	Clabecq, Belgium
Height	1.84 m (6 ft 1⁄2 in)
Playing position	Midfielder
Youth career
1985–1991	SC Clabecq
1991–1996	Anderlecht
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1996–2005	Anderlecht	279	(49)
2006	Treviso	28	(1)
2007	Anderlecht	10	(0)
2008–2010	Mouscron	41	(6)
2010–2011	Tubize	15	(1)
National team
1999–2005	Belgium	27	(1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 31 July 2011. † Appearances (Goals).

Walter Baseggio (born 19 August 1978 in Clabecq, Wallonia) is a Belgian footballer who plays as a central midfielder.

Club career

Baseggio made an impressive debut for R.S.C. Anderlecht aged 17, against old rivals Standard Liège, and scored his first goal on the same occasion. At the time a hot prospect for the future, he was in direct competition with Swede Pär Zetterberg and Enzo Scifo, two players whose talent was already confirmed. Eventually, Baseggio became a first team regular, and then the maestro of the team after the departures of the pair in the late 1990s.

With the return of Zetterberg in the summer of 2003, Anderlecht coach Hugo Broos decided that there was no room for both players, and Baseggio found himself with few game opportunities, until the manager was fired in February 2005. After a disappointing end of season, he also played second-choice for new coach Franky Vercauteren.

In 2005–06, Baseggio was transfer listed, joining Italy's Treviso F.B.C. 1993 in January 2006, being relegated from Serie A in his first year. However, in the mid-season interval of the next season, he returned to Anderlecht. In his two stints with the Brussels outfit, he won four national leagues, although he was only a fringe player in the last.

After only three matches in the first part of 2007–08, Baseggio again moved in January, joining R.E. Mouscron for an undisclosed fee, with a contract due to expire in June 2010.

On 20 May 2010, the 31-year old signed a three-year deal with AFC Tubize in the second division, being a free agent since late in the previous year, after Mouscron had folded due to serious financial problems.

International career

Baseggio made his Belgium debut on 27 March 1999 (aged 20) in a 0–1 friendly loss in Bulgaria, going on to collect a further 26 caps.

He did not take part, however, in any major international tournament, being injured for both the UEFA Euro 2000 and 2002 FIFA World Cup competitions.

External links

• Walter Baseggio at National-Football-Teams.com
• Official website

Preceded by Eric Addo

Belgian Young Footballer of the Year 1998–2000

Succeeded by Alin Stoica