Rob Rensenbrink (; 3 July 1947 – 24 January 2020) was a Dutch footballer and member of the Netherlands national team that reached two World Cup finals in 1974 and 1978. A creative and prolific left winger or forward, he became a legend in Belgium whilst playing in the great Anderlecht side 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.

Club career 
Born 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 Francois Van der Elst for the fourth goal. 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.

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 1000 in 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. In an intense match, the Netherlands fell behind to a first-half Mario Kempes strike. After Dick Nanninga's equalizer 9 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 to score but his shot from a very narrow angle was deflected on to the post and bounced clear. Had he scored, it is almost certain that Holland 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.

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. He died on 24 January 2020. Belgian news sources reported that he had been diagnosed with a muscular disease in 2012 which led to his death.

Career statistics

Club

International

Honours 

Club Brugge
Belgian Cup: 1969–70

Anderlecht
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
Amsterdam Tournament: 1976
European Super Cup: 1976, 1978
Tournoi de Paris: 1977
Jules Pappaert Cup: 1977
Belgian Sports Merit Award: 1978

Toulouse
Division 2: 1981–82

Netherlands
FIFA World Cup: runner-up 1974, 1978
UEFA European Football Championship: third place 1976

Individual
Belgian First Division top scorer: 1972–73
FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1974, 1978
European Cup Winners' Cup top scorer: 1975–76
IOC European Footballer of the Season: 1975–76
Belgian Golden Shoe: 1976
Onze d'Or: 1976
Ballon d'Or: runner-up 1976, third place 1978
Onze de Onze: 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979
FIFA World Cup Bronze Boot: 1978
FIFA World Cup Most Assists: 1978
Onze de Bronze: 1978, 1979
France Football's World Cup Top-100 1930-1990 46th: 1994
Planète Foot's 50 of the World's Best Players: 1996
FIFA 100: 2004
Placar's 100 World Cup Stars 42nd: 2005
Best foreign player in the Belgian First Division of all time: 2007
Best RSC Anderlecht player of all time: 2008
The Best Golden Shoe Team: 2011
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup All-time top scorer: (25 goals)
Scorer of the 1000th World Cup goal
DH The Best RSC Anderlecht Team Ever: 2020

References

External links 

 Portland Timbers stats
 

1947 births
2020 deaths
FIFA 100
Dutch men's footballers
Footballers from Amsterdam
Men's association football wingers
Men's association football forwards
Netherlands men's international footballers
Eredivisie players
Belgian Pro League players
North American Soccer League (1968–1984) players
Ligue 2 players
AFC DWS players
Club Brugge KV players
R.S.C. Anderlecht players
Portland Timbers (1975–1982) players
Toulouse FC players
1974 FIFA World Cup players
UEFA Euro 1976 players
1978 FIFA World Cup players
Expatriate men's footballers in Belgium
Expatriate men's footballers in France
Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States
Dutch expatriate sportspeople in Belgium
Dutch expatriate sportspeople in France
Dutch expatriate sportspeople in the United States
Neurological disease deaths in the Netherlands
Deaths from motor neuron disease
피터르 로버르트 "로프" 렌센브링크(, 1947년 7월 3일 ~ 2020년 1월 24일)는 은퇴한 네덜란드의 축구 선수로, 포지션은 왼쪽 윙어였다. 두 번의 FIFA 월드컵(1974, 1978)에서 준우승을 하였으며, 1970년대 RSC 안데를레흐트에서 뛰며 벨기에 주필러 리그에서 많은 명성을 얻었다.

재능있고 독창적인 윙어였던 렌센브링크는 현역 시절 페널티킥을 단 2번 실축하였는데, 가끔 골키퍼에게 어디로 찰 것인지 알려준 후 그곳에 차넣어 득점을 올리기도 하였다.

클럽 경력 
로프 렌센브링크는 1965년 네덜란드의 아마추어팀 도르 빌스크라흐트 스터르크에서 경력을 시작하였다. 그 후 벨기에로 건너가 클럽 브루게 KV와 RSC 안데를레흐트에서 성공을 거두었다. 1972년 주필러리그 득점왕을 차지하기도 하였다. 포틀랜드 팀버스와 툴루즈 FC에서 뛴 후 은퇴하였다.

얀 물더르는 렌센브링크에 대해 '렌센브링크는 요한 크라위프만큼 좋은 선수였다. 단지 그만이 그렇게 생각하지 않았다'라고 말하였다.

국제무대 경력 
렌센브링크는 1968년 스코틀랜드전에서 A매치 데뷔를 하였다. 그러나 요한 크라위프와 피트 케이저르에 가려져 출장 기회를 갖지 못하였으나, 리뉘스 미헐스가 그를 1974년 FIFA 월드컵에 데려갔다. 당시 대표팀은 주로 AFC 아약스와 페예노르트의 선수들로 구성되어 있었으며, 렌센브링크는 그 시스템에 익숙하지 않았다. 그의 포지션은 측면 공격형 미드필더였으나, 요한 크라위프에게 밀려 피트 케이저르를 뒤이어 왼쪽 윙 자리에서 활약하였다. 결승전에 선발 출전하였으나, 준결승전에서 부상을 입어서 전반전만 뛰고 교체되었다. 네덜란드는 서독에게 2-1로 역전패하였다.

렌센브링크는 1978년 FIFA 월드컵에서 요한 크라위프의 빈자리를 메웠다. 첫 경기 이란전에서 해트트릭을 달성, 스코틀랜드전에서는 월드컵 통산 1,000골을 달성하였다. 결승전인 아르헨티나전에서 1-1로 팽팽히 맞서고 있던 중 후반 종료 30초 전에 뤼트 크롤의 패스를 받아 골키퍼와 1대1 상황을 만들어냈으나, 골대를 맞추었다. 결국 네덜란드는 3-1로 패하였고, 렌센브링크는 대회 5득점으로 대회 득점왕 마리오 켐페스(6골)의 뒤를 이었다. 1979년 국가대표팀에서 은퇴하였다.

2004년 3월 펠레가 선정한 현존하는 최고의 축구 선수 목록인 FIFA 100에 선정되었다.

수상

클루브 브뤼헤 

 벨기에 컵 : 1969-70

안더레흐트 

 벨기에 퍼스트 디비전 : 1971-72, 1973-74
 벨기에 컵 : 1971-72, 1972-73, 1974-75, 1975-76
 벨기에 리그컵 : 1973, 1974
 유로피언컵 위너스컵 : 1975-76, 1977-78
 유로피언 슈퍼컵 : 1976, 1978

툴루즈 

 디비시옹 2 : 1981-82

네덜란드 

 FIFA 월드컵 준우승 : 1974, 1978
 UEFA 유로 3위 : 1976

개인 
 발롱도르 : 2위 (1976), 3위 (1978)
 벨기에 퍼스트 디비전 득점왕 : 1972-73
 유로피언컵 위너스컵 득점왕 : 1975-76
 벨기에 골든슈 : 1976
 FIFA 월드컵 브론즈부트 : 1978
 FIFA 월드컵 도움왕 : 1978
 유로피언컵 위너스컵 역대 최다 득점자 : 25골
 옹즈도르 : 1976
 옹즈 드 브론즈 : 1978, 1979
 옹즈 드 옹즈 : 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979
 월드컵 1000번째 득점 기록자 : 1978

선정 

 FIFA 100 : 2004
 벨기에 퍼스트 디비전 역대 최고의 외국인 선수 : 2007
 안더레흐트 역대 최고의 선수 : 2008
 DH 선정 안더레흐트 역대 베스트 : 2020
 IOC 선정 유럽 올해의 선수 : 1975-76
 베스트 골든슈팀 : 2011

1947년 출생
2020년 사망
네덜란드의 남자 축구 선수
클뤼프 브뤼허 KV의 축구 선수
RSC 안데를레흐트의 축구 선수
툴루즈 FC의 축구 선수
1974년 FIFA 월드컵 참가 선수
1978년 FIFA 월드컵 참가 선수
암스테르담 출신
FIFA 100
남자 축구 공격수
벨기에의 외국인 남자 축구 선수
프랑스의 외국인 남자 축구 선수
UEFA 유로 1976 참가 선수
네덜란드 남자 축구 국가대표팀 선수
미국의 외국인 남자 축구 선수
포틀랜드 팀버스의 축구 선수
네덜란드의 해외 진출 남자 축구 선수
리그 2의 축구 선수
에레디비시의 축구 선수
벨기에 프로 리그의 축구 선수
프랑스에 거주한 네덜란드인
미국에 거주한 네덜란드인
벨기에에 거주한 네덜란드인
20세기 네덜란드 사람
21세기 네덜란드 사람
북미 사커 리그 (1968년)의 축구 선수