Exactly 20 years ago, Peter Vandenbemt and Eddie Snelders first commented on football on Radio 1. To celebrate, Vandenbemt went to his friend and colleague with a beautiful cake. We went along.
Saturday 10 November 2001 was an unforgettable day for Belgian football. That evening, the Red Devils won at home against the Czech Republic, a crucial jumping match for the World Cup in Japan and South Korea. The score was 1-0, the alternate top scorer: Geert Verhein.
Something wonderful happened in the stands of the King Baudouin Stadium. Peter Vandenbempt provided radio commentary for the first time with Eddy Snelders.
Snelders stopped playing football a few years ago and also worked for a brief period as an assistant coach for the Red Devils. But it soon turned out that the jacket of the co-commentator fit him perfectly.
pink glasses
Peter Vandenbempt didn’t want to let this Christmas go that way and secretly worked out a little surprise. He went to brushes with cake, champagne, and cardboard to honor his colleague and friend.
“Too lovely to eat,” Eddie Snelders responds to the lovely cake with a photo of the duo. However, the pieces were finely – well – divided.
When things go wrong, I wear Eddy’s rose-colored glasses.
Snelders tells us he hopes to add a few more years. Vandenbempt reacts succinctly in true football language: “We have to be professional and we’ll look at it year after year. Eddie of course won’t get any younger. Hopefully in 5 years we can celebrate a silver jubilee.”
When Peter Vandenbett was asked about his highlights with Snelders, he immediately thought of returning to the 2002 World Cup Belgium-Brazil match. Although that followed a few less years later.
Vandenbempt: “When things went wrong, I once put on Eddie’s pink glasses. All to deal with bad football. That was funny.”
On Saturday, the two men will comment on the Belgium-Estonia match. Let’s hope the Red Devils can qualify once again for a major tournament.
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