Place of birth Cernauti, Romania Name Norberto Hofling Place of death Bruges, Belgium Role Footballer | Years Team 1945–1946 Dinamo Cernauti | |
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Date of birth (1924-06-20)20 June 1924 Date of death 18 April 2005(2005-04-18) (aged 80) Died April 18, 2005, Bruges, Belgium | ||
Norberto Höfling (20 June 1924 – 18 April 2005) was a Jewish Romanian footballer and coach.
Höfling began his career as professional footballer in Romania, being at his peak between 1945 and 1947 when he played for the national team of Romania and also for Carmen Bucureşti, one of the best teams of that period of time.
He left the country in 1948 to play for MTK Budapest and then he followed the route: Lazio Roma, Pro Patria Calcio, ending his career at Vicenza Calcio.
At the age of 33, in 1957, Höfling started his career as football manager at Club Brugge. He left the club after six years, due to a dispute with Fernand Goyvaerts, then the star player of Club Brugge, to coach the Dutch team Feyenoord.
Being sacked from Feyenoord after only one year, Höfling returned to Belgium after he signed with R.W.D. Molenbeek, helping the team to win promotion into Belgian First Division.
In 1967 he rejoined Club Brugge. His second spell at the club was more successful than the first one, winning the Belgian Cup, before being signed by Anderlecht Brussels, only to be sacked after few months due to poor results.
A second spell at R.W.D. Molenbeek followed, but this time it was for a short period of time only, as he did not manage to win promotion in the top league, as he did with few years earlier when the team was called Racing White.
In 1972 he signed with A.S. Oostende and in only two years he promoted the club from the third division to the top league. Again problems arose between him and the administration and the players that led to his retirement in 1976.
He then went to work at K.A.A. Gent before retiring in 1978.
He was 80 years of age when he died in Bruges.