Urbain Haesaert

Urbain Haesaert
Personal information
Date of birth (1941-05-05) 5 May 1941
Place of birth Waasmunster, Belgium
Managerial career
Years Team
1979–1981 Lokeren
1981–1982 Berchem Sport
1982–1983 Beringen
1983–1989 Waregem
1990–1993 Germinal Ekeren
1993–1995 Royal Antwerp
1995–1996 Oostende
1996–1998 Eendracht Aalst
1998 Eendracht Aalst (scout)
1998–2004 Germinal Beerschot Antwerpen (developer)
2004–2010 Ajax (scout)
2010–2018 Anderlecht (developer)
2018– Ajax (scout)

Urbain Haesaert (born 5 May 1941) is a Belgian football scout and former football manager. He started coaching at Lokeren. Together with Josef Vacenovský, he reached the quarter-finals of the 1980–81 UEFA Cup with Lokeren, and was vice-champion of Belgium, placing second behind Anderlecht in the 1980–81 Belgian First Division.

After bringing Beringen to the First Division A in 1983, Haesaert moved to Waregem. He was able to turn Waregem into a competitive club, and in 1986 he reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup with the club.

In 1998 Haesaert quit with managing and became Director of Training at Germinal Beerschot, while in 2004 he became a scout for Ajax. His discoveries, brought from his former club Beerschot to Ajax, include Thomas Vermaelen, Toby Alderweireld, Tom De Mul and Jan Vertonghen. In 2010 he became scout for Anderlecht, playing a role in the discovery of other football talents there, and by 2018 he was back at Ajax.