François Sterchele facts for kids
Sterchele in 2004
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 14 March 1982 | ||
| Place of birth | Liège, Belgium | ||
| Date of death | 8 May 2008 (aged 26) | ||
| Place of death | Vrasene, Beveren, Belgium | ||
| Height | 1.85 m | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2001–2004 | Union La Calamine | ||
| 2004–2005 | Oud-Heverlee Leuven | 31 | (32) |
| 2005–2006 | Charleroi | 31 | (9) |
| 2006–2007 | Germinal Beerschot | 32 | (21) |
| 2007–2008 | Club Brugge | 31 | (11) |
| Total | 154 | (96) | |
| National team | |||
| 2007–2008 | Belgium | 4 | (0) |
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François Sterchele (born 14 March 1982 – died 8 May 2008) was a professional football player from Belgium. He was known as a striker, which is a player who mainly tries to score goals.
François played for several teams, including Germinal Beerschot and Club Brugge. He was the top goal scorer in the Jupiler League during the 2006–07 season. Sadly, François passed away in a car accident on 8 May 2008.
Contents
Playing for Football Clubs
François Sterchele began his football journey at a small team called FC Loncin. This team was in the Belgian Provincial leagues in the Liège area.
Early Career and Promotions
When he was ten years old, François joined R.F.C. de Liège. He stayed there for ten years, learning and improving his skills. After that, he moved to R.F.C. Union La Calamine.
He played for Union La Calamine for three seasons. Then, a team from the third division, Oud-Heverlee Leuven, signed him. In the 2004–05 season, he scored an amazing 21 goals. This made him the second-highest scorer in the league. His eight goals in the playoffs helped his team get promoted to the second tier of Belgian football.
Reaching the Top Division
Because of his great performance, François moved up to the top football league in Belgium, the Jupiler League. He joined Charleroi. There, he was coached by Jacky Mathijssen, who helped him a lot in his development as a player.
After just one year with Charleroi, he moved to K.F.C. Germinal Beerschot. This is where he became the league's top goal scorer, which means he scored more goals than anyone else that season.
On 19 July 2007, François joined Club Brugge. This meant he was reunited with his former coach, Jacky Mathijssen. In his very first league game for Club Brugge against Mons, he scored two goals!
Remembering François Sterchele
François Sterchele passed away on 8 May 2008, in a car accident. He was driving home when he lost control of his car and crashed into a tree. No other vehicles were involved in the accident.
Tributes from Football Clubs and Fans
After his passing, Club Brugge, his last team, decided to honor him in a special way. They retired the number 23 jersey. This means no other player on Club Brugge will wear the number 23, as a tribute to François.
The fans of Club Brugge also show their respect by singing his name during games. They do this in the 23rd minute of every match their team plays. When Birmingham City F.C. played against Club Brugge in the Europa League, their fans also clapped to show their respect for François. They continued this tribute at their home stadium, St. Andrews.
There is also a special friendly football match called the "Coppa Sterchele." Each year, two of his former teams play this match to remember him.
See also
In Spanish: François Sterchele para niños
