François Van der Elst facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
François Van der Elst

Van der Elst in 1977
Personal information
Date of birth	(1954-12-01)1 December 1954
Place of birth	Opwijk, Belgium
Date of death	11 January 2017(2017-01-11) (aged 62)
Place of death	Aalst, Belgium
Height	1.72 m
Playing position	Winger
Youth career
1965–1969	VCE Mazenzele
1969–1971	Anderlecht
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1971–1980	Anderlecht	243	(82)
1980–1981	New York Cosmos	43	(12)
1981–1983	West Ham United	62	(14)
1983–1986	Lokeren	57	(12)
Total		405	(120)
National team
1973–1983	Belgium	44	(14)
Honours Representing  Belgium UEFA European Championship Runner-up 1980
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

François Van der Elst (born December 1, 1954 – died January 11, 2017) was a famous Belgian football player. He was known for winning many national and European football trophies. Most of his big wins were with the club R.S.C. Anderlecht.

Early Life and Football Start

François Van der Elst was born in Opwijk, Belgium. People often called him "Swat." When he was young, he played for his local team. He usually played in the middle of the field. Even then, he was great at dribbling the ball and scoring goals.

Playing for Football Clubs

Time with Anderlecht

From 1969 to 1980, François Van der Elst played for Anderlecht. He joined the senior team when he was just 16 years old. He played in many different positions, like a forward or a right winger. He scored 82 goals in the Belgian Pro League. Overall, he scored more than 100 goals for Anderlecht.

Fans loved Van der Elst because he often scored important goals. In 1976, his team won the 1975–76 European Cup Winners' Cup. He scored two goals in the final game against West Ham United, helping Anderlecht win 4–2. The next season, he was the top scorer in the league with 21 goals.

With Anderlecht, he won two national titles and four cups between 1971 and 1980. He also won the European Cup Winners' Cup twice, in 1976 and 1978. He scored 18 goals in this competition, which is the fourth highest ever.

Playing in Other Countries

After his time in Belgium, Van der Elst played for the New York Cosmos in the United States. This was a short period. In January 1982, he joined West Ham United in England. He scored 17 goals in 70 games for them.

Return to Belgium and Retirement

He later returned to Belgium to play for K.S.C. Lokeren. Sadly, he had to stop playing football after breaking his leg. This injury happened at the start of the 1985-86 season.

Playing for His Country

François Van der Elst played 44 games for the Belgian national team. He scored 14 goals for his country. He helped Belgium reach second place in the UEFA Euro 1980 tournament. He was also part of the team that played in the 1982 FIFA World Cup.

Personal Life and Passing

François had a younger brother named Leo Van der Elst. Leo was also a professional football player. Both brothers played for the Belgian national team.

After he stopped playing football, Van der Elst owned a snooker and billiards bar. It was in his hometown of Opwijk. On New Year's Day in 2017, he had heart failure. He was put into a special sleep in the hospital. Ten days later, on January 11, 2017, he passed away at age 62.

Awards and Achievements

Hugo Broos, Van Der Elst and Eric Gerets during a training of the national team, 1977

Club Trophies

• 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 (winners), 1977–78 (winners)
• European Super Cup: 1976, 1978
• Amsterdam Tournament: 1976
• Tournoi de Paris: 1977
• Jules Pappaert Cup: 1977
• Belgian Sports Merit Award: 1978
• North American Soccer League: 1980

International Achievements

Belgium

• UEFA European Championship: 1980 (runners-up)
• Belgian Sports Merit Award: 1980

Individual Awards

• Belgian First Division top scorer: 1976-77 (21 goals)
• European Cup Winners Cup Top Scorer: 1977-78 (6 goals)
• Ballon d'Or nomination: 1978

See also

In Spanish: François van der Elst para niños