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François Sterchele (14 March 1982 – 8 May 2008) was a Belgian professional footballer who played for Germinal Beerschot and Club Brugge. The striker was the top scorer of the Jupiler League in 2006–07. Sterchele died in a single-person car accident on 8 May 2008.

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François Sterchele

Sterchele in 2004
Personal information
Date of birth	(1982-03-14)14 March 1982[1]
Place of birth	Liège, Belgium
Date of death	8 May 2008(2008-05-08) (aged 26)
Place of death	Vrasene, Beveren, Belgium
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s)	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)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Club career

Sterchele started his career at FC Loncin, a small team from the Belgian Provincial leagues in the province of Liège. At the age of ten, he moved to R.F.C. de Liège where he stayed for ten years before moving to R.F.C. Union La Calamine. After three seasons, he was signed by Oud-Heverlee Leuven, a team in the third division, where he scored 21 goals during the 2004–05 season, finishing second in the topscorers list. In the subsequent playoffs, he scored another eight goals which would help earn the team to promotion to the second tier.

As a result, Sterchele was able to secure a transfer to the top division in Belgian football, the Jupiler League, when he joined Charleroi, where he was trained by Jacky Mathijssen, who would become a considerable influence in his development as a footballer. After just one year, he went to K.F.C. Germinal Beerschot and became the league's top scorer.

On 19 July 2007, Sterchele returned to the tutorship of Mathijssen when he moved to Club Brugge; he scored two goals on his league début against Mons.

Death

In the early morning of 8 May 2008, Sterchele was killed instantly when he crashed his Porsche Cayman S into a tree.

The previous day, Sterchele had visited some friends in Antwerp and was supposed to meet with Jurgen Cavens and Vicenzo Verhoeven. While travelling home on the N49 between Antwerp and Knokke, at around 03:00 CEST on 8 May, Sterchele lost control of his Porsche while speeding and veered into a ditch before hitting a tree. No other vehicles were involved in the accident. Sterchele was pronounced dead at the scene.

Tributes

Club Brugge, Sterchele's last club, decided to retire the number 23 in honor of their deceased striker. The fans of Club Brugge also started singing his name in the 23rd minute of every game their team plays. While playing against them in the Europa League, the fans of Birmingham City F.C. clapped to show their respect, and also carried the tribute out at their home ground, St. Andrews. Also there is the "Coppa Sterchele", each year two of his ex-teams play a friendly match to honor him.

References

На других языках

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[de] François Sterchele

François Robert Dominique Sterchele (* 14. März 1982 in Lüttich; † 8. Mai 2008 in Vrasene) war ein belgischer Fußballspieler, der zuletzt für den FC Brügge spielte.

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- [en] François Sterchele

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[es] François Sterchele

François Sterchele (Lieja, Bélgica, 14 de marzo de 1982 - Beveren, Bélgica, 8 de mayo de 2008), fue un futbolista belga que se desempeñaba como delantero. Falleció en 2008 debido a un accidente de tráfico.

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[fr] François Sterchele

François Sterchele, né le 14 mars 1982 à Liège et mort à Vrasene le 8 mai 2008 d'un accident de la route[1], est un joueur de football international belge qui jouait au poste d'attaquant.

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[it] François Sterchele

François Robert Dominique Sterchele (Liegi, 14 marzo 1982 – Vrasene, 8 maggio 2008) è stato un calciatore belga, di ruolo attaccante.

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[ru] Стершель, Франсуа

Франсуа Стершель (фр.  François Sterchele ; 14 марта 1982[1][2][3], Льеж — 8 мая 2008[4], Беверен, Фландрия) — бельгийский футболист.

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