Belgium grieves for striker Sterchele
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Article summary
Club Brugge KV and Belgium striker François Sterchele was killed in an accident near Bredene in the early hours of this morning after his car veered off the road.
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Final goal
The 26-year-old died after his car veered off the road and hit a tree in Vrasene, near Bredene, after visiting friends in Antwerp. Sterchele was coming to the end of his first season at Club Brugge after signing from KFC Germinal Beerschot Antwerpen in the summer, and had scored eleven league goals – the last of them the winner in 13 April's derby against Cercle Brugge KSV.
Steady rise
Born in Liege, he started his career at fourth division RFC Union La Calamine in 2003/04, and then joined third division Oud-Heverlee Leuven, helping them win promotion to the second division with a memorable campaign that saw him score at better than a goal a game. Jacky Mathijsen, now coach of Club Brugge, brought him into the first division with R. Charleroi SC in 2005/06.
Top scorer
Sterchele scored nine goals for Charleroi in that season but a move to Germinal Beerschot brought an even better return, with 21 goals in 2006/07 making him Belgium's highest scorer. He made his senior international debut on 24 March 2007 in a UEFA EURO 2008™ qualifier against Portugal and made three further appearances for the national team.
'A big heart'
"François always shone," said Charleroi general secretary Pierre-Yves Hendrickx. "Every morning he came to the club with a smile. We will miss that smile. He had a big heart. He was very nice and was prepared to help everyone. Everywhere he went, he enjoyed success – in the Eerste Klasse as top scorer, with the Red Devils. He succeeded in everything. This is a huge blow to everyone."