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Belgian footballer

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François Sterchele
Personal information
Sterchele in 2004
Date of birth	(1982-03-14)14 March 1982
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)
International career
2007–2008	Belgium	4	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

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.

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.

Career statistics

Club	Season	League			Cups		Europe		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Oud-Heverlee Leuven	2004-05	Belgian Pro League	31	32	2	1	1	0	34	34
Charleroi	2005-06		31	9	6	2	-		37	11
Germinal Beerschot	2006-07		31	21	1	1	-		32	22
Club Brugge	2007-08		31	11	1	0	2	1	34	13
Career total			154	96	9	1	3	1	154	96

References

"Belgium - F. Sterchele - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway". Soccerway. Retrieved 3 March 2020.

External links

François Sterchele at the Royal Belgian Football Association

v t e Belgian Pro League top scorers
1895–96: Hickson 1896–97: Hickson 1897–98: König 1898–99: König 1899–1900: Atkinson-Grimshaw 1900–01: Potts 1901–02: Potts 1902–03: Vanderstappen 1903–04: Vanderstappen 1904–05: De Veen 1905–06: De Veen 1906–07: Vertongen 1907–08: Vertongen 1908–09: Kevorkian 1909–10: Vertongen 1910–11: Six 1911–12: Bunyan 1912–13: Brébart 1913–14: Bunyan 1919–20: Vlamynck 1920–21: Thys 1921–22: Thys 1922–23: Meyskens 1923–24: Jooris 1924–25: Taeymans 1925–26: Grimmonprez 1926–27: Fabry 1927–28: Braine 1928–29: Braine 1929–30: De Vidts 1930–31: Secrétin 1931–32: Delmez 1932–33: Ulens 1933–34: Van Landeghem 1934–35: Mondelé 1935–36: Lambrechts 1936–37: Collet 1937–38: Mondelé 1938–39: Wagner 1939–40: Voorhoof (unofficial) 1941–42: De Cleyn 1942–43: Van Craen & Ceuleers 1943–44: Goossens 1945–46: De Cleyn 1946–47: Mermans 1947–48: Mermans 1948–49: Thirifays 1949–50: Mermans 1950–51: Dehert 1951–52: Mannaerts 1952–53: Coppens 1953–54: Van den Bosch 1954–55: Coppens 1955–56: Mathonet 1956–57: Willems 1957–58: Van Gool & Vliers 1958–59: Wégria 1959–60: Wégria 1960–61: Wégria 1961–62: Stockman 1962–63: Wégria 1963–64: Van Himst 1964–65: Colonval 1965–66: Van Himst 1966–67: Mulder 1967–68: Van Himst & Claessen 1968–69: Nagy 1969–70: Emmerich 1970–71: Kostedde 1971–72: Lambert 1972–73: Rensenbrink & Riedl 1973–74: Ladinszky 1974–75: Riedl 1975–76: Posthumus 1976–77: Van Der Elst 1977–78: Nickel 1978–79: Albert 1979–80: Vandenbergh 1980–81: Vandenbergh 1981–82: Vandenbergh 1982–83: Vandenbergh 1983–84: Claesen 1984–85: Martens 1985–86: Vandenbergh 1986–87: Gudjohnsen 1987–88: Severeyns 1988–89: Krncevic 1989–90: Farina 1990–91: Vandenbergh 1991–92: Weber 1992–93: Weber 1993–94: Weber 1994–95: Vidmar 1995–96: Stanić 1996–97: Špehar 1997–98: Strupar 1998–99: Koller 1999–2000: Årst & Brogno 2000–01: Radzinski 2001–02: Sonck 2002–03: Sonck & Roussel 2003–04: Pieroni 2004–05: Jestrović 2005–06: Dosunmu 2006–07: Sterchele 2007–08: Akpala 2008–09: Ruiz 2009–10: Lukaku 2010–11: Perišić 2011–12: Perbet 2012–13: Bacca 2013–14: Harbaoui 2014–15: Mitrović 2015–16: Perbet 2016–17: Teodorczyk 2017–18: Harbaoui 2018–19: Harbaoui 2019–20: Mbokani 2020–21: Onuachu 2021–22: Undav 2022–23: Cuypers 2023–24: Denkey

Belgian Pro League top scorers

1895–96: Hickson
1896–97: Hickson
1897–98: König
1898–99: König
1899–1900: Atkinson-Grimshaw
1900–01: Potts
1901–02: Potts
1902–03: Vanderstappen
1903–04: Vanderstappen
1904–05: De Veen
1905–06: De Veen
1906–07: Vertongen
1907–08: Vertongen
1908–09: Kevorkian
1909–10: Vertongen
1910–11: Six
1911–12: Bunyan
1912–13: Brébart
1913–14: Bunyan
1919–20: Vlamynck
1920–21: Thys
1921–22: Thys
1922–23: Meyskens
1923–24: Jooris
1924–25: Taeymans
1925–26: Grimmonprez
1926–27: Fabry
1927–28: Braine
1928–29: Braine
1929–30: De Vidts
1930–31: Secrétin
1931–32: Delmez
1932–33: Ulens
1933–34: Van Landeghem
1934–35: Mondelé
1935–36: Lambrechts
1936–37: Collet
1937–38: Mondelé
1938–39: Wagner
1939–40: Voorhoof (unofficial)
1941–42: De Cleyn
1942–43: Van Craen & Ceuleers
1943–44: Goossens
1945–46: De Cleyn
1946–47: Mermans
1947–48: Mermans
1948–49: Thirifays
1949–50: Mermans
1950–51: Dehert
1951–52: Mannaerts
1952–53: Coppens
1953–54: Van den Bosch
1954–55: Coppens
1955–56: Mathonet
1956–57: Willems
1957–58: Van Gool & Vliers
1958–59: Wégria
1959–60: Wégria
1960–61: Wégria
1961–62: Stockman
1962–63: Wégria
1963–64: Van Himst
1964–65: Colonval
1965–66: Van Himst
1966–67: Mulder
1967–68: Van Himst & Claessen
1968–69: Nagy
1969–70: Emmerich
1970–71: Kostedde
1971–72: Lambert
1972–73: Rensenbrink & Riedl
1973–74: Ladinszky
1974–75: Riedl
1975–76: Posthumus
1976–77: Van Der Elst
1977–78: Nickel
1978–79: Albert
1979–80: Vandenbergh
1980–81: Vandenbergh
1981–82: Vandenbergh
1982–83: Vandenbergh
1983–84: Claesen
1984–85: Martens
1985–86: Vandenbergh
1986–87: Gudjohnsen
1987–88: Severeyns
1988–89: Krncevic
1989–90: Farina
1990–91: Vandenbergh
1991–92: Weber
1992–93: Weber
1993–94: Weber
1994–95: Vidmar
1995–96: Stanić
1996–97: Špehar
1997–98: Strupar
1998–99: Koller
1999–2000: Årst & Brogno
2000–01: Radzinski
2001–02: Sonck
2002–03: Sonck & Roussel
2003–04: Pieroni
2004–05: Jestrović
2005–06: Dosunmu
2006–07: Sterchele
2007–08: Akpala
2008–09: Ruiz
2009–10: Lukaku
2010–11: Perišić
2011–12: Perbet
2012–13: Bacca
2013–14: Harbaoui
2014–15: Mitrović
2015–16: Perbet
2016–17: Teodorczyk
2017–18: Harbaoui
2018–19: Harbaoui
2019–20: Mbokani
2020–21: Onuachu
2021–22: Undav
2022–23: Cuypers
2023–24: Denkey

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