François Van der Elst (1 December 1954 – 11 January 2017) was a Belgian footballer, who played as a winger. He is mainly known for winning several national and European trophies while at R.S.C. Anderlecht.^[1]

Quick Facts Personal information, Date of birth ...

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 (5 ft 8 in)
Position(s)	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)
International career
1973–1983	Belgium	44	(14)
Medal record Representing  Belgium UEFA European Championship Runner-up 1980
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Close

"Swat" Van der Elst was born in Opwijk, Flemish Brabant. In the youth series of the local team, he always played in midfield but particularly stood out for his dribbling and scoring skills.^[2]

From 1969 to 1980 he played for Anderlecht. At the age of 16, he made his debut for the senior squad. Despite being drafted in different positions (forward, right winger or full-back), he would go on to total 82 Belgian Pro League goals, surpassing 100 overall. Van Der Elst was praised for scoring decisive goals. In 1976, he was part of the 1975–76 European Cup Winners' Cup-winning squad, netting twice in the final against West Ham United (4–2) and, in the following season's league, was crowned the competition's top scorer at 21 goals as the Brussels side finished in second position. With Anderlecht, he eventually won two national titles and four cups between 1971 and 1980. Van der Elst won the European Cup Winners' Cup twice, in 1976 and 1978, scoring 18 goals in the competition, the 4th most of any player.

In January 1982, after a brief United States spell with the New York Cosmos, Van der Elst signed with West Ham United for £400,000, proceeding to score 17 times in 70 overall appearances.^[3] He continued his career back home, with K.S.C. Lokeren, but was forced to end it after a after a fibula fracture sustained at the start of the 1985–86 season.^[4]

Van der Elst earned 44 caps and netted 14 goals for Belgium, helping the nation to the second place in the UEFA Euro 1980 tournament. He was part of the squad that competed at the 1982 FIFA World Cup, playing the second halves of the 1–0 win over El Salvador for the first group stage (in Elche) and the 0–3 loss to Poland for the second group phase (Barcelona).

Van der Elst's younger brother, Leo, was also a professional footballer. Both were Belgium internationals.^[5]

After his career, Van der Elst owned a snooker and billiards bar in his hometown of Opwijk. On New Year's Day 2017, Van der Elst suffered heart failure and was placed in an induced coma in intensive care.^[6] Ten days later, reports emerged that at 3:00 am that morning he had died from a cardiac arrest while still hospitalized, aged 62.^[7][8]

RSC Anderlecht^[9]

• 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), 1976-77 (runners-up), 1977–78 (winners)^[10][11]
• European Super Cup: 1976, 1978
• Amsterdam Tournament: 1976^[12]
• Tournoi de Paris: 1977^[13]
• Jules Pappaert Cup: 1977^[14]
• Belgian Sports Merit Award: 1978^[15]

New York Cosmos

• North American Soccer League: 1980^[16]

National team

• UEFA European Championship: 1980 (runners-up)^[15]
• Belgian Sports Merit Award: 1980^[17]

Individual

• Belgian First Division top scorer: 1976-77 (21 goals)^[18]
• European Cup Winners Cup Top Scorer: 1977-78 (6 goals)^[19]
• Ballon d'Or nomination: 1978^[20]