Rik De Saedeleer

Rik De Saedeleer (17 January 1924 – 3 March 2013) was a Belgian footballer, columnist and television sports commentator.

Rik De Saedeleer
Foto: Filip Naudts
Personal information
Full name Rik De Saedeleer
Date of birth (1924-01-17)17 January 1924
Place of birth Mechelen, Belgium
Date of death 3 March 2013(2013-03-03) (aged 89)
Place of death Knokke, Belgium
Position(s) Midfielder
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1939–1941 Racing Mechelen
1941–1942 F.C. Tremelo
1942–1954 Racing Mechelen
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Playing career

De Saedeleer played the majority of his career at hometown club Racing Mechelen with whom he was runner-up in the 1951–52 Belgian First Division and was once called up for the Belgian national football team for a 1949 friendly match against a squad made up of London-based professionals.

Media career

After retiring as a player, De Saedeleer wanted to be a football coach[1] but instead became columnist at Het Laatste Nieuws and Belgium's best known football commentator, reporting from several World Cups. He was known for his emotional and humorous reports.[2] He retired after the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France.

He died on 3 March 2013 after spending most of his final years in hospital. He was survived by his wife and two daughters.[3]

Bibliography
  • Rik De Saedeleer (1990). Goooooal! Goal! Goal! (in Dutch). ISBN 9789050960632.
  • Carl Huybrechts; Benno Wauters; Rik De Saedeleer (2011). Rik De Saedeleer: de stem van ons voetbal: memoires [Rik De Saedeleer: the voice of our football: memoirs] (in Dutch). ISBN 9789089312501.

References
  1. Rik De Saedeleer (87) over zijn carrière en de Rode Duivels - HUMO (in Dutch)
  2. Rik, de dertiende man van de Rode Duivels Archived 2016-06-28 at the Wayback Machine - Het Laatste Nieuws (in Dutch)
  3. Rik De Saedeleer overleden - Het Laatste Nieuws (in Dutch)
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