Fernand Defalle was a Belgian footballer who played as a goalkeeper for Belgian clubs FC Liégeois and Racing de Bruxelles between 1895 and 1904.[1]
.jpg) Defalle (standing, third from left) in 1896 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Place of birth | Belgium | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1895–1905 | FC Liégeois | ||
| 1905–1910 | Racing de Bruxelles | ||
| International career | |||
| 1901 | Belgium XI (unofficial) | 1 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1900–1902 | FC Liégeois | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Football career
editDefalle began his football career at FC Liégeois in 1895, helping his side win the inaugural Belgian championship in 1895–96.[1] He played a crucial role in the Liégeois side that won back-to-back league titles in 1897–98 and 1898–99, starting in both legs of the 1899 championship final against FC Brugeois, in which he kept a clean-sheet in the first leg in an eventual 6–3 aggregate victory.[2] During this period, Liégeois had an unbeaten run of 23 official matches that lasted over two years, between 28 February 1897 and 12 November 1899, coming to an end in a 3–5 loss to Antwerp FC; Defalle did not play this match, and without him, the champions proved unable to withstand the constant pressure from the local footballers.[3] He stayed loyal to the club for a decade until 1905, when he left for Racing de Bruxelles, where he retired five years later in 1910.[1]
On 28 April 1901, Defalle participated in the very first match of a Belgian national team at the 1901 Coupe Vanden Abeele, keeping a clean sheet in an 8–0 trashing of a third-rate Dutch side.[4] He was one of the three Liégeois players to feature in this match, the others being Harry Menzies and Lucien Londot; however, this match is not officially recognized by FIFA because of the presence of foreign players in the Belgium side, including Menzies.[4][5][6]
Defalle also worked in Liégeois as a player-coach for two years, replacing Fred Chartres in 1900, and being replaced by Lucien Londot in 1902.[citation needed]
Honours
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c "Fernand Defalle". www.worldfootball.net. Retrieved 31 October 2024.
- ^ "Belgio – 1899 Coupe de championnat" [Belgio – 1899 Championship Cup] (PDF). www.magliarossonera.it (in French). Retrieved 31 October 2024.
- ^ "Antwerp FC 5-3 FC Liègeois". www.rafcmuseum.be (in French). Retrieved 31 October 2024.
- ^ a b "1901 Coupe Vanden Abeele". RSSSF. 15 October 2024. Retrieved 31 October 2024.
- ^ "Il y a 120 ans, les premiers internationaux" [120 years ago, the first internationals]. fcliege.be (in French). 28 April 2021. Retrieved 31 October 2024.
- ^ "Belgique - La genèse d'une équipe nationale (1900-1904)" [Belgium - The genesis of a national team (1900-1904)]. fr.betsapi.com (in French). Retrieved 31 October 2024.