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Club Brugge was informed of the departure of one of its former players today, i.e. Leo "Lei" Clijsters (52). The man from the province of Limburg, born on November 9, 1956, joined Club between 1973 and 1975, signing ni from FC Opitter, where he was discovered by Thieu Bollen, Club's talent hunter in Limburg and later on assistant to Ernst Happel.

At Club Brugge, Clijsters met with current national team coach René Vandereycken not only a team mate, a man from the same province and a house mate (they shared the same host family), but unfortunately also a formidable opponent for his favourite spot in the team, that of defending midfielder. Happel gave the benefit of the doubt to Vandereycken, limiting Clijsters playing opportunities, and causing the break-up with Club after two years. He played two games in Club's prime line-up.

Club Brugge in 1974-75. Standing from left to right: Eddy Warrinnier (physio), Eddy Caers, Birger Jensen, Dirk Sanders, Henk Houwaart, René Vandereycken, Jos Volders, Lei Clijsters, Hugo Pieters, Ernst Happel (coach).
Seated from left to right: Julien Cools, Roger Van Gool, Fons Bastijns, Dirk Hinderyckx, Georges Leekens, Hans Aabech, Raoul Lambert, Ulrik Le Fèvre, Johny Thio.

After his time at Club, the then 19-year old Lei Clijsters resurfaced in Limburg and found his way to the top; first through Patro Eisden and SK Tongeren, who he joined in becoming champions in second division. This earned him a transfer to the ambitious team Thor Waterschei. Alongside his village friend Pierre Janssen, he was one of the men behind the club's dream European season of 1982-83, when the team in yellow and black eliminated Paris Saint-Germain, only to get kicked out themselves in the Semi Finals by later winners Aberdeen.

From Waterschei, ending up in bad papers financially and eventually teaming up with Winterslag to form the current Racing Genk, it was on to KV Mechelen. Achter de Kazerne he became one of the pillars of the top team shaped by Aad de Mos, and he lived his best years as a pro player at Mechelen. With Malinwa, Clijsters won the Belgian title in 1989, the Belgian Cup in 1987, and European glory in the Cup Winners' Cup in 1988, beating Ajax in the finals in Strasbourgh (1-0). In 1988, Clijsters won the Gouden Schoen, as best player of the year in Belgium.

In Belgian soccer's hey day in the Eighties, Lei Clijsters soon became one of the set values in national team coach Guy Thijs' star studded outfit. He joined Belgium at the EC in France in 1984, and was one of the men behind the stunt fourth place in Mexico 1986. He even scored at the WC in Italy in 1990. He was capped in 40 games.

In his final years as a player, he joined FC Liège under starting coach Eric Gerets in 1992-93, going on to become a trainer himself at AA Gent and SK Lommel. 

With the uprise of his tennis playing daughters Kim and Elke, Lei Clijsters found a place away from the football spotlights. But as a dad and confidant of Kim, reaching the number one spot in the world of ladies tennis, he reclaimed his place in the spotlights, much against his own will. A place in the background has always been his favourite throughout his life. The glitter and glamour of a football player's life did not become him. He even offered his golden shoe to a good cause.

Lei Clijsters, who had already cured from a benign canceroma in his playing years at Waterschei, was diagnosed with lung cancer last year and passed away today, only 52 years of age.

The Board of Directors of Club Brugge K.V. would hereby like to express its deepest sympathy with the family of Leo Clijsters.