François Van der Elst (1 December 1954 – 11 January 2017) was a Belgian footballer who played as a right winger. Van der Elst was born in Opwijk, Flemish Brabant. With Anderlecht he 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. He also helped Belgium to second place in the 1980 European Championships and was part of the World Cup squad at Spain ’82. After his career, Van der Elst owned a snooker and billiards bar in his hometown of Opwijk. On New Years’ Day he collapsed and was resuscitated by a medical emergency team before being placed in an induced coma. A period of intensive care eventually led to his death from the sustained heart damage