In a villa in Dilbeek, a few kilometers from Parc Astrid, lives Roger Vanden Stock, former president of RSC Anderlecht. “Roger now only feels comfortable in the presence of friends who know his situation,” says his wife Kiki.
While Roger Vanden Stock is physically still relatively healthy, he has difficulty speaking. “He has stents and had back surgery a few years ago,” his wife Kiki explains in The Last Hour. “But his voice is another story. He used to like to talk, but now it costs him a lot of energy.”
“Even in the company of friends, he sometimes withdraws to rest. According to doctors, he probably had a small brain hemorrhage. He is followed by a teacher, but he refuses speech therapy. ‘I know how to speak,’ he always says” says his wife.
He still follows Anderlecht but no longer vibrates as before
Vanden Stock is necessarily less active than in the past: “He watches television twelve hours a day. Football, darts, curling, tennis. Sometimes he watches Anderlechtbut if they play badly, he turns off the television. And if they win, he doesn’t celebrate it extravagantly. He didn’t do more when he was president. It just wasn’t in his nature. However, it is saddened that the club has almost no longer participated in the Europa League in recent years.”
Roger vividly remembers Anderlecht’s glory days. “In the past, we were at least third in the championship every season. He doesn’t understand the idea that the supporters remain relatively calm today in the face of less good results,” explains Kiki. “In our time it was unthinkable. He remains involved, but it is clear that his passion for the club is no longer predominant.”
Fortunately, the former Sporting president still has plenty to keep him busy: “He’s getting better at golf. It’s his way of staying busy. Life has changed, but he appreciates the little things. Let it be a part bridge or a walk in the mountains, he regains his balance.
