Lars Dendoncker (23), the younger brother of Leander Dendoncker, had to abruptly end his promising career in 2022. During a medical test, just before signing with the RSCA Futures, he was diagnosed with a serious heart condition.
Unlike Leander, Lars Dendoncker was trained at Club Brugge. In 2020, he signed for Brighton at the age of 19. But two and a half years ago, he was forced, with death in his soul, to hang up his crampons.
A hard blow for the defender, who has had to completely reorganize his life since then. “I now feel ready to share my story,” he says in The Newspaper. “I was about to sign with the RSCA Futures“.
“With coach Robin Veldman and sports director Peter Verbeke, we discussed how my profile of over 1.90 meters could be useful in D1B, with prospects towards the A team. However, during the medical tests, we diagnosed me with myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle. The cardiologist immediately indicated that it was serious,” he recalls.
Lars Dendoncker tried everything
His world then fell apart: “I have always lived a healthy life and put everything aside for football. And then you are told that not only do you have to stop playing high-level sport, but that you can’t even playing for fun. It was very difficult to accept.”
After the first diagnosis, extensive examinations were carried out at UZ Gent, Dendoncker also consulted an English cardiologist working at Manchester City. “He initially thought maybe I could continue playing, but the risk was too great. At that point you realize your health is the most important thing. As painful as it was, I didn’t have no other choice.”
Lars watches football with mixed feelings. Although he supports his brother Leander, he avoids the stadium. “Since my heart condition, I have no longer felt the urge to go to the stadium every weekend. I love cheering for Leander, but confronting reality remains difficult. I am now trying to find my place in a life outside of football.
