Sad news for the world of Belgian football. Gilbert Van Binst, better known as “Gille”, has died at the age of 73. He had suffered from chronic illnesses for several years. Former Red Devil and former player of RSC Anderlecht and Club Brugge, Van Binst left his mark on Belgian football.
Van Binst was all the rage, especially in the 1970s. While employed by RSC Anderlecht, who acquired him from Vilvoorde FC, he proved to be one of the club’s legends. In his youth he played as a striker, but at Astridpark Van Binst trained as a right back. Even in this capacity, he often found the path to goal: 28 times in 262 matches.
Bee purple-white Van Binst also built a solid trophy cabinet. It won the title in 1972 and 1974, as well as four Belgian Cups in the 1970s. However, Anderlecht recorded the greatest triumphs of this period in the European Cup II, where it won the final in 1976 and 1978. Van Binst played a key role in both finals: he was captain against West Ham United, and two years later (like Rob Rensenbrink) scored two goals against Austria Wien.
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During this golden period, Van Binst also reached the Red Devil fifteen times. He was an important force under Raymond Goethals, as evidenced by his selection at the European Championships in 1972. He came into conflict with his successor Guy Thys, which meant the born Machelaar’s score would remain at fifteen. After a French adventure with Toulouse FC, Van Binst played for two more years for Club Brugge, although it was not a great success.
After his playing career, Van Binst regularly made headlines. He wrote articles on football, worked as an analyst or appeared on countless gaming programs. In recent years, his health has deteriorated noticeably. Van Binst suffered from dementia and Parkinson’s disease. He died earlier this year at the age of 73.
