Full name Roger Claessen Name Roger Claessen Place of birth Warsage, Belgium Role Football player | Place of death Liege, Belgium Height 1.81 m Playing position Position Forward | |
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Date of birth (1941-09-27)27 September 1941 Date of death 3 October 1982(1982-10-03) (aged 41) Died October 3, 1982, Liege, Belgium | ||
Roger Claessen (27 September 1941 – 3 October 1982) was a Belgian football player who played as a forward. He finished as the top scorer of the Belgian League with 20 goals (along with Paul Van Himst) in 1968 while playing for Standard Liège. He played 17 times with the Belgian national team between 1961 and 1968, scoring 7 goals. Claessen made his international debut on 20 May 1961 in a 2–1 defeat to Switzerland and he scored. He was a strong header.
Due to his lifestyle, the rest of his career was marred, and he was nicknamed "Roger-La honte" (Roger-the shame). He played for other teams, like Alemannia Aachen Beerschot and Crossing Schaarbeek before retiring from football in 1974.
He was voted Standard de Liège player of the century by supporters.
