François De Keersmaecker (born 12 April 1958 in

Willebroek Willebroek (, old spelling: ''Willebroeck'', also ) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality comprises the towns of , Heindonk, , Klein Willebroek, and Willebroek proper. In 2021, Willebroek had a total popul ...

) was the president of the

Royal Belgian Football Association The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA; ; ; ) is the governing body of football in Belgium. It was a founding member of FIFA in 1904 and UEFA in 1954 and was based in Brussels, not far from the King Baudouin Stadium. Since October 2021, th ...

(URBSFA/KBVB) from 24 June 2006 until 24 June 2017. In that function he has been actively committed in the candidacy of Belgium and the Netherlands as host countries for the

2018 FIFA World Cup The 2018 FIFA World Cup was the 21st FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for national association football, football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018, after the country was awarded t ...

. François De Keersmaecker is a law graduate and he is a lawyer in

Mechelen Mechelen (; ; historically known as ''Mechlin'' in EnglishMechelen has been known in English as ''Mechlin'', from where the adjective ''Mechlinian'' is derived. This name may still be used, especially in a traditional or historical context. T ...

. Apart from being the Belgian Football Association president he is also member of the Council for Marketing and Television from the

FIFA The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (), more commonly known by its acronym FIFA ( ), is the international self-regulatory governing body of association football, beach soccer, and futsal. It was founded on 21 May 1904 to o ...

since 1 July 2007 and second vice-president from the Juridical Commission of the

UEFA The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA ; ; ) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs football, futsal and beach soccer, beach football in Europe and the List of transcontinental countries#A ...

since 1 July 2007. Earlier functions that François De Keersmaecker carried in the Belgian FA were president of the Provincial Committee from

Antwerp Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...

from 12 December 1987, till 22 August 1996, member of the Sports Committee from 12 September 1986, until 11 December 1987, member of the Provincial Committee from Antwerp from 25 October 1985, till 11 September 1986 and referee in the Provincial Referee Commission from Antwerp from 24 November 1980, till 24 October 1985. De Keersmaecker is a son-in-law of former Association President who on his turn was also a son-in-law of , equally a former Association President.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:De Keersmaecker, Francois 1958 births Living people People from Willebroek Sportspeople from Antwerp Province FIFA officials 20th-century Belgian people