Belgium's first international team. Van Den Eynde is circled left and Cambier centre.
Charles Cambier
Belgium entered the international football stage with a game against France on May 1st 1904, just weeks before the formation of FIFA. Lining up at centre half was Charles Cambier, a 20 year old who played for Club Brugge.
Cambier played 23 internationals for Belgium up until the outbreak of the war in 1914. He was with Brugge for 22 seasons, retiring in 1925.
His career was interrupted not only by the war, but earlier by a double leg fracture inflicted in a 1910 club match by his international team mate Lomme Van Den Eynde.
Following this indiscretion Van Den Eynde, who played for Union St.-Gilloise, had first to escape the wrath of Arthur and Joseph Cambier, Charles' brothers and teammates, who attempted to beat him up.
A more official sanction followed. The Belgian FA banned Van Den Eynde (who had a reputation for over the top tackling) for life.
The life ban was lifted in 1912, at about the same time as Cambier made his comeback from the injury, and Van Den Eynde actually made his return to the Belgian team before Cambier; however they never played alongside each other again.
