Hof der dingen - The fanion of Michel D'Hooghe

Do you know what this type of flag is called? It’s a fanion – a symbolic flag that represents fair play and is exchanged between football teams before the match begins. This particular fanion was lent to us by Michel D’Hooghe – a native of Bruges and a true icon in the world of football. 

As a specialist in rehabilitation and physical medicine, Dr. D’Hooghe joined the FIFA Executive Committee in 1988 and remained its longest-serving member until his retirement in 2017. He was also the chairman of FIFA’s Medical Committee for many years. This fanion was his parting gift when he stepped down from his position in FIFA’s Executive Committee. 

D’Hooghe is also a former president of Club Brugge KV, a Belgian football team based in Bruges. He began his journey there as a club doctor in the early 1970s, working alongside physiotherapist Eddy Warrinnier. He faced a harrowing moment in October 1972, when player Nico Rijnders suffered a massive heart attack and collapsed on the pitch during a match against Club Liège. Thanks to D’Hooghe’s swift intervention, Rijnders survived the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, when the Red Devils reached the semi-finals. 

Alongside legendary coach Ernst Happel, D’Hooghe witnessed Club Brugge’s rise to fame as a European contender. In 1981, he was appointed chairman of the Pro League, Belgium’s top professional football league. And his journey didn’t end there – far from it. He continued to build an impressive palmarès over the years. In 1986, he was appointed head of Belgium’s delegation to the FIFA World Cup in Mexico, where the Red Devils reached the semi-finals. This marked the beginning of his special bond with the country where he later founded Casa Hogar - a non-profit organisation that supports children living on the streets of Mexico. 

In 1987, he became chairman of the Royal Belgian Football Association, Belgium’s largest sports federation – a role he would hold for fourteen years, demonstrating an exemplary level of dedication and discipline. Another year later, he became a member of FIFA’s Executive Committee and chairman of its Medical Committee. 

In 2003, D’Hooghe succeeded the legendary Michel Van Maele as chairman of Club Brugge KV after his untimely death. Just two months into the role, the team won its twelfth national title. D’Hooghe humbly attributed the achievement to his predecessor and refused to take any credit for the accomplishment. 

After he retired from the world of football, he published the book My ten World Cups and became an honorary consul for Mexico in the province of West Flanders.