Edouard de Laveleye

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Baron Edouard de Laveleye was the first chairman of the Belgian Football Association (1895-1924), and the president of the Belgian Olympic Committee. For his services, he was made the first honorary member of FIFA. This honor was given to him after convincing representatives of The Football Association, the association that included members of the British Home Nations, to join FIFA rather than remain independent. On April 14, 1905 The Football Association recognized the authority of FIFA.^[1] This allowed FIFA to hold its first international football competition. In allying the Football Association in the French FIFA, each of the home nations joined as equal members, a legacy maintained today.

On March 27, 1912, as president of the Belgian Olympic Committee, he posted a bid for Belgium to host the 1920 Olympics. The games ultimately went to Antwerp, much because of his influence and the effect World War I had on the nation. This was the only time they have been held in Belgium.

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v • d • e Belgium national football team – Managers de Laveleye (on behalf of the Belgian FA) (1904–10) • Maxwell (1910–13) • Bunyan (1914) • de Laveleye (on behalf of the Belgian FA) (1914–20) • Maxwell (1920–28) • Löwenfelt (1928–30) • Goetinck (1930–34) • Turnauer (1935) • Butler (1935–40) • van Keesbeeck (on behalf of the Belgian FA) (1940–44) • Demol (1944–46) • Gormlie (1947–53) • Livingstone (1953–54) • Vandeweyer (1955–57) • Nicolay (Caretaker) (1957) • Toldi (1957–58) • Vanden Stock (1958–68) • Goethals (1968–76) • Thys (1976–89) • Meeuws (1989–90) • Thys (1990–91) • van Himst (1991–96) • van Moer (1996) • Leekens (1997–99) • Waseige (1999–02) • Anthuenis (2002–05) • Vandereycken (2006–)