Olivier, Belgian Football Fan, Dies in Rome After Illness

Olivier, a devoted Belgian football supporter from Libramont, died in Rome after falling ill during a trip, L’Avenir reported.

“The last day, he didn’t feel well, he had a headache,” Danny Lorge said, recounting the ordeal to L’Avenir. “He collapsed and we called an ambulance. He stayed in a coma for a few days before passing away.”

Friends spent several weeks arranging his repatriation from Italy. His body finally returned to Belgium on November 11.

Raised in Libramont where his parents ran a hotel, Olivier joined the Diabolux, a well-known supporters’ club in the Luxembourg province. The Red Devils formed the center of his sporting life, and no away trip felt too far.

“It was during the trips that I really got to know him,” Lorge told L’Avenir. “We were eight in a big jeep at the last World Cup and Olivier was my car neighbor. He was a nice guy, discreet, always in his own corner, but capable of dropping a little joke that made everyone laugh.”

Friends recalled a quiet traveler who constantly asked about organizing the next group excursion. His devotion extended to Romelu Lukaku, Lionel Messi, and Liverpool.

During a trip to the United States, companions stopped at roughly forty different stores just to find him an Argentina jersey. Whenever a sports shop appeared, he wanted to check inside.

The group had planned to take him to a match in Liverpool the following year. They ran out of time before the trip could materialize.

“An internship is saying goodbye,” Lorge said, referring to the upcoming farewell. “It has to match the person. He lived for football, so he has to leave as he was, surrounded by his football friends.”

To honor his memory, friends plan to wear football jerseys during his cremation ceremony. The attire reflects a life spent following national teams and club sides across borders.

“For several weeks, we banded together to organize his repatriation,” Lorge said, describing the effort to bring him home. “We couldn’t leave him over there.”

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