Albert Friling

Albert Friling (25 February 1879 – 1 May 1946) was a Belgian footballer who played for Antwerp FC and Beerschot AC. He also played in two matches for the Belgium national team in 1904 and 1909.

Club career Friling began his football career as a defender in the young ranks of Antwerp FC in 1890, aged 11. Following this, the majority of the players and the Friling brothers left the club to join the newly founded Beerschot AC, and whilst his brother Fernand was named Deputy Secretary of the football team, Albert received no particular appointment, and played in the club's first-ever match on 6 May 1900, a friendly game against the Antwerp Reserves. In the build-up for a charity match against Racing de Bruxelles on 14 October, the people of Brussels were impressed that the grass field was carefully leveled through a large stick pulled by a donkey, so after the match, they asked for such a donkey to level their own terrain, and as a sign of eternal friendship, Friling promised that the donkey's first child would be given to Racing, but such never happened because Friling had to conclude that the donkey was not a female, but a male.

He stayed loyal to the club for over a decade until 1912, when he retired at the age of 33. He was one of four Beerschot players to feature in the inaugural edition in 1901, the others being the Potts brothers (Herbert and Walter) and Jan Robyns, in which he captained his side to an 8–0 victory over a third-rate Dutch team. He had to wait five years to earn his second and final international cap for Belgium, a friendly against England amateurs in London on 17 April 1909, which ended in a 11–2 loss.

Honours Antwerp Belgian First Division vice-champions: 1895–96

Beerschot Belgian First Division vice-champions: 1900–01 Challenge International du Nord champions: 1901