Roger Claessen

{{Short description|Belgian footballer (1941–1982)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Roger Claessen

| image = Belgie tegen Nederland. Claesen (België), Bestanddeelnr 913-7154.jpg

| caption = Claessen for Belgium in 1962

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1941|9|27|df=y}}

| birth_place = Warsage, Belgium

| death_date = {{death date and age|1982|10|3|1941|9|27|df=y}}

| death_place = Liège, Belgium

| height = 1.81 m

| position = Striker

| youthyears1 = 1954–1956

| youthclubs1 = Etoile Dalhem

| youthyears2 = 1956–1958

| youthclubs2 = Standard Liège

| years1 = 1958–1968

| clubs1 = Standard Liège

| caps1 = 210

| goals1 = 124

| years2 = 1968–1970

| clubs2 = Alemannia Aachen

| caps2 = 44

| goals2 = 11

| years3 = 1970–1972

| clubs3 = Beerschot

| caps3 = 7

| goals3 = 3

| years4 = 1972–1974

| clubs4 = Crossing Schaerbeek

| caps4 = 58

| goals4 = 2

| totalcaps = 319

| totalgoals = 140

| nationalyears1 = 1961–1968

| nationalteam1 = Belgium

| nationalcaps1 = 17

| nationalgoals1 = 7

| manageryears1 =

| managerclubs1 = RJS Bas-Oha

}}

Roger Claessen (27 September 1941 – 3 October 1982) was a Belgian footballer who played as a forward. He finished as the top scorer of the Belgian League with 20 goals (along with Paul Van Himst) in 1968 while playing for Standard Liège.http://www.standard.be/fr/a_joueurs_det.php?id=78{{Dead link|date=January 2012}} He played 17 times with the Belgium national team between 1961 and 1968, scoring seven goals. Claessen made his international debut on 20 May 1961 in a 2–1 defeat to Switzerland, and he scored.

Due to his lifestyle, he was nicknamed "Roger-La honte" (Roger-the shame).{{cite news |last1=Hubert |first1=Christian |title=Roger-la-Honte |url=https://www.dhnet.be/archive/roger-la-honte-51b7e4dae4b0de6db9959ee3 |access-date=19 December 2021 |work=La Dernière Heure |date=3 January 2011 |language=fr}} He played for other teams, like Alemannia Aachen{{cite web | url = http://www.fussballdaten.de/spieler/claessenroger/ | title = Roger Claessen | language = de | publisher = fussballdaten.de | access-date = 29 January 2012}} Beerschot and Crossing Schaarbeek{{cite web | url = http://www.worldfootball.net/spieler_profil/roger-claessen/ | title = Roger Claessen| publisher = worldfootball.net | access-date = 29 January 2012}} before retiring from football in 1974.

Claessen died aged 41.

He was voted Standard Liège player of the century by supporters.