Raymond Braine

Raymond Ernest Michel Braine (28 April 1907 – 24 December 1978) was a Belgian football striker.

Braine made his Belgian Championship debut on 11 February 1923 against Daring Club de Bruxelles (lost 3-0).

At one point the Belgian Football Association published a paper stating: "Considering it is important to stop the progression of player-café owners, the executive Committee takes the decision that at this day, except for a player whose parents ran the café for more than 5 years, the authorisation to open a café will be subordinated to the condition that the player will not be a part of the first team."

He signed a lucrative contract in 1930 with Sparta Prague and subsequently became the first Belgian professional player.

Before the 1934 World Cup, Braine had received an offer of 100,000 Koruna from the Czechoslovak FA to become a citizen of Czechoslovakia which he refused.