Royale Union Saint-Gilloise

Royale Union Saint-Gilloise, abbreviated to Union SG, unofficially simply called Union, is a Belgian football club originally located in the municipality of Saint-Gilles, in Brussels, although since the 1920s it has been based at the Stade Joseph Marien in the neighbouring municipality of Forest.

Royale Union Saint-Gilloise
Full nameRoyale Union Saint-Gilloise
Nickname(s)Les Unionistes
Union 60
Founded1 November 1897 (1897-11-01)
GroundStade Joseph Marien,
Forest, Brussels
Capacity8.000
OwnerTony Bloom[1]
ChairmanAlex Muzio[2]
ManagerFelice Mazzù
LeagueBelgian First Division B
2019–20Belgian First Division B, 4th
WebsiteClub website

The club is one of the most successful in the history of Belgian football, but currently plays in the second division. The club won eleven Belgian championships between 1904 and 1935, making it the most successful Belgian club before World War II. The team colours are blue and yellow and its matricule is the n°10. The team is traditionally popular with the Flemish- and French-speaking natives of Brussels and both the French and the Flemish speaking free universities.

History

The club was founded in 1897 and obtained its first of eleven titles as Champion of Belgium in 1904. From 1933 to 1935 the team played 60 consecutive matches undefeated, setting a still unbeaten record in Belgium. In the early 1900s the club also had a dominant spell in some of the very first "European" Cup competitions that took place, prior to officially sanctioned UEFA competitions.

Between 1958 and 1965 the club had a brief spell of European success, playing the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, and reaching the semi-finals in the 1958–60 edition after a two legged victory against A.S. Roma. In 1963, however, the club was relegated to the second division, and in 1980 even fell as low as the Belgian Promotion division.

On 21 May 2018, Tony Bloom, chairman of English Premier League side, Brighton & Hove Albion was confirmed as the majority shareholder.[3] Alex Muzio, the Chairman of Union, was a co-investor with Tony Bloom in 2018 and holds a minority interest in the club.[4]

Supporters and Rivalries

Union attract supporters primarily from the Brussels region, especially from the South of the Belgian capital. Their ultras are known as the Union Bhoys, and sit in the all-standing Tribune Est. The Union Bhoys have friendships with RFC Liège and Cercle Bruges supporters.

Union share a Brussels city derby, also known as a "derby of the Zwanze" with Racing White Daring Molenbeek, which stems from their old rivalry with Daring Club Brussels,[5] that has been encapsulated in the Brussels play Bossemans et Coppenolle. However, the two are said to have a love-hate relationship, having both experienced financial difficulty in the modern era, and organised friendlies together in support.[6]

Union also have a rivalry with neighbour RSC Anderlecht, although the two have met even fewer times in the modern era than RWDM and Union have. They met for the first time since 1979 in the Belgian Cup in 2018, with Union stunning Anderlecht 0–3 at the Stade Constant Vandenstock.[7]

Honours

Domestic

European
  • Coupe Van der Straeten Ponthoz:
    • Winners (3): 1905, 1906, 1907
    • Runners-up (1): 1904

Current squad
As of 3 August 2020[8]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
3 DF  ENG Alex Cochrane (on loan from Brighton)
4 DF  DEN Jonas Bager
5 DF  BEL Anas Hamzaoui
6 MF  DEN Casper Nielsen
8 MF  GER Marcel Mehlem
9 FW  GER Deniz Undav
11 MF  BEL Mathias Fixelles
12 DF  BEL Sébastien Pocognoli
13 FW  BEL Dante Vanzeir
14 FW  GUI Ibrahima Bah
16 DF  ENG Christian Burgess
17 MF  MLT Teddy Teuma
19 DF  BEL Guillaume François
No. Pos. Nation Player
20 MF  BEL Senne Lynen
21 GK  BEL Lucas Pirard
23 FW  ISL Aron Sigurðarson
24 DF  BUL Edisson Jordanov
26 GK  BEL Adrien Saussez
33 GK  BEL Tibo Herbots
43 MF  SVN Nik Lorbek
44 DF  BEL Siebe Van der Heyden
49 GK  LUX Anthony Moris
59 DF  MAR Ismaël Kandouss
94 MF  MAD Loïc Lapoussin
96 FW  FRA Brighton Labeau

Staff
Sports director
Head coach
Assistant coach
Goalkeeping coach
Fitness coach
  • Eric Dehaeseleer
Team manager
  • Annelies Menten
Kit manager
  • Rok Grilec

Medical
Doctors
  • Koen Pansaers
  • Axel Marlaire
  • Gert Vandeurzen
Physios
  • Stephen Van den Berg
  • Ivan Del Molino

See also

References
  1. http://www.rusg.brussels/article/communique-officiel-3/en
  2. http://www.rusg.brussels/article/communique-officiel-7/en
  3. http://www.theargus.co.uk/sport/16239606.Done_deal__Albion_chairman_completes_Belgian_club_takeover
  4. http://www.rusg.brussels/article/communique-officiel-7/en
  5. "Historische derby's (2): het einde van de legendarische Union 60". bruzz.be. Bruzz. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
  6. "Un partage pour clore le gala entre le RWDM et l'Union". unionistes.be (in French). Retrieved 26 February 2020.
  7. "0-3: Union vernedert Anderlecht in Brusselse bekerderby". BRUZZ.be. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
  8. "Noyau A". Royale Union Saint-Gilloise. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
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