It is one of the biggest rivalries in Belgian football and Brussels’ two football clubs are all set to again lock horns in, arguably, the country’s biggest game of the season.
RSC Anderlecht and Royale Union Saint-Gilloise will contest the Croky Cup Final on Thursday (14 May) at Stade Roi Baudouin, the national stadium.
The two clubs have a rich history although for one, Union, its success on the field has come in more recent times than its more illustrious city neighbour.
One – Union – plays in a ground accommodating about 10,000 which means it has had to play its biggest home games some distance away at the national stadium – while the team for the other – Anderlecht – ply their trade in rather more expansive surroundings.
Unbelievably, after 70 editions, this will be the first time in the domestic cup’s long and varied history that these two famous Brussels football clubs will face each other in the climax of the competition. After a long, arduous season it promises to be a fitting climax just ahead of this summer’s other big showpiece occasion….. the World Cup.
Experienced Belgian writer Kurt Deswert says, “The clash between RSC Anderlecht and Union Saint-Gilloise is also remarkable for another reason: although both clubs dominated large parts of Belgian football history, they each did so in different eras. Historically, RSCA and Union rarely crossed paths in battles for league titles or cups. Until a few years ago, there was barely any real rivalry between them,” added Deswert.
Deswert is a Brussels-based author and football historian.
Ahead of the big game, the respected writer wrote about the rich history of football in Brussels.
He says it was only with Union’s resurgence in the 2020s that the pair once again faced each other in meaningful competitive fixtures.
In the cup, this led twice to defeats for RSCA.
After a long decline that saw Union fall as low as the 4th tier, the club experienced a resurgence in the 2020s following a takeover by British businessman Tony Bloom, also chairman of Brighton in the Premier League.
Deswert writes, “Against all expectations, Union returned to the top flight in 2021 after 48 years. Once there, the club exceeded all expectations.
“For the first time in nearly 115 years, there was once again genuine rivalry between Anderlecht and Union Saint-Gilloise,” he notes.
Deswert says, “The two clubs, so deeply intertwined historically, are once more competing for league titles and cups against each other. Along the way, they also demonstrate that Brussels remains one of the most fascinating football capitals in Europe – and continues to be so,” added Deswert,who was writing for the Anderlecht club website.
Union’s principal city rivalry is, in fact, with RWD Molenbeek contested in what is colloquially referred to as the Zwanze derby a term derived from Brussels’ dialect and cultural humour.
But,today, most see the rivalry with Anderlecht as the one that really matters.
In recent times, it is Union that has done better, with forays into the Champions League, while Anderlecht struggle to restore the fame they achieved in years gone by.
But, of course, a cup game over 90 minutes or so can go either way and, just ahead of the clash, this site canvassed some local opinion.
Olivier Van Peeters, from Uccle, said, “I have supported Union all my life and have every confidence that the superiority we have had over Anderlecht in recent years will continue on Thursday.”
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Comments
18 responses to “Brussels Competitors Aim to Reign as City’s Top Dogs”
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Looks like Anderlecht will finally get to face their long-lost cousins in the cup final—who knew family reunions could be so entertaining? 😂 Can’t wait to see who takes home the trophy and the bragging rights; I hear the winner gets a free pint and a genuine sense of pride. 🍻
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Looks like Anderlecht’s been invited to a party they thought was long over—bless their hearts! 🥳 Meanwhile, Union’s just there polishing their trophy collection like it’s a Sunday morning ritual. 🍻
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Looks like the battle of the Brussels titans is juicier than a Belgian waffle! 🍻 Who knew a cup final could spark rivalry more intense than a Flemish family feud? 🤷♂️
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Looks like the two clubs finally decided to stop playing hide-and-seek and actually face off—what a novelty! 🎉 Can’t wait for the thrilling showdown of who can trip over their own history first! 😂
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So, we’ve got Anderlecht and Union finally squaring off after a century of only pretending to be rivals—bravo! Can’t wait to see if the cup is as empty as their past encounters. 🍻
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Must be nice for Anderlecht to finally get a chance to play against someone other than themselves in the mirror! 🪞😏 Good luck trying to find that glory again – it’s like searching for a needle in a haystack!
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Seems like both clubs are ready to duke it out for the title of “Brussels’ Best,” as if that’s gonna change anyone’s lunch plans. 🍽️🤷♂️ Good luck to the one that remembers how to kick a ball straight!
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Looks like we’re in for a real thriller, folks – the David versus Goliath of Brussels football! With Union finally deciding to show up after decades of hibernation, it’s about time the city put on a show worthy of a soap opera. 🍿⚽️
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Looks like the city’s top dogs are more like top mutts now, fighting over a trophy like kids in a playground. Good luck to Anderlecht; they might need it more than a Belgian needs their frites! 🍟😂
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So, it’s finally happening – the battle of the Brussels football titans! Who knew we’d need a cup final to remind us that rivalry isn’t just a fancy word for “not sharing the last piece of frites”? 😏⚽
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Oh, the sweet taste of competition! Who knew Brussels could muster such excitement over a few blokes running after a ball? ⚽️ Just remember, in football, as in life, it’s not whether you win or lose, but how much you can whinge about it later! 😂
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Seems like the battle for the top dog in Brussels football has turned into a proper soap opera—who needs Netflix when you’ve got Anderlecht and Union playing out this drama? 😏 Let’s hope the only thing more inflated than their egos is the scoreline!
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Guess it’s a big deal when two teams finally decide to play nice after years of ignoring each other—like a sibling rivalry that forgot they were in the same family. 🍻 Let’s hope they remember how to kick a ball without tripping over their own egos!
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So, we’ve got two clubs that have finally decided to stop playing hide and seek and face off after a century of avoiding each other—cheers to that! 🍻 Maybe this will finally end the “who’s the bigger dog” debate; just don’t forget your umbrellas, because it’s Belgium, after all! ☔️
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So, the battle of the “who’s not at the bottom anymore” clubs is finally happening, eh? Can’t wait to see if Anderlecht can remember what winning feels like or if Union’s going to serve them another slice of humble pie. 🍰⚽️
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Isn’t it just charming how Anderlecht has to remind everyone they even exist? Meanwhile, Union finally woke up to the fact that the real competition isn’t just about who can fit more folks in a stadium. 🍻
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Looks like we’re in for a classic showdown where history meets a mid-table nightmare—who knew the real drama of Brussels was happening on a football pitch? ⚽️🙄 The only thing more surprising than Union’s resurgence is that Anderlecht still thinks they’re the main event!
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Seems like we’re all set for a football match that’s been more overdue than a tram in rush hour. 🥴 Let’s see if the “top dogs” can finally find their bark!
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