Derby Week: Brussels' three-way rivalry - old money, new money & a splash of hipsterism
The many rivalries between or even within the different Belgian communities (Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels) were the focus of Derby Week a few weeks ago, especially the so-called 'Belgian Clasico' between Standard Liege and Anderlecht. The latter, however, has recently had new, or rather old, rivals emerge in its own vicinity. Three big football battles will take place in Brussels in the coming week but who will compete in them?
The sleeping giant and the challenger
Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht is based in the eponymous part of the Belgian capital. With 34 titles, it is the most successful club in the country. It has also achieved great triumphs in European Cup competitions, winning the Cup Winners' Cup twice (1976, 1978) and the UEFA Cup once (1983). It is still one of the strongest and richest addresses in Belgian football, even if the results have not matched the past recently.
Last season they finished in 11th place (the Jupiler Pro League has 18 participants). Their last title was won back in 2017. However, at the moment it looks like they have finally found the right way to get back on the throne. Will there be a 'return of the king' this season?
Royale Union Saint Gilloise is based in a cosy old stadium in the Forest district of Brussels. However, it bears the name of the neighbouring commune of Saint Gilles. For today's fans, this club is a revelation that has hit the top of the Belgian league and the European Cup like a bolt from the blue. Few people really expected Royale Union to establish themselves so quickly after their return to the top flight and even challenge for the title in their first season among the elite. They had been absent from the league for 48 years but success is in their DNA.
Saint-Gilloise is still the third-best Belgian club in history in terms of titles (Club Brugge is second with 18). The first half of the 20th century was a glorious era for the club, more precisely the period before the Second World War when it won all of its 11 championship trophies. After the war, it was selected to represent Belgium in the European Fairs Cup Cup (which was later followed by the UEFA Cup) but then disappeared from the top tier for a long time.
In their very first season back among the elite, the 2021/22 edition, they managed to win the league's regular season. However, they were eventually edged out by an experienced Brugge team in the title-group phase. In their second season up, Royale Union confirmed that it was no fluke. They finished the regular season in second place with the same number of points as leaders Genk. In an extremely dramatic end to the championship phase, Antwerp clinched the title, one point ahead of both second-placed Genk and third-placed Royal.
The club's resurgence is mainly due to its new owners. Firstly, in 2018, it was Tony Bloom, who also owns English side Brighton. Since last year, Alex Muzio, Bloom's partner, has been the majority shareholder. What's interesting and successful is the running the club, which is based on the philosophy of 'buy low, sell high.' For example, Kaoru Mitoma, who is shining in the English Premier League in the colours of Brighton, or Victor Boniface, the star of the current season and of German Leverkusen, made names for themselves in Royal Union jerseys. The team is still at the top of the table in the current season.
Financial stability + talent = success
RWD Molenbeek (full name Racing White Daring Molenbeek) follows in the footsteps of several other successful clubs in history. Economically, it also got back on its feet (or was completely re-founded in 2015) thanks to a foreign investor. The club is owned by American John Textor, who also owns England's Crystal Palace (which is funny as the latter's biggest rival is Brighton).
Molenbeek, a district in the centre of Brussels, is a renowned breeding ground for talent. From the youth academy of RWD and its predecessors came, for example, Michy Batshuayi and Adnan Januzaj. As newcomers to the top flight, Molenbeek are not doing too badly this season. They are close to finishing in the 'middle' second-phase group (places seven to 12) after the end of the regular season, which would mean avoiding a fight for relaegation.
The derby week will start in Brussels on Thursday with the duel between Saint-Gilloise and Anderlecht in the quarter-finals of the cup, which was postponed last week due to snow. On Sunday, the current top two teams in the table will face each other again in the league. The two rivals will measure their strength for the eighth time since 2021. Royale Union hold an unprecedented record so far, having always won against Anderlecht in all seven league encounters since promotion.
Anderlecht has fans across Belgium, in both its Francophone and Flemish parts. Royale Union has also gained popularity thanks to its meteoric rise to the top of the league. The club is particularly popular with Brussels residents who were not born in the country, very often employees of many European institutions. According to official statistics of so-called expats from other EU countries, around 100,000 of them live in Brussels, making up about a tenth of the city's population. The Brussels derby is therefore a bit of a clash between a traditional Belgian brand and a 'hipster' and very successful modern club, popular largely among foreigners.
Three days later, Royale Union will also clash with the other city rival. The derby between Royale Union Saint-Gilloise and RWD Molenbeek is nicknamed after the typical, self-ironic Brussels humour 'zwanze.' The first Zwanze derby in the top competition ended 3-2 to Royale Union.
The program
Thursday, January 25th
Brussels derby (cup)
Royale Union Saint-Gilloise - RSC Anderlecht
Sunday, January 28th
Brussels derby (league)
RSC Anderlecht - Royale Union Saint-Gilloise
Wednesday, January 31 st
Zwanze derby (league)
Royale Union Saint-Gilloise - RWD Molenbeek
Other derbies of the week
Wednesday, January 24th
Netherlands - KNVB Beker (cup)
De Kraker
One of the traditional showpiece events of Dutch football, the match between Feyenoord Rotterdam and PSV Eindhoven is called 'De Kraker,' which could be loosely translated as 'the cracker.' PSV won their first game of the season, when they clashed for the Super Cup, 1-0. They also won the league (2-1). Now De Kraker will also take place in the domestic cup.
Friday, January 26th
Australia - A-League
The Big Blue
There is a great rivalry between Australia's two most important cities - Sydney and Melbourne. The football derby between the biggest teams of the two seats is called The Big Blue, because the clubs colours are both blue and also because in Australian English 'blue' means fight, brawl or quarrel.
Sunday, January 28th
England - FA Cup
West Bromwich Albion - Wolverhampton
Black County derby
The name 'Black Country' was adopted for the western part of the English Midlands in the mid-19th century, the height of the Industrial Revolution in England. Shortly afterwards, the region's two most historic clubs were formed here and now they clash in the traditional FA Cup.
Belgium - Jupiler Pro League
Limburg derby
The derby between Sint-Truiden and Genk is a local rivalry between two cities in Limburg, a Flemish province in the east of Belgium. The two cities lie 35 km apart. KRC Genk is the better of the two. It has a big name mainly due to its academy, which has produced players such as Kevin De Bruyne, Thibaut Courtois and Leandro Trossard. Their last clash ended in a 3-3 draw, although Sint-Truiden led 3-0 at half time.
Switzerland - Super League
Zurich derby
Basel and Zurich are two of the most important cities in Switzerland. Both are in the predominantly German-speaking part of the Alpine country. This alone is one of the reasons for their rivalry which also spills over into other sports. There is a great rivalry between FC Basel and FC Zurich but the latter also shares a grudge with its city neighbour, Grasshoppers.
Croatia - HNL
Jadranski derby (Adriatic derby)
The spring part of the Croatian league is off to a hectic start. The top two teams in the table and big rivals will compete this week. The Adriatic derby between the two biggest clubs from the coastal Croatian cities of Split and Rijeka is famous for its boisterous atmosphere, which is the responsibility of the fan groups of both clubs - the so-called Torcida Hajduk Split and Armada, which is behind HNK Rijeka.
Brazil - Campeonato Paulista (state league)
Clássico da Saudade
The Clássico da Saudade (roughly translated as the 'derby of nostalgia') is a football competition between some of the biggest clubs in the state of Sao Paulo. It is even the two most successful clubs in the history of the entire Brazilian top competition, with Palmeiras players winning 11 league titles and Santos eight.
Tuesday, January 30th
Clássico Majestoso
There is also a rematch of the Brazilian Cup semi-final between two great teams from Sao Paulo in the Paulista to enjoy. The derby between Sao Paulo and Corinthians is called the Clássico Majestoso and It is indeed a 'majestic derby' that has been played more than 350 times.