On Sunday, July 20, it’s that time again: the traditional opener of the Belgian professional football season will be played. In the Volkswagen Supercup, league champions Union Saint-Gilloise and Cup winners Club Brugge will face off at Union’s Joseph Marien Stadium. Read all about it in this article.
Super Cup
The Belgian Supercup, now known as the Volkswagen Supercup, was first held in 1979 and is played annually between the league champion and the cup winner. The Supercup traditionally marks the unofficial kickoff of the new football season. As league champions, Union will enjoy home advantage.
Club Brugge holds the record with 17 victories, ahead of Anderlecht with 13 and Standard with 4 wins. Club also reached the final in 2024, where they lost – indeed – to Union, with a score of 2-1. The roles were reversed then: Club had won the league title, while Union had claimed the Cup. This time, the Brussels club is defending its Supercup trophy. The prize can immediately provide a major boost for the rest of the season: a good performance here can set the tone for the opening matchday with confidence.
Both teams qualified convincingly for this Supercup. Union claimed the league title after an impressive final sprint: nine wins in the Play-offs, with just one draw – coincidentally against Club Brugge. Brugge had a strong cup run, beating Anderlecht 2-0 in the final. Club also remained Union’s main challenger in the title race, keeping the tension high until the very end.
Union SG
Union Saint-Gilloise was founded in 1897 and holds registration number 10. Since the 1920s, it has played its home matches at the Joseph Marien Stadium. The Unionistes wear yellow and blue. Union was Belgium’s most successful club before World War II, winning twelve league titles. To date, only Anderlecht and Club Brugge have won more titles. Union only returned to the top tier, First Division A, in 2021 after a 48-year absence.
Last year, Union competed in the Europa League, finishing 21st in the revamped League Phase, enough to reach the play-offs, where Dutch side Ajax narrowly eliminated them. In the Jupiler Pro League, Union had more success: after a thrilling title race, mainly against Club Brugge, it was the Brussels club that eventually lifted the trophy.
In pre-season, Union appears strong again, ending preparations with a win over French side Paris FC. Coach Sébastian Pocognoli has already stated that his team has taken a step forward. However, some key players have departed, including Noah Sadiki, Koki Machida, and Dennis Eckert Ayensa, though the club has made some new signings and can still afford to experiment. That said, Union is urgently seeking a new goalkeeper, as Anthony Moris left Brussels after five years for Al-Khaleej in Saudi Arabia.
Club Brugge
Club Brugge was founded on November 13, 1891, and holds registration number 3. Since 1959, the club has played continuously in the Jupiler Pro League, Belgium’s top division. Of the two Bruges-based clubs, Cercle Brugge and Club, Club Brugge is by far the most successful and popular. It has won 18 league titles, second only to RSC Anderlecht in Belgium. In total, no club has won more Cups and Supercups than Club Brugge. It is also the only Belgian club to have ever reached the final of the European Cup I (now Champions League).
Last year, they also competed in the Champions League, reaching the round of 16, where they were eliminated by English side Aston Villa. Still, it was a very successful campaign, and the club also performed well domestically. They finished as league runners-up and won the Belgian Cup. In their last pre-season match, they defeated Lokomotiva Zagreb 3-0.
However, that was with an experimental lineup, as Nicky Hayen’s squad is still far from complete. Following transfers of players like Ferran Jutglà, Maxim De Cuyper, and Chemsdine Talbi, Club is still waiting for their replacements. Still, Brugge can count on familiar names like Hans Vanaken, Hugo Vetlesen, and Romeo Vermant. If all goes well, the new signings could make their debut this Sunday.
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