R.S.C. Anderlecht

Anderlecht

Full name	Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht
Nickname(s)	Purple & White, Sporting (Dutch: Paars-wit; French: Les Mauve et Blanc)
Short name	R.S.C.A.
Founded	27 May 1908; 116 years ago (1908-05-27)
Ground	Constant Vanden Stock – Lotto Park
Capacity	22,500[1]
Chairman	Wouter Vandenhaute
Head coach	David Hubert
League	Belgian Pro League
2023–24	Belgian Pro League, 3rd of 16
Website	rsca.be
Home colours Away colours Third colours
Current season

Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht, commonly abbreviated to RSC Anderlecht (Dutch: [ˈɑndərlɛxt] ^ⓘ, French: [ɑ̃dɛʁlɛkt], German: [ˈandɐlɛçt]) or RSCA (Dutch: [ˌɛr.ɛs.seːˈaː, -ˈʔaː], French: [ɛʁ.ɛs.se.ɑ], German: [ˌɛʁʔɛs.tseːˈʔaː]), is a Belgian professional football club based in Anderlecht, Brussels Capital-Region. Anderlecht plays in the Belgian First Division A and is the most successful Belgian football team in European competitions, with five trophies, as well as in the Belgian domestic league, with 34 championship wins. They have also won nine Belgian Cups and hold the record for most consecutive Belgian championship titles, winning five between the 1963–64 and 1967–68 seasons.

Founded in 1908, the club first reached the highest level in Belgian football in 1921–22 and have been playing in the first division continuously since 1935–36 and in Europe since 1964–65. They won their first major trophy after World War II with a championship win in 1946–47. They never finished outside the top six of the Belgian first division with the exception of 2019–20 (8th) and 2022–23. They are ranked 14th amongst all-time UEFA club competition winners, tenth in the International Federation of Football History & Statistics continental Clubs of the 20th Century European ranking and were 41st in the 2012 UEFA team rankings.^[2] In 1986, they achieved their best UEFA ranking with a joint first place with Juventus.^[3]

Anderlecht have been playing their matches in the Astrid Park in the municipality of Anderlecht since 1917. Their current stadium was renamed Lotto Park in 2019. Previously it was called Constant Vanden Stock Stadium which was first opened in 1983 to replace the former Emile Versé Stadium. They play in purple and white outfits. They have long-standing rivalries with Club Brugge and Standard Liège.

Founded as Sporting Club Anderlechtois on 27 May 1908 by a dozen football lovers at the Concordia café (located in the Rue d'Aumale/Aumalestraat in the municipality of Anderlecht), the club beat Institut Saint-Georges in their first match, 11–8.^[4] They joined the official competition in 1909–10, starting at the lowest level in the Belgian football league system, then the third provincial division. In 1912–13, they gained promotion to the second-higher level of football, then named the Promotion. After only one season at that level, the championships were suspended due to World War I, and resumed in 1919–20. With the popularity of the team increasing, Anderlecht had moved to a new stadium in the Astrid Park in 1917 (then known as Meir Park). They baptized the stadium Stade Emile Versé in honor of the club's first major patron, the industrialist Emile Versé.

At the end of the 1920–21 season, Anderlecht was promoted to the first division for the first time in their history. In the next 14 seasons, Anderlecht was relegated four times (1923, 1926, 1928 and 1931) and promoted four times (1924, 1927, 1929, 1935), earning themselves the mockery of local rival clubs Union Saint-Gilloise and Daring Club de Bruxelles, who nicknamed them the "lift club". In 1933, 25 years after their formation, the club changed their name to Royal Sporting Club Anderlechtois. Since their promotion in 1935, Anderlecht has remained at the top level of football. With Jef Mermans, a striker signed from K Tubantia FC in 1942 for a record fee of 125,000 Belgian francs, Anderlecht won their first league title in 1947. Their success increased in the following years as they won six more titles between 1949–50 and 1955–56 (winning three consecutive titles twice) and two more in 1958–59 and 1961–62. In the 1960s, under the coaching of Pierre Sinibaldi and then of Andreas Beres, the club even won five titles in a row (from 1963–64 to 1967–68), which is still a Belgian league record. The star of this team was Paul Van Himst, topscorer in 1965, 1967 and 1969 and Belgian Golden Shoe winner in 1960, 1961, 1965 and 1974.

Anderlecht played in the first European Champion Clubs' Cup in 1955–56, and lost both legs of their tie against Vörös Lobogo. They had to wait until the 1962–63 season to win their first European tie, with a 1–0 victory over Real Madrid, which followed a 3–3 draw in Spain. For the first time, they advanced to the second round, where they beat CSKA Sofia before losing to Dundee in the quarter-finals. In the 1969–70 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, Anderlecht lost in the final against Arsenal. Between 1975 and 1984, Anderlecht only won one championship but they achieved considerable European success: they won the 1975–76 and 1977–78 European Cup Winners' Cups against West Ham United and Austria Wien respectively, as well as the two subsequent European Super Cups.

The 1982–83 season was a noteworthy season for the club for numerous reasons: former Anderlecht favourite Paul Van Himst was named the new coach, they won the 1982–83 UEFA Cup and under the impulse of sporting director Michel Verschueren, the rebuilding of the club stadium began.^[5] But in the domestic league, Anderlecht had to settle for second place behind Standard. Their bid to retain the UEFA Cup in 1983–84 failed at the final hurdle against English side Tottenham Hotspur. Anderlecht reached the final by bribing the semi-final referee to the equivalent of £27,000, ensuring passage against another English side, Nottingham Forest.^[6]

After three second-place finishes in a row, the Purple and Whites secured an easy 18th title in 1984–85, 11 points ahead of Club Brugge. In 1985–86, Anderlecht won the championship again, but this time after a two-legged play-off against Club Brugge. Anderlecht won their 20th championship on the last matchday of the 1986–87 season. They then lost key players Franky Vercauteren, Enzo Scifo (transferred in the summer of 1987) and Juan Lozano (heavily injured in a game at KSV Waregem a few months earlier).^[7] A weakened team coached by Raymond Goethals finished only fourth in 1988 behind Club Brugge, KV Mechelen and Royal Antwerp, but they nonetheless managed to lift the Belgian Cup for the sixth time in club history after a 2–0 victory over Standard Liège, with goals by Luc Nilis and Eddie Krnčević. The next year, Anderlecht retained the trophy with goals by Eddie Krncevic and Milan Janković (again with a 2–0 win over Standard), but finished second in the championship. After his second cup win, Goethals left for Bordeaux in the French Ligue 1.

During the 1990s, Anderlecht reached one more European final, the 1990 European Cup Winners' Cup Final, which they lost to Italian club Sampdoria. The club then declined in European competitions, with the 1990–91 and 1996–97 UEFA Cup quarter-finals their best results. In national competition, they won four championship titles and a cup. During the 2000s, Anderlecht secured five more Belgian champion titles, reaching a total of 29 titles in 2007, in addition to one more cup victory. In the 2000–01 UEFA Champions League, they qualified for the first time to the second round, then another group stage, where they finished third in their group behind Real Madrid and Leeds United.

In 2009–10, the Purple and Whites won their 30th Belgian league title, while in the 2011–12 UEFA Europa League, Anderlecht made history by becoming the first Belgian team to finish the group stage of a European competition with the maximum number of points, dominating group opposition Lokomotiv Moscow, Sturm Graz and AEK Athens. They were also the only team of that year's Europa League to achieve this feat. On 6 May 2012, Anderlecht won their 31st Belgian championship,^[8] while on 22 July, they won their tenth Belgian Super Cup.^[9]

The seasons 2014–15 and 2015–16 were a disappointment sportively. After the appointiment of young Swiss coach René Weiler, Anderlecht, with youth players like Youri Tielemans and Leander Dendoncker, became champions again in the 2016–17 season.

In the Europa League they were eliminated in the quarter final by Manchester United in extra time.^[10] After businessman Marc Coucke took over the club in 2018, structural changes followed, together with regular personnel changes.^[11] Sportingly, a low point was reached in 2019–20: despite the return of club icon Vincent Kompany, the club did not qualify for the European club competitions the following season, which it had managed for the previous 55 years.^[12]

After a few disappointing seasons, Anderlecht could again compete for the championship title in the 2023-24 season, finishing 2nd on the regular season of Belgian Pro League.^[13]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to R.S.C. Anderlecht kits.

Anderlecht colours are purple and white, and the club's home kit is generally purple with white trim, though they did wear a black and purple home kit in the 2005–06 season, and a grey in the 2007–08 season. In the beginning, purple was the main colour of the shirts. The motto of Anderlecht ("Mens sana in corpore sano") is written on its badge as are the three letters "SCA", referring to the initial name of the club (Sporting Club Anderlechtois). A crown was added in 1933 following the name change to Royal Sporting Club Anderlechtois. Anderlecht's colours was inspired by Belgian immigrants that lived in Antigua Guatemala. Purple is the color of the city of Antigua and the color of the Belgian monarchy.

Conversely, Anderlecht's colours inspired United Arab Emirates Al Ain FC club to change their colours to purple, after they saw Anderlecht play in a friendly tournament in 1977.^[14]

1960

1965

1970

1975

1980

1985

1990

1995

2000

2005

2010

2015

Anderlecht play their home matches at the Lotto Park stadium located within the Astrid Park in the municipality of Anderlecht. It currently has a capacity of 22,500 places.^[15] Anderlecht has been playing in the Astrid Park since the building of the Emile Versé Stadium in 1917. The stadium was completely rebuilt in 1983 and renamed in honour of the then chairman Constant Vanden Stock. Prior to 1917, the club has played on a pitch in the current Rue du Serment/Eedstraat for a couple of years since 1908, then in a stadium located in Rue Verheydenstraat (now Rue Démosthènestraat).^[16] In 2013 the stadium was refurbished, with installation of new scoreboards and advertising strips alongside the border of the pitch in accordance with UEFA regulations for the Champions League. AIM Sport was chosen as the provider for the ultra-modern LED strips and their controllers.

Anderlecht would move to the 60,000-capacity Eurostadium when it was expected to be completed in 2019.^[17] The Eurostadion would also become home to the Belgium national team and host UEFA Euro 2020.^[18] However, during the years that followed, the project was plagued by numerous delays caused by political infighting.^[19][20] In February 2017, Anderlecht eventually pulled out of the project.^[21] In the 2018–19 season, Anderlecht drew an average home attendance of 18,536 in 15 league games at their stadium.^[22]

In July 2019, the new owner Marc Coucke sold the naming rights of the Constant Vanden Stockstadion to the firm Lotto, and changed the name to Lotto Park.^[23]

Before the start of every home match, the song "Anderlecht Champion" by Lange Jojo is played in the stadium.^[24] It was released in 1985 in French and Flemish (Brussels dialect) after Anderlecht became national champions. The song was reworked into a Belgian national supporters' song and was used at the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, after which the chorus "Oléé, Olé, Olé, Oléé" became an international anthem used in sports, musical performances and political activities.^[25]

The club had the highest average attendance in the Belgian First Division for ten years, until 2004–05.^{[citation needed]} Anderlecht supporters hail from all over the country and only a minority come from the Brussels Capital Region. Anderlecht counts 77 fan clubs, of which 5 are abroad (one in France, one in Poland, one in Texas, USA, one in Montreal, Canada and one in Sunderland, England).^{[citation needed]}

Anderlecht's main rivals are Standard Liege and Club Brugge, the two other teams of the "Big Three" in Belgium. Only a few players made the transfer from Club Brugge to Anderlecht, and when it happened it often caused controversy. For example, during his ninth season with Club Brugge, the transfer of Lorenzo Staelens to Anderlecht was already announced in April 1998, after which he had to finish the remaining 10 games for Club Brugge with constant whistling of furious Bruges supporters. Even when Staelens had to take a penalty for their club he was booed, and there were cheers when he eventually missed it.^[26] Transfers from players to and from Standard are more common. A tifo of a Standard supporters association, with the image of a decapitated Steven Defour in 2015 directed to their former player caused the necessary controversy in Belgium, with the Federal Public Service Interior launching an investigation.^[27]

•   record
• ^s shared record

• Bruges Matins:
  • Winners (2): 1985, 1988
• Tournoi de Paris:
  • Winners (3): 1964, 1966, 1977
• Toulon Tournament:
  • Winners (1): 1967
• Amsterdam Tournament:
  • Winners (1): 1976
• Mohammed V Cup:
  • Winners (1): 1976

• Belgian Golden Shoe:
  • Jef Jurion (1957, 1962), Paul Van Himst (1960, 1961, 1965, 1974), Wilfried Puis (1964), Rob Rensenbrink (1976), Franky Vercauteren (1983), Enzo Scifo (1984), Marc Degryse (1991), Philippe Albert (1992), Pär Zetterberg (1993, 1997),  Gilles De Bilde (1994), Lorenzo Staelens (1999), Jan Koller (2000), Aruna Dindane (2003), Vincent Kompany (2004), Mbark Boussoufa (2006, 2010), Matías Suárez (2011), Dieumerci Mbokani (2012), Dennis Praet (2014)
• Professional Footballer of the season:
  • Juan Lozano (1986–87), Marc Degryse (1989–90), Pär Zetterberg (1996–97, 1997–98), Walter Baseggio (2000–01), Aruna Dindane (2003–04), Vincent Kompany (2004–05), Mohammed Tchité (2006–07), Mbark Boussoufa (2008–09, 2009–10), Matías Suárez (2011–12), Youri Tielemans (2016–17)
• Belgian First Division topscorer:
  • Jef Mermans (1946–47, 1947–48, 1949–50), Hippolyte Van Den Bosch (1953–54), Jacky Stockman (1961–62), Paul Van Himst (1963–64, 1965–66, 1967–68), Jan Mulder (1966–67), Robbie Rensenbrink (1972–73), Attila Ladynski (1973–74), François Van Der Elst (1976–77), Erwin Vandenbergh (1982–83, 1985–86), Arnór Guðjohnsen (1986–87), Eddie Krncevic (1988–89), Tomasz Radzinski (2000–01), Nenad Jestrović (2004–05), Romelu Lukaku (2009–10), Aleksandar Mitrović (2014–15), Łukasz Teodorczyk (2016–17), Hamdi Harbaoui (2017–18)
• European League topscorer: Jef Mermans (1949–50)
• European Cup topscorer: Paul Van Himst (1966–67)
• World League Topscorer: Jef Mermans (1949–50)^[28]

As of 6 September 2024^[29]

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

No. Pos. Nation Player 4 DF  SRB Jan-Carlo Simić 5 DF  SEN Moussa N'Diaye 6 DF  SWE Ludwig Augustinsson 7 FW  BEL Francis Amuzu 10 MF  BEL Yari Verschaeren 11 FW  BEL Thorgan Hazard 12 FW  DEN Kasper Dolberg 13 DF  DEN Mathias Jørgensen 14 DF  BEL Jan Vertonghen (captain) 16 GK  DEN Mads Kikkenborg 17 MF  BEL Théo Leoni 18 MF  GHA Majeed Ashimeru 19 FW  ECU Nilson Angulo

No. Pos. Nation Player 20 FW  ARG Luis Vázquez 21 MF  GUI Amadou Diawara 23 MF  BEL Mats Rits 25 DF  BEL Thomas Foket 26 GK  BEL Colin Coosemans 27 MF  ENG Samuel Edozie (on loan from Southampton) 29 MF  BEL Mario Stroeykens 32 MF  BEL Leander Dendoncker (on loan from Aston Villa) 36 FW  DEN Anders Dreyer 54 DF  BEL Killian Sardella 55 DF  BEL Marco Kana 72 MF  BEL Nathan De Cat

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

No. Pos. Nation Player — DF  BEL Louis Patris (at Sint-Truiden until 30 June 2025) — MF  NGA Ishaq Abdulrazak (at Odd until 31 December 2024) — MF  FRA Alexis Flips (at Charleroi until 30 June 2025)

Rob Rensenbrink, awarded as the club's best player of the 20th century[30]	Paul Van Himst, awarded as Belgium's best player of the 20th century[31]	Jef Mermans, the club's all-time topscorer (367 goals in 399 games)[32]	Olivier Deschacht played most games for Anderlecht (602)[33]

Name	Nationality	Position	RSC Anderlecht career[A]	League record[B]		Honours[C]
				Apps	Goals
Hugo Broos		DF	1970-1983	350	1	2 UEFA Cup Winners' Cups, 2 UEFA Super Cups, 1 UEFA Cup, 3 Belgian Championships, 4 Belgian Cups
Ludo Coeck		MF	1972-1983	292	54	2 UEFA Cup Winners' Cups, 2 UEFA Super Cups, 1 UEFA Cup, 2 Belgian Championships, 3 Belgian Cups
Jean Cornelis		DF	1958-1971	287	6	7 Belgian Championships, 1 Belgian Cup
Bertrand Crasson		DF	1989-1996 1998–2003	291	19	6 Belgian Championships, 1 Belgian Cup
Michel De Groote		DF	1975-1977 1979–1989	294	27	1 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, 1 UEFA Super Cup, 1 UEFA Cup, 4 Belgian Championships, 3 Belgian Cups
Filip De Wilde		GK	1987-1996 1998–2003	369	0	6 Belgian Championships, 3 Belgian Cups
Olivier Deschacht		DF	2001-2018	395	8	8 Belgian Championships, 1 Belgian Cup
Jean Dockx		DF	1971-1978	214	12	2 UEFA Cup Winners' Cups, 1 UEFA Super Cup, 2 Belgian Championships, 4 Belgian Cups
Georges Grün		DF	1982-1990 1994–1996	258	31	1 UEFA Cup, 4 Belgian Championships, 2 Belgian Cups
Pierre Hanon		DF/MF	1954-1970	353	31	9 Belgian Championships, 1 Belgian Cup
Georges Heylens		DF	1960-1973	361	10	7 Belgian Championships, 3 Belgian Cups
Jef Jurion		MF	1953-1968	390	73	8 Belgian Championships, 1 Belgian Cup
Henri Meert		GK	1942-1960	343	1	8 Belgian Championships
Jef Mermans		FW	1942-1957	384	343	7 Belgian Championships
Jacky Munaron		GK	1974-1989	293	0	2 UEFA Cup Winners' Cups, 2 UEFA Super Cups, 1 UEFA Cup, 4 Belgian Championships, 4 Belgian Cups
Luc Nilis		FW	1986-1994	223	124	4 Belgian Championships, 3 Belgian Cups
Silvio Proto		GK	2005-2016	246	0	6 Belgian Championships, 1 Belgian Cup
Wilfried Puis		FW	1960-1971	267	52	6 Belgian Championships, 1 Belgian Cup
Rob Rensenbrink		FW	1971-1980	262	143	2 UEFA Cup Winners' Cups, 2 UEFA Super Cups, 2 Belgian Championships, 4 Belgian Cups
Jan Ruiter		GK	1971-1977	179	0	1 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, 1 UEFA Super Cup, 2 Belgian Championships, 4 Belgian Cups
Jacques Stockman		FW	1957-1966	236	142	5 Belgian Championships, 2 Belgian Cups
Jean Trappeniers		GK	1959-1971	359	0	6 Belgian Championships, 1 Belgian Cup
Gilbert Van Binst		DF	1968-1980	262	28	2 UEFA Cup Winners' Cups, 2 UEFA Super Cups, 2 Belgian Championships, 4 Belgian Cups
François Van der Elst		FW	1971-1980	243	82	2 UEFA Cup Winners' Cups, 2 UEFA Super Cups, 1 Belgian Championship, 1 Belgian Cup
Paul Van Himst		FW	1959-1975	457	233	8 Belgian Championships, 4 Belgian Cups
Franky Vercauteren		MF	1975-1987	367	93	2 UEFA Cup Winners' Cups, 2 UEFA Super Cups, 1 UEFA Cup, 4 Belgian Championships, 1 Belgian Cup
Pär Zetterberg		MF	1989-2000 2003–2006	284	72	6 Belgian Championships, 1 Belgian Cup

Other notable players include

• Philippe Albert
• Henrik Andersen
• Lucas Biglia
• Mbark Boussoufa
• Marc Degryse
• Jérémy Doku
• Arnór Guðjohnsen
• Arie Haan
• Jan Koller
• Vincent Kompany
• Juan Lozano
• Romelu Lukaku
• Aleksandar Mitrović
• Jan Mulder
• Charly Musonda
• Morten Olsen
• Tomasz Radzinski
• Graeme Rutjes
• Enzo Scifo
• Matías Suárez
• Youri Tielemans
• Jean Thissen
• Erwin Vandenbergh
• René Vandereycken

Position	Staff
Head Coach	David Hubert
Assistant Coach	Roel Clement Jan Michaelsen
Sporting Director	Olivier Renard
First Team Coach	Guillaume Gillet
Goalkeeper Coach	Laurent Deraedt
Video Analyst	Sandro Salamone
Physical Coach	Thibaut Meyer
Team Manager	Tom Colpaert
Head Physio	Niels Mathieu
Team doctor	Luc Vanden Bossche
Physical Data Analyst	Josephine Knipschild
Physio	Tim Wattez Simon Van Elewijck Maarten Brecko
Masseur	Kenny Dehaes Franky De Buyst
Nutritionist	Stéphanie Scheirlynck
Mental Coach	Michael Verschaeve
Kit Manager	Kalid Boudraa Michaël Lacroix Djorven Verlinden

Anderlecht Ownership

Owner	President	From	To	Notes
Group Concordia	Charles Roos	1908	1911
Group Concordia	Théo Verbeeck	1911	1951	Former club player
	Albert Roosens	1951	1971	Former club player
Constant Vanden Stock	Constant Vanden Stock	1971	1996	Belgium national team manager
Constant Vanden Stock	Roger Vanden Stock	1996	2008
Roger Vanden Stock	Roger Vanden Stock	2008	2018	Son of Constant Vanden Stock
Marc Coucke	Marc Coucke	2018	2020	Entrepreneur
Marc Coucke	Wouter Vandenhaute	2020	Present	Entrepreneur

There have been a total of 37 permanent managers and 3 caretaker managers of Anderlecht since the appointment of the first manager, Sylva Brébart, in 1920. The club's longest-serving manager is Englishman Bill Gormlie, who served during nine seasons between 1950 and 1959. Frenchman Georges Perino is the first Anderlecht manager to have claimed a trophy, with the first championship win in 1946–47. Seven Anderlecht managers have managed the club on two occasions: Ernest Churchill Smith, Pierre Sinibaldi, Urbain Braems, Raymond Goethals, Arie Haan, Johan Boskamp and Franky Vercauteren. Other managers have also played another role in the club before being appointed manager, including Jean Dockx, who served three times as caretaker before being appointed manager

In 1993, Brussels Dames 71 became Anderlecht's women team. The team has won ten Leagues, seven Super Leagues and eleven Belgian Cups since.^[35]

The oldest, still active rugby team in Belgium is R.S.C. Anderlecht Rugby, established in 1931. The club won the Belgian Elite League for a record of 20 times.^[36]

The Superleague Formula was a race class that existed between 2008 and 2011. The competition counted 16 to 19 teams, with every race car typically linked to an international football club. The team of R.S.C. Anderlecht won the championship in the 2010 season.^[37]

For the 2022/23 season, RSC Anderlecht took over the First Division and multiple UEFA Futsal Champions League participant FP Halle-Gooik and renamed it RSC Anderlecht Futsal. The team plays in Roosdaal, at the Belleheide Center, a new arena with a capacity of 1,200 spectators.

RSCA Futsal hosted the venue for the main round of the 2022/23 UEFA Futsal Champions League. After advancing in the main round, they were able to beat the previous year's winner, FC Barcelona, in the elite round of the UEFA Futsal Champions League due to a better goal difference. Then the team advanced to the UEFA Champions League semifinals against Sporting Lisbon where they were eliminated.^[38]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to RSC Anderlecht.

• Official website (in Dutch, French, English, and Spanish)
• Anderlecht on UEFA.com
• The Anderlecht academy way – These Football Times (2015)
• Daily Anderlecht news and largest online fanzone (in Dutch, French, English, Spanish, and German)