Royal Antwerp F.C.

Royal Antwerp FC
Full name Royal Antwerp Football Club
Nickname(s)

The Great Old

Ploeg van 't Stad
Founded 1880 (1880)
Ground Broodstraat (1908–1923)
Bosuilstadion (1923– )
Antwerp, Belgium
Capacity 16,144 [1]
Owner Paul Gheysens
Chairman Jan Michel
Manager Frédéric Leidgens
League Belgian First Division A
2017–18 Belgian First Division A, 8th place
Website Club website

Royal Antwerp Football Club, often simply referred to as Antwerp, is a Belgian football club based in the city of Antwerp.

Founded around 1880 as Antwerp Athletic Club by English students residing in Antwerp, 15 years prior to the creation of the Royal Belgian Football Association, Antwerp is regarded as the oldest club in Belgium. At first there was no organised football played by its members, until 1887 when the football division was founded with an own board, named Antwerp Football Club. Being the oldest active club at the time, it was the first club to register to the Association in 1895. Consequently, when matriculation numbers were introduced in 1926, the club received matriculate number one.[2][3]

History

In 1900, most of the players left the club for the new neighbouring club of K. Beerschot V.A.C., and this was the start of a long rivalry between both clubs. Royal Antwerp have won four Belgian league titles so far, as well as two Belgian Cups. The club is also the latest Belgian team to have reached a UEFA competition final, the 1993 European Cup Winners' Cup Final, where they lost 3–1 against Parma at Wembley Stadium. They have been playing in the Belgian Second Division since 2004–05. Royal Antwerp play their home matches at the Bosuilstadion since 1923.[4] Royal Antwerp colours are red and white.

Royal Antwerp had a long-term partnership with the English club Manchester United, taking their young players on loan so that their development can be aided with first team football, and young players who require European work-permits can benefit from Belgium's more relaxed laws.[5] An example is Dong Fangzhuo, who was unable to play for United, immediately due to work permit problems and was loaned to allow him to gain first team experience.

Despite being one of Belgium's best-supported clubs, Antwerp have been under-achievers for several years. They have not won a league title since 1957, and have spent several seasons in the second division. They were last promoted to the top flight in 2000, only to be relegated in short order in 2004. They returned to the first division after 13 years in 2017.

Meuse/Scheldt Cup

The best football players of Antwerp and Rotterdam contested a yearly match between 1909 and 1959 for the Meuse- and Scheldt Cup (Maas- en Schelde Beker). It was agreed to play the game at Antwerp's stadium De Bosuil in Belgium and at Sparta Rotterdam's Het Kasteel stadium in the Netherlands. The cup was provided in 1909 by P. Havenith from Antwerp and Kees van Hasselt from Rotterdam.

Honours

National

Belgian First Division

Champions (4): 1928–29, 1930–31, 1943–44, 1956–57

Belgian Second Division

Champions (1): 1999–2000, 2016–2017

Belgian Cup

Champions (2): 1954–55, 1991–92

International

UEFA Cup Winners' Cup

Runners-up (1): 1992–93

Current squad

Updated 25 July, 2018. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
1 Turkey GK Sinan Bolat
2 Brazil DF Matheus
4 Ghana DF Daniel Opare
6 Norway DF Simen Juklerød
7 Belgium MF Reda Jaadi
8 Portugal MF Ivo Rodrigues
9 Democratic Republic of the Congo FW Jonathan Bolingi
10 Belgium MF Geoffry Hairemans
11 Israel FW Lior Refaelov (loan from Club Brugge KV)
14 Senegal MF Amara Baby
15 Belgium DF Dino Arslanagić
19 Ghana FW William Owusu
20 Cameroon FW Didier Lamkel Zé
No. Position Player
21 France DF Dylan Batubinsika
23 Mexico MF Omar Govea
27 Madagascar FW Zout
29 Ukraine MF Yehor Nazaryna
30 Portugal DF Aurélio Buta
37 Belgium DF Jelle Van Damme
38 Belgium MF Faris Haroun (Captain)
39 Belgium GK Jens Teunckens
41 Belgium GK Bill Lathouwers
47 Belgium DF Gaël Kakudji
60 Mali MF Sambou Yatabaré
70 Democratic Republic of the Congo FW Dieumerci Mbokani

Technical staff

PositionName
ManagerRomania László Bölöni
Assistant ManagerBelgium Wim De Decker
Goalkeeping CoachCroatia Vedran Runje
Fitness CoachBelgium Peter Catteeuw
Match AnalystBelgium Jerry Vanacker

Manchester United loan partnership

This is a list of former players acquired on-loan via Manchester United's partnership with Royal Antwerp from 1998 to 2013.

References

  1. ↑ Bosuil mag voortaan 16.144 supporters ontvangen GVA, 7 april 2018
  2. ↑ "125 years football history". rafc.be. Archived from the original on December 8, 2008. Retrieved February 7, 2011.
  3. ↑ "Wist je dat: de KBVB stamnummers uitvond?". voetbalkrant.com. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
  4. ↑ "Stadiums & Pitches". rafc.be. Archived from the original on December 8, 2008. Retrieved February 7, 2011.
  5. ↑ "Manchester United's Royal Antwerp Loanees". Five Cantonas. Retrieved March 24, 2011.
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