Association football club in Belgium
football cabaret
Royal Antwerp Football Club, much referred to as Royal Antwerp or just Antwerp, is a belgian football club based in the city of Antwerp. Founded about 1880 as Antwerp Cricket Club by english students residing in Antwerp, 15 years before the creation of the Royal Belgian Football Association, Antwerp is regarded as the oldest club in Belgium. [ 2 ] At first there was no organize 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 fourth dimension, 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. [ 3 ] [ 4 ]

history [edit ]

Over the course of the club ‘s history, Royal Antwerp have won four belgian league titles ampere well as three belgian Cups. In 1900, most of the players left the club for the raw neighbor club of K. Beerschot V.A.C., and this was the starting signal of a retentive competition between both clubs.

The club is the most recent 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. [ 5 ] Royal Antwerp had a long-run partnership with the English club Manchester United, taking their young players on loan so that their growth can be aided with first base team football, and young players who require european work-permits can benefit from Belgium ‘s more loosen laws. [ 6 ] An exercise is Dong Fangzhuo, who was unable to play for United, immediately due to work permit problems and was loaned to allow him to gain inaugural team experience. Despite being one of Belgium ‘s best-supported clubs, Antwerp have been under-achievers for respective years. They have not won a league title since 1957, and have spent several seasons in the second division. They were promoted to the top flight in 2000, only to be relegated in short order in 2004. They returned to the foremost division after 13 years in 2017. [ 7 ] In August 2020, the Great Old won their first major trophy in closely 30 years when they upset league champions Club Brugge in the final of the belgian Cup. [ 8 ]

stadium [edit ]

Royal Antwerp have played their home matches at the Bosuilstadion since 1923. [ 9 ]

Rivalries [edit ]

Royal Antwerp share a boisterous competition with city neighbours Beerschot A.C. ( now K Beerschot VA ). Although in the 2000s-2010s the two clubs have met meagerly, when they do, there is normally fan violence. [ 10 ] Royal Antwerp are much seen as a culture club with a diverse, cross-class support across the city while Beerschot have either heavily working class or upper berth class patronize, locally based in South Antwerp. [ 11 ] Beerschot supporters much refer to RAFC fans as “ joden “ or “ Jews “ due to the fact that to get to Antwerp ‘s stadium they must pass through the jewish district, while Great Old supporters refer to Beerschot followers as “ the rats ” .
RAFC besides have developed a long-standing competition with Club Brugge. [ 12 ] They besides have a local competition with KV Mechelen, although there is common respect due to a shared hate of Beerschot. [ 13 ]

Meuse/Scheldt Cup [edit ]

The best football players of Antwerp and Rotterdam contested a annually 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 [edit ]

National [edit ]

Belgian First Division

Belgian Second Division
Belgian Cup
Belgian Super Cup

  • Runners-up: 1992

International [edit ]

  • Winners: 1902, 1906

UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup

Players [edit ]

current police squad [edit ]

As of 31 August 2021

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

other players under contract [edit ]

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

Out on loanword [edit ]

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

technical staff [edit ]

Manchester United Players loan partnership [edit ]

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

See besides [edit ]

References [edit ]