Allez l’Union! After 90 years, the title of Belgian champions returns to Saint-Gilles

Brussels – The proper substitutions, the crisis-banishing goals, the triple whistle, and then the celebration. Union Saint-Gilloise is the Belgian champion for the 12th time, 90 years after their last title. The Brussels team is writing a new chapter in national football with a remarkable achievement: a rocky start to the season followed by a rise in position and, most importantly, points, culminating in an impressive run. The championship playoff—a mini-championship among the top six teams from the regular season—was simply flawless. The final act, the home match against Gent, was the last piece in a title race that was anything but free of tension and fear.

Ivanovic’s early goal (11 minutes) was answered by the visitor’s Guðjohnsen just before halftime (46 minutes). With the teams tied at 1-1 at the break, fears began to grow that the feat might slip away and the title could be lost. The one-point lead over Club Bruges was not enough to dispel the ghosts. The second half turned into a siege, and the score remained unchanged. The Saint-Gilloise coach, Pocognoli, then made a change: in the 58th minute, Khalaili and Fuseini came off, and Castro-Montes and Promise came on. Ten minutes passed, and Promise scored the 2-1 goal, which ensured mathematical certainty of the national title. Again, just seven minutes later, Promise scored a header for the 3-1 goal of tranquility and celebration, which continued long into the night.

The team and fans celebrated together on the pitch, open to supporters, for a festive, coordinated pitch invasion that allowed the people to embrace the team’s return to its former glory. Union Saint-Gilloise, once queen of a now-bygone football era, has consistently occupied top positions since returning to the top league. The title comes in what was probably considered the ‘worst’ season since 2021. The yellow-and-blues entered the playoffs ranked third (their worst finish since rejoining the top league) after previously watching titles slip away despite dominating the regular season.

Saint-Gilles — both the team and the municipality of Brussels — took their revenge, crowning a corporate restructuring that has seen promotion, a Belgian Cup victory, a Supercup win—the first in its history—and now, the league title, to close the circle. Three trophies in just one calendar year: C’est l’Union qui sourit; (It’s the Union that smiles), as the club anthem goes; it’s the Union that dominates, just as it did in the golden age. The fans are again breathing the atmosphere of the past, celebrating once again at the historical Marien stadium while waiting for a new stadium that the new ownership aims and expects to deliver shortly. However, those are matters for other times. Now, it is time to celebrate.

The municipality of Saint-Gilles opened its doors to the entire team, who appeared on the entrance steps with the trophy for a collective celebration that lasted late into the night. Stadium chants filled the air, along with a special appearance by Johnson Righeira, a notable supporter, who performed Vamos a la Playa — the 1980s hit that has become a second anthem for the yellow-and-blue world of Saint-Gilles.