Union Saint‑Gilloise win Belgian Cup, adding fuel to rivalry with Anderlecht

Brussels – Union Saint‑Gilloise made history once again, winning the Belgian Cup, their fourth, and doing so by defeating Anderlecht in the Brussels derby. A 3-1 victory (the goals, for the record: Saint-Gilles ahead through McCallister in the 73rd minute, Cvetkovic equalising in the 84th, then Fuseini and Rodriguez scoring in the 4th and 9th minutes of the first period of extra time) that was a remarkable achievement in many respects. The first aspect is that of sporting strength: this fourth Belgian Cup confirms that the Brussels side has completed a full winning cycle, which began with the Belgian Cup in 2024, continued with the Super Cup and, even more significantly, with last May’s League title. Union Saint-Gilloise won at least one trophy for three consecutive seasons, something that hasn’t happened for almost a century, since its three league titles in 1933, 1934 and 1935. 

The resurgence of Union Saint-Gilloise perhaps reached its peak with yesterday’s (14 May) feat. In Brussels’ sporting culture and tradition, the ‘derby’ is, by definition, the match against Molenbeek, which in the last century meant competing for the league title and the cup. Even though Anderlecht is today the most decorated club in the kingdom, in Brussels as well as in the rest of the country, it rose much later, from the late 1940s onwards. Their first league title came in 1947, by which time Union Saint-Gilloise had already won 11, and Daring Molenbeek five. Even Racing Brussels, the Koekelberg-based team and one of the 19 municipalities of Brussels, boasted six league titles in 1947.

 https://www.eunews.it/2018/09/28/tre-volte-niakate-mito-union-spazza-via-landerlecht-riscrive-la-storia-del-calcio-belga/ 

The rivalry between Union Saint-Gilloise and Anderlecht dates back to recent years: USG began a decline that saw them drop out of the top league for 48 years. The two teams did not meet for 38 years. Then, in 2018, with USG still in the second division, the Belgian Cup derby opened a new chapter: a 3-0 win away at the heavily decorated Anderlecht, offering a taste of what was to come. On its return to the first division in 2021, Union Saint-Gilloise immediately began climbing the ranking and quickly established itself as the leading team in the Belgian capital. With Molenbeek moving between the second and third divisions, the only possible derby was against Anderlecht, while Union dominated league matches. But that’s not all: the rivalry heated up on the Anderlecht side over the stadium issue. USG found itself playing in European competitions, but the Stade Marien, home to the USG, did not meet UEFA licensing requirements, and the rival clubs reached an agreement that stirred up emotions:Anderlecht would ‘rent’ its ground to Union Saint-Gilloise for European matches. 

That is why winning the Belgian Cup in the most important derby ever between Saint-Gilles and Anderlecht – the first to have a trophy at stake – adds further weight to the achievement of the yellow‑and‑blues, who defeated their city rivals while they were still the reigning Belgian champions and fighting to defend the title won last season. While Anderlecht has not won since 2017, Saint-Gilles has been winning since 2022, and on Sunday (17 May) will find out in their head-to-head clash with Bruges whether they can continue to harbour title hopes or have to concede the crown to the Flemish side.  It is a world returning to its roots; it is Union reclaiming Belgian football history and supremacy. C’est l’Union qui sourit…