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Belgian football is on the rise with Union SG and Club Brugge

Belgian football is on the rise with Union SG and Club Brugge

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Club Brugge and Union Saint-Gilloise have both given themselves a platform to build on in this season’s Champions League.

By Graham Ruthven

In the 70-year history of the European Cup and Champions League, no Belgian team has ever lifted the famous trophy. Spain, England, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Portugal and France have all produced multiple winners while teams from Romania, Yugoslavia and even Scotland have all been continental champions. Not Belgium, though.

That is unlikely to change this season, but Club Brugge and Union Saint-Gilloise are making an impact on the Champions League, laying down a marker with impressive victories over Monaco and PSV in their opening League Phase fixtures. The Belgian flag is flying high on the continent.

How things stand in the Belgian Pro League

Belgium’s reputation as one of European football’s most productive nations is well-established. While the days of the country’s so-called Golden Generation might have come and gone without the national team winning a major title, Belgium’s conveyor of talent continues to roll.

For the most part, though, this pipeline of talent flowed out of the domestic game. Kevin De Bruyne left Genk well before he could mature. Romelu Lukaku played just two seasons for Anderlecht before he was poached. Eden Hazard never even played domestic football in Belgium, signed by Lille as an academy prospect.

This forced Belgian clubs to be more imaginative in their scouting and recruitment. This summer, players arrived in the Belgian Pro League from 22 different countries, reflecting how far and wide the net has been cast by the likes of Club Brugge and Union Saint-Gilloise, both of whom have unearthed a number of gems in recent times.

Christos Tzolis is one such gem. Signed from Norwich City after an underwhelming stint in the Championship, the Greek winger has flourished as a genuine difference-maker for Club Brugge. The 23-year-old is quick to get on the dribble down the left side and has added a final product to his game, scoring three goals in nine league appearances this season.

Raphael Onyedika joined Club Brugge from FC Midtjylland three years ago and is a central pillar of their midfield. The Nigerian international is comfortable on both sides of the ball and frequently gives Brugge an extra dimension with his late runs into the box and determination to get into good goalscoring areas.

After joining in the summer, Nicolo Tresoldi has made a fast start for Club Brugge, scoring in the eye-catching win over Monaco. The Germany U21 international forward is strong in the air and is a formidable physical presence, but also boasts the technical ability to link up and play a part in possession play.

Under head coach Nicky Hayen, the Blauw-Zwart are known for playing a brand of exciting, front-foot football. Club Brugge scored four goals in their opening Champions League fixture of the season after putting nine goals past Rangers in qualification. Only one team has scored more goals than Hayen’s in the Belgian Pro League this season.

That one team is Union Saint-Gilloise who have found the back of the net 19 times in just nine outings. Four of those goals belong to Promise David, the Canadian international striker signed from Nomme Kalju in Estonia who embodies the willingness of Belgian clubs to look in unusual places for new talent.

This summer, Union took in €70m in transfer fees for outgoing players and re-invested €17m of that in new signings from Slovenia, Portugal and lower down the Belgian league ladder. They also returned to Estonia to capture Brazilian winger Guilherme Smith. Some of those new additions are already contributing.

Within the Union Saint-Gilloise squad, there are 18 different nationalities. This is the mark of Tony Bloom’s transfer market masterplan. The Brighton owner also counts the Belgian champions in his portfolio of clubs with the work of Jamestown Analytics key to their recent success.

Union will continue to sell their best players because that’s their model. 22-year-old central defender Fedde Leysen has been linked with Bournemouth while 21-year-old Anan Khalaili, part of the Israel team that finished third at the last U20 World Cup, has attracted attention from Red Bull Salzburg and Wolfsburg.

A deep run in this season’s Champions League will draw even more eyes to Sébastien Pocognoli’s team with the 38-year-old coach himself potentially destined for even bigger things. The last two Union Saint-Gilloise managers have used the springboard to a job in one of Europe’s Big Five leagues. 

The model of Club Brugge and Union Saint-Gilloise, who meet in the Belgian Pro League this weekend, means they might never end Belgium’s long wait for a European champion, but that same model is making them competitive in a way they weren’t only a few years ago. They surely have even more to offer in this season’s Champions League. 

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Belgian Pro League and the Champions League on FotMob in the 2025/26 season – with in-depth stat coverage, including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Belgian football is on the rise with Union SG and Club Brugge

Club Brugge and Union Saint-Gilloise have both given themselves a platform to build on in this season’s Champions League.

By Graham Ruthven

In the 70-year history of the European Cup and Champions League, no Belgian team has ever lifted the famous trophy. Spain, England, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Portugal and France have all produced multiple winners while teams from Romania, Yugoslavia and even Scotland have all been continental champions. Not Belgium, though.

That is unlikely to change this season, but Club Brugge and Union Saint-Gilloise are making an impact on the Champions League, laying down a marker with impressive victories over Monaco and PSV in their opening League Phase fixtures. The Belgian flag is flying high on the continent.

How things stand in the Belgian Pro League

Belgium’s reputation as one of European football’s most productive nations is well-established. While the days of the country’s so-called Golden Generation might have come and gone without the national team winning a major title, Belgium’s conveyor of talent continues to roll.

For the most part, though, this pipeline of talent flowed out of the domestic game. Kevin De Bruyne left Genk well before he could mature. Romelu Lukaku played just two seasons for Anderlecht before he was poached. Eden Hazard never even played domestic football in Belgium, signed by Lille as an academy prospect.

This forced Belgian clubs to be more imaginative in their scouting and recruitment. This summer, players arrived in the Belgian Pro League from 22 different countries, reflecting how far and wide the net has been cast by the likes of Club Brugge and Union Saint-Gilloise, both of whom have unearthed a number of gems in recent times.

Christos Tzolis is one such gem. Signed from Norwich City after an underwhelming stint in the Championship, the Greek winger has flourished as a genuine difference-maker for Club Brugge. The 23-year-old is quick to get on the dribble down the left side and has added a final product to his game, scoring three goals in nine league appearances this season.

Raphael Onyedika joined Club Brugge from FC Midtjylland three years ago and is a central pillar of their midfield. The Nigerian international is comfortable on both sides of the ball and frequently gives Brugge an extra dimension with his late runs into the box and determination to get into good goalscoring areas.

After joining in the summer, Nicolo Tresoldi has made a fast start for Club Brugge, scoring in the eye-catching win over Monaco. The Germany U21 international forward is strong in the air and is a formidable physical presence, but also boasts the technical ability to link up and play a part in possession play.

Under head coach Nicky Hayen, the Blauw-Zwart are known for playing a brand of exciting, front-foot football. Club Brugge scored four goals in their opening Champions League fixture of the season after putting nine goals past Rangers in qualification. Only one team has scored more goals than Hayen’s in the Belgian Pro League this season.

That one team is Union Saint-Gilloise who have found the back of the net 19 times in just nine outings. Four of those goals belong to Promise David, the Canadian international striker signed from Nomme Kalju in Estonia who embodies the willingness of Belgian clubs to look in unusual places for new talent.

This summer, Union took in €70m in transfer fees for outgoing players and re-invested €17m of that in new signings from Slovenia, Portugal and lower down the Belgian league ladder. They also returned to Estonia to capture Brazilian winger Guilherme Smith. Some of those new additions are already contributing.

Within the Union Saint-Gilloise squad, there are 18 different nationalities. This is the mark of Tony Bloom’s transfer market masterplan. The Brighton owner also counts the Belgian champions in his portfolio of clubs with the work of Jamestown Analytics key to their recent success.

Union will continue to sell their best players because that’s their model. 22-year-old central defender Fedde Leysen has been linked with Bournemouth while 21-year-old Anan Khalaili, part of the Israel team that finished third at the last U20 World Cup, has attracted attention from Red Bull Salzburg and Wolfsburg.

A deep run in this season’s Champions League will draw even more eyes to Sébastien Pocognoli’s team with the 38-year-old coach himself potentially destined for even bigger things. The last two Union Saint-Gilloise managers have used the springboard to a job in one of Europe’s Big Five leagues. 

The model of Club Brugge and Union Saint-Gilloise, who meet in the Belgian Pro League this weekend, means they might never end Belgium’s long wait for a European champion, but that same model is making them competitive in a way they weren’t only a few years ago. They surely have even more to offer in this season’s Champions League. 

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Belgian Pro League and the Champions League on FotMob in the 2025/26 season – with in-depth stat coverage, including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.