Stade Constant Vanden Stock (French) Constant Vanden Stockstadion (Dutch) | |
Lotto Park, Astrid Park | |
![]() Interior of the stadium | |
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Former names | Emile Versé Stadium |
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Location | Anderlecht, Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium |
Coordinates | 50°50′3″N4°17′54″E / 50.83417°N 4.29833°E |
Operator | R.S.C. Anderlecht |
Capacity | 22,500 [1] [2] |
Field size | 105 x 68 m |
Surface | Desso GrassMaster [3] |
Construction | |
Broke ground | 1917 |
Opened | 1917 |
Renovated | 1983 |
Tenants | |
R.S.C. Anderlecht |
The Constant Vanden Stock Stadium (French : Stade Constant Vanden Stock, Dutch : Constant Vanden Stockstadion), also known as the Lotto Park for sponsorship reasons, [4] is a football stadium in the municipality of Anderlecht in Brussels, Belgium. It is home to R.S.C. Anderlecht. It also hosted the UEFA Euro 1972 semi-final between Hungary and the Soviet Union, as well as several games of the Belgium national football team. It can be accessed from Saint-Guidon/Sint-Guido metro station on line 5 of the Brussels Metro.
Until shortly after the First World War, the home games of Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht were played on a football pitch in the Rue Verheyden/Verheydenstraat. In 1917, R.S.C. Anderlecht installed, on the border of the Meir Park (later renamed Astrid Park), a new stadium with only one wooden stand. In 1918, the complex was named the Émile Versé Stadium (French: Stade Émile Versé, Dutch: Émile Verséstadion), after the industrialist Émile Versé, who was also the club's first president. [4] Over time, concrete stands were set up.
In 1946, R.S.C. Anderlecht received permission to carry out work to expand the facilities at the Émile Versé Stadium. In 1969, construction work began on the Henri Simonet sports hall, which was completed in 1971. [5] On September 20, 1980, 38,349 viewers attended a game against Standard Liège at the Versé Stadium, the largest number of spectators to attend a match at the stadium ever.
The 1980s were marked by several phases of modernisation. Between 1983 and 1991, the stadium was completely rebuilt and renamed the Constant Vanden Stock Stadium (French: Stade Constant Vanden Stock, Dutch: Constant Vanden Stockstadion), after the club's then-chairman, Constant Vanden Stock. [4] The renovated stadium was inaugurated with a gala match against FC Barcelona. In 1992, Anderlecht won the International Olympic Committee award for architecture in sport. The cost of the renovation works amounted to 1.5 billion Belgian francs. The club received no government support but financed the renovation works with the proceeds from lodges and business seats. [6]
In the summer of 2012, R.S.C. Anderlecht carried out work to bring the stadium up to UEFA standards. Its capacity was thus decreased to 21,500 seats [1] but it offers more comfort, more security, as well as new VIP areas and a brand new press room. All seats in the stadium are now equipped with a backrest. The aisles have been widened by 40 cm (16 in) for safety reasons, rail seats for safe standing were fitted on the terracing behind each goal, while stand 1 is now equipped with 651 outdoor VIP seats. [7] During European competitions, the stadium is all-seated, which decreases its capacity even more.
In 2010, the son of Constant Vanden Stock, Roger, announced together with RSC Anderlecht's manager Herman Van Holsbeeck that the club was going to build a third ring above the two existing ones [8] in order to increase the stadium's capacity to accommodate 30,000 spectators. The plans were put on hold when in 2014, Anderlecht agreed to become anchor tenant of the planned 60,000+ new national stadium in Brussels. After Anderlecht withdrew from the project, the plans for an expansion of its own stadium were eventually also shelved in 2022, due to financial and political reasons. [9]
In 2019, the stadium was officially rebranded as the Lotto Park, for sponsorship reasons. [4]
The stadium is located at 2, avenue Théo Verbeeck/Théo Verbeecklaan, near Saint-Guidon/Sint-Guido metro station. Rival supporters must stop at Aumale metro station for UEFA Champions League matches due to security measures. The stadium hosts a former one-star restaurant (Le Saint-Guidon) and a cafeteria, as well as the official club fanshop and ticketing booths.
Anderlecht is one of the 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. Located in the south-western part of the region, it is bordered by the City of Brussels, Forest, Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, and Saint-Gilles, as well as the Flemish municipalities of Dilbeek and Sint-Pieters-Leeuw. In common with all of Brussels' municipalities, it is legally bilingual (French–Dutch).
Royale Union Saint-Gilloise, commonly referred to as Union Saint-Gilloise and abbreviated as RUSG, is a Belgian professional football club originally located in the municipality of Saint-Gilles, in Brussels, although since the 1920s, it has been based at the Joseph Marien Stadium in the neighbouring municipality of Forest.
Astrid Park is an urban public park in the municipality of Anderlecht in Brussels, Belgium. The park was inaugurated on 13 August 1911 and was named the Parc du Meir/Meirpark until 1935, when the mayor of Anderlecht decided to change its name in memory of Queen Astrid, the first wife of King Leopold III, who died in a car crash that year.
Paul Guillaume van Himst is a Belgian former football player and a football manager who played as a forward, most notably for R.S.C. Anderlecht. Regarded as Anderlecht's ultimate club icon, Van Himst holds the record of four Belgian Golden Shoe awards and was named best "Belgian footballer of the twentieth century".
Constant Vanden Stock was a Belgian football player, trainer, football manager and entrepreneur.
The 1972–73 season of the European Cup football club tournament was won for the third consecutive time by Ajax in the final against Juventus at Red Star Stadium in Belgrade. The win by Ajax resulted in the fourth consecutive championship by a Dutch team. Since Ajax had won the cup for a third time, they got to keep the full size copy of the cup. Because the reigning European champions were also champions of their own league, and neither Albania nor Northern Ireland sent their champions, the number of participating clubs dropped from 33 to 30.
The 1985–86 European Cup was the 31st season of UEFA's premier club football tournament, the European Cup. The European Champion Clubs' Cup was won by Steaua București on penalties in the final against Barcelona. Steaua București became the first Eastern Bloc side to win the tournament. The final was decided mainly by goalkeeper Helmuth Duckadam, who saved all four of Barcelona's penalties to secure the cup.
The 1986–87 season was the 32nd season of the European Cup, Europe's premier club football competition. The tournament was won by Porto, who came from behind in the final against Bayern Munich to give a Portuguese club its first title since 1962.
The 1990–91 UEFA Cup was the 20th season of the UEFA Cup, the secondary club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). The final was played over two legs at San Siro, Milan, Italy, and at the Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Italy. The competition was won by Internazionale, who defeated fellow Italian team Roma by an aggregate result of 2–1 to claim their first UEFA Cup title.
The 1989–90 season of the European Cup Winners' Cup was won for the only time by Sampdoria in the final against Anderlecht, 2–0 at Nya Ullevi in Gothenburg, on 9 May 1990. They went on to win 1990–91 Serie A, also being runners-up in the 1991–92 European Cup and in the 1988–89 European Cup Winners' Cup. English clubs were still banned from Europe following the Heysel Stadium disaster, meaning Liverpool missed out on a place, but would have a representative again the following season.
The 1983–84 UEFA Cup was the 13th season of the UEFA Cup, the third-tier club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). The final was played over two legs at the Constant Vanden Stock Stadium, Brussels, Belgium, and at White Hart Lane, London, England. Tottenham Hotspur of England defeated title holders Anderlecht of Belgium, on penalties, after the final finished 2–2 on aggregate, to win the competition for the second time.
The 1982–83 UEFA Cup was the 12th edition of the UEFA Cup, the third-tier club football competition organised by UEFA. The final was played over two legs at the Heysel Stadium, Brussels, Belgium, and at the Estádio da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal, between Anderlecht of Belgium and Benfica of Portugal. Anderlecht won by an aggregate result of 2–1 to claim their first and only UEFA Cup title.
Saint-Guidon (French) or Sint Guido (Dutch) is a Brussels Metro station on the western branch of line 5. It is located in the municipality of Anderlecht, in the western part of Brussels, Belgium. The station received its name from the aboveground Collegiate Church of St. Peter and St. Guido, itself named after Saint Guy, the patron saint of Anderlecht.
Statistics of Belgian League in season 1985–86.
Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht, usually known as Anderlecht or RSCA, is a Belgian professional football club based in Anderlecht, Brussels Capital-Region. Anderlecht plays in the Belgian First Division A and is the most successful Belgian football team in European competitions, with five trophies, as well as in the Belgian domestic league, with 34 championship wins. They have also won nine Belgian Cups and hold the record for most consecutive Belgian championship titles, winning five between the 1963–64 and 1967–68 seasons.
The history of R.S.C. Anderlecht started with the foundation of the association football club Sporting Club Anderlechtois on 27 May 1908 by a dozen of football lovers gathered by Charles Roos at the Concordia café.
The Collegiate Church of St. Peter and St. Guido is a Roman Catholic collegiate church located in the centre of Anderlecht, a municipality of Brussels, Belgium. It is dedicated to Saint Peter and Saint Guy, the patron saint of Anderlecht.
The 1991–92 European Cup group stage began on 27 November 1991 and ended on 15 April 1992. A total of eight teams competed in the group stage to decide the two finalists of the 1991–92 European Cup. This was the first use of a group stage in the history of the competition.
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