K.F.C. Merelbeke

Last updated
KFC Merelbeke
K.F.C. Merelbeke logo.png
Full nameKoninklijke Fusieclub Merelbeke
Short nameMerelbeke
Founded1942;83 years ago (1942)
GroundMolenkouterstadion, Merelbeke
ChairmanWilfried Van Keymeulen
Head coachRudy Hofman
League Belgian National Division 1
2023–24 Division 2 VV A, 2nd of 18 (promoted)
Website https://www.kfcmerelbeke.be/molenkouter/
Soccerball current event.svg Current season

KFC Merelbeke is a Belgian football club based in the city of Merelbeke, registered with the Belgian FA under matricule 3551. The full name of the club is Koninklijke Fusieclub Merelbeke (Royal Mergerclub Merelbeke) and it has green and blue as club colours. The club will play in Belgian National Division 1 from 2024 to 2025 after promotion from Belgian Division 2 in 2023–24.

Contents

History

The club joined the Belgian FA in 1942 under the name Vlug en Vrij Merelbeke (Quick and Free Merelbeke), receiving matricule number 3551 and choosing yellow and green as club colours. A first title came in 1954 when VV Merelbeke became champions in the Second Provincial Division, but the club relegated immediately the season after, where it would remain until 1973, when it dropped to the Third Provincial Division. With the exception of the 1974–75 season (Second Provincial Division) the club remained at this level until the merger in 1988 when the club merged with neighbouring clubs Union Merelbeke and Sporting Merelbeke to form FC Merelbeke. At that point the colours were changed to yellow and blue and the new club played at the stadium of VV Merelbeke.

After the merger, it took four more seasons until 1992 before the promotion to the Second Provincial Division was won, at which point the name was changed to the current KFC Merelbeke. From 1992 until 2015, the club played most of its seasons at this level, occasionally interspersed with periods at the highest provincial level which became longer over time: only one season in 1993–94, then two seasons from 2002 to 2004, and four seasons from 2010 to 2014. Then the climb upwards started as the club has never been relegated since and has promoted to the First Provincial Level in 2015, to the Third Amateur Division in 2016, to the Second Amateur Division in 2019 and to the Belgian National Division 1 in 2024.

Current squad

As of 1 March 2025 [1]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.Pos.NationPlayer
1 GK Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  BEL Jordy Maes
2 MF Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  BEL Ilias El Hamdaoui
4 DF Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  BEL Yohen Tangala
5 DF Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  BEL Gillis Verhelst
6 DF Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  BEL Merijn Rogiers
7 FW Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  BEL Malik De Drie
8 MF Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  BEL Jur Schryvers
10 FW Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  BEL Mikaele Falzone
11 FW Flag of The Gambia.svg  GAM Tony Soli
13 GK Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  BEL Emiel Gardeyn
14 FW Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  BEL Arjunah Crighton
15 MF Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  BEL Mathieu D'Hooré
No.Pos.NationPlayer
16 MF Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  BEL Milan Boskamp
17 MF Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  BEL Joshua Veeckman
18 DF Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  BEL Xander Balcaen
19 MF Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  BEL Milan De Mey
20 DF Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  BEL Constant Vande Velde
22 MF Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  BEL Christian Bello Rivero
23 DF Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  BEL Max De Ruyver
29 FW Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  BEL Ilias Mjahed
30 FW Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  BEL Nico Binst
68 MF Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  BEL Alper Ademoğlu
90 GK Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  BEL Jonas Godijn
99 FW Flag of Ghana.svg  GHA Richard Antwi

Honours

References

  1. "A-Kern". KFC Merelbeke. Retrieved 1 March 2025.