Yellow Red Koninklijke Voetbalclub Mechelen, often simply called KV Mechelen or KVM, or by their former French name FC Malinois, is a Belgian professional football club based in Mechelen in the Antwerp province. KV Mechelen plays in the Belgian Pro League. They have won four Belgian championships and twice the Belgian Cup, as well as the 1987–88 European Cup Winners' Cup and the 1988 European Super Cup. They collected most of their honours in the 1940s and in the 1980s.
The Belgian Cup is the main knockout football competition in Belgium, run by the Royal Belgian FA. The competition started in 1908 with provincial selections as the "Belgian Provinces Cup". Starting from 1912 only actual clubs were allowed to partake. As of 1964, the Belgian Cup has been organised annually. Since the 2015–16 edition, the Belgian Cup is called the Croky Cup, for sponsorship purposes. The final traditionally takes place at the Heysel Stadium in Brussels.
Royal Antwerp Football Club, often referred to as Royal Antwerp or simply Antwerp, is a Belgian professional football club based in the city of Antwerp. They are the reigning champions of Belgium, having won the 2022–23 Belgian Pro League, the top flight of Belgian football. RAFC is Founded around 1880 as Antwerp Cricket Club by English students residing in Antwerp, 15 years before the creation of the Royal Belgian Football Association, Antwerp is regarded as the oldest club in Belgium. At first there was no organised football played by its members, until 1887 when the football division was founded with its own board, named Antwerp Football Club. Being the oldest active club at the time, it was the first club to register to the Association in 1895. Consequently, when matricule numbers were introduced in 1926, the club received matricule number one.
Steven Arnold Defour is a Belgian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder, currently a manager.
Walter Meeuws is a Belgian former footballer and manager.
Tobias Albertine Maurits Alderweireld is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Belgian Pro League club Royal Antwerp.
Anthony Moris is a professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Belgian Pro League club Union SG. Born in Belgium, he plays for the Luxembourg national team.
Gyrano Kerk is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a right winger for Belgian club Royal Antwerp on loan from the Russian Premier League club Lokomotiv Moscow.
Jean Butez is a French professional footballer who plays for Belgian club Antwerp as a goalkeeper. A prospect of the Lille academy, Butez made his breakthrough with Mouscron and signed with Antwerp in 2020.
William Balikwisha is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Standard Liège. Born in Belgium, he represents the Democratic Republic of the Congo internationally.
The 2019–20 Royal Antwerp F.C. season was the club's 116th season in existence and the club's 8th consecutive season in the top flight of Belgian football. In addition to the domestic league, Antwerp participated in this season's editions of the Belgian Cup and UEFA Europa League. The season covered the period from 1 July 2019 to 1 August 2020.
The 2021–22 season was the 34th season in the existence of K.R.C. Genk and the club's 27th consecutive season in the top flight of Belgian football. In addition to the domestic league, Genk participated in this season's editions of the Belgian Cup, the Belgian Super Cup where it finished as runners-up, the UEFA Champions League where it got eliminated in the third qualifying round and in the UEFA Europa League.
The 2022–23 Belgian Pro League was the 120th season of top-tier football in Belgium. Royal Antwerp were crowned league champions for the first time in 66 years after pipping Genk and Union St-Gilloise on the final day, the first occasion since 1999 that three clubs were still contending the title going in the final match. All three Championship chasers were in the virtual lead in the table at different stages across the final five minutes before Toby Alderweireld's title-clinching goal.
Willian Joel Pacho Tenorio is an Ecuadorian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt and the Ecuador national team.
The 2023 Belgian Super Cup was a football match that took place on 23 July 2023 between the winners of the 2022–23 Belgian Pro League and the winners of the 2022–23 Belgian Cup. As Antwerp secured a double, winning both titles, they played the runners-up of the 2022–23 Belgian Cup, Mechelen.
The 2022–23 season was the 119th season in the existence of Royal Antwerp F.C. and the club's sixth consecutive season in the top flight of Belgian football. In addition to the domestic league, Antwerp participated in this season's editions of the Belgian Cup and the UEFA Europa Conference League.
The 2022–23 Belgian Cup, called the Croky Cup for sponsorship reasons, was the 68th season of Belgium's annual football cup competition. The competition began on 24 July 2022 and ended with the final on 30 April 2023. The winners of the competition will qualify for the 2023–24 UEFA Europa League play-off round.
Arthur Denis Vermeeren is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for La Liga club Atlético Madrid and the Belgium national team.
The 2023 Belgian Cup final, named Croky Cup after the sponsor, was the 68th Belgian Cup final which took place on 30 April 2023. The match was contested by KV Mechelen and Antwerp.
The 2023–24 season is Royal Antwerp Sporting Club's 144th season in existence and seventh consecutive in the Belgian Pro League. They are also competing in the Belgian Cup, the Belgian Super Cup as well as the UEFA Champions League, which they'll compete in for the first time.
