Cercle Brugge K.S.V.
Full name | Cercle Brugge Koninklijke Sportvereniging | ||
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Nickname(s) | Groen en Zwart (Green and Black), De Vereniging | ||
Founded | 1899 | ||
Ground | Jan Breydel Stadium | ||
Capacity | 29,062 | ||
Owner | Dmitry Rybolovlev | ||
Manager | Miron Muslic | ||
League | Belgian Pro League | ||
2022–23 | Belgian Pro League, 6th of 18 | ||
Website | Club website | ||
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Cercle Brugge
History
Early years (1899–1919)
Cercle Brugge was founded on 9 April 1899 as Cercle Sportif Brugeois by former students of the
.Cercle Brugge became a member of the
Three years later Belgian football was devastated by World War I: Cercle lost two first-team players, Louis Baes and Joseph Evrard, and their stadium and facilities sustained heavy damage. Former player Alphonse Six also died.
Rebuilding (1919–1924)
Cercle resumed competitive football in 1919 with an almost completely new team. Louis Saeys was the only player to remain in the team from before the war. Expectations were low, but the club finished third in the league. In 1921 the club raised a monument in remembrance of those affiliated with Cercle who had died in WWI: the unveiling was marred by tragedy, when a biplane scheduled to fly over the stadium as a tribute crashed, killing its two passengers. The monument still exists and now stands in front of the Jan Breydel Stadium.
In 1923, Cercle extended their stadium facilities again, moving 100 metres from their old pitch to a newly built stadium. This ground, later named the Edgard De Smedt Stadium, became Cercle's home for more than 50 years.
Two national titles (1924–1930)
In 1924, the club changed its name from Cercle Sportif Brugeois to Royal Cercle Sportif Brugeois. The club embarked on a successful period, led by two key players: Belgian record international
In 1928, goalkeeper Robert Braet emerged as a new star at Cercle: the player, who had only switched from the outfield to goal after an illness, went on to spend his whole career at Cercle, later becoming chairman.
Cercle made a slow start to the
Decline (1930–1938)
Cercle could not maintain the results of their championship season, ending 7th in 1931. New title aspirations disappeared completely as Cercle continued to finish in the middle of the league over the next several seasons. The experienced players who had helped achieve the title retired or left the team, and the youngsters who replaced them could not match their talent. The downward spiral reached a low with relegation to the Belgian Second Division in 1936. Cercle took the opportunity to make sweeping changes, appointing a new coach and board. The changes proved successful, and Cercle won promotion back to the highest division after only two years.
World War II in Belgium (1939–1945)
The Second World War made a regular football competition impossible in 1939. Cercle therefore took part in regional championships, in which each team met another multiple times. Cercle, though, had comparatively little competition in its native
A national contest resumed in 1941; Cercle finished the season last but one in the league. Usually this would have meant relegation, but the KBVB ruled that the circumstances of the war, which limited training opportunities and youth development, meant no team should be relegated.
Cercle were made to play one match
Immediately after liberation in 1944, an unofficial championship was organised among the teams who had in 1939 made up the top division. Most teams, though, were unable to participate, and the
Second decline and return (1945–1961)
Cercle could not avoid relegation in the first season after the war and, despite being favorites for promotion the following season, struggled to compete in the lower league, finishing their first season there in seventh place. The next four seasons brought more mediocre league positions, until in 1951 the KBVB revealed plans to create a new second division. Clubs in the current second tier were required to finish eighth to remain in the second level; Cercle ended in 15th place that season, leaving them even further away from the top flight.
Cercle remained in this third tier until 1956, when they won their league. They spent the next season once again battling relegation, this time with more success, though their second season back in the second tier went less well. The club secured only nine points in the season's first half, avoiding relegation only with a win under coach
Short resurrection (1961–1965)
Cercle had taken 15 years to return to the highest division, and remained there for only five more. They scarcely escaped relegation in their first season back at the top level, thanks only to a successful proposition by Antwerp that changed the way teams with equal points were ordered in the league. Until this season, where two teams had the same number of points the one with fewer defeats was ranked higher; under Antwerp's scheme, the team with the greater number of victories placed higher. Thanks to the changed rule Cercle finished ahead of Thor Waterschei, who would have placed above them under the previous rule. Ironically, Antwerp became victims of their own proposal: Standard obtained the second place, with Antwerp having equal points but fewer victories (but also fewer defeats).
Barren years and the five-year-plan (1965–1971)
This spell in the top division saw Cercle enjoy little success, and in
In 1967, Cercle appointed
Cercle were immediately able to play a role in the second division title contest, thanks to a successful transfer policy. After 20 matches Cercle led the league, only to finish the season fourth, four points behind champions
Settling at the top flight (1971–1996)
Cercle tried immediately to avoid the relegation battle by fortifying their squad, signing
Between 1967 and 1977, Cercle had had only two coaches, Urbain Braems and
Again, Cercle enjoyed a comfortable period in the top division, climaxing with a
Cercle again reached the Belgian cup final in 1986, this time meeting city rivals
In 1996, Cercle once more reached the national cup final, again facing Club Brugge: this time, Cercle lost 2–1. Nonetheless, Club's double victory meant Cercle still qualified for the
Second division (1997–2003)
Cercle aimed at an immediate return, but were thwarted early on. They finished their first season in 10th place, and gained only a single place increase in league position over each of the next four seasons. In 2002–03 the board chose a new chairman, former Standaard Boekhandel director Frans Schotte, and a new coach, former player Jerko Tipurić, who had also been coach in Cercle's 1996–97 relegation season. The new staff helped Cercle to achieve promotion once more in 2003.
Settling in the top flight again (2003–2015)
The 2003–4 season saw newly signed players
Second division, financial difficulties and take-over by Russian Oligarch (2015–present)
The first season in the second division, Cercle ended 5th out of 17. The next season (2016–17), the competition was renamed to 1B and contained 8 teams. Manager
Honours
Domestic
- Belgian First Division A:
- Belgian Second Division:
- Winners (5): 1937–38, 1970–71, 1978–79, 2002–03, 2017–18
- Runners-up (1): 1960–61
- Belgian Cup:
- Belgian Supercup:
- Runners-up (2): 1985, 1996
International
- Tournoi Pascal[5]
- Winners (1): 1914
- Runners-up (1): 1924
European cup history
- As of July 2010
Season | Competition | Round | Club | Home | Away | Aggregate |
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1985–86
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UEFA Cup Winners' Cup | 1 | Dynamo Dresden | 3–2 | 1–2 | 4–4 |
1996–97 | UEFA Cup Winners' Cup | 1 | SK Brann | 3–2 | 0–4 | 3–6 |
2010–11 | UEFA Europa League | 2Q | Turun Palloseura | 0–1 | 2–1 | 2–2 |
3Q | Anorthosis Famagusta
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1–0 | 1–3 | 2–3 |
Current squad
- As of 24 January 2024[6]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Other players under contract
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Player history
Note: Please consider that the flags of each club's player not only indicate one's citizenship (jus soli principle), but a nationality as well (jus sanguinis principle).
Most appearances for Cercle Brugge
As of matches played 11 June 2011 and according to www.cerclemuseum.be
No. | Name | Career | Appearances | Goals |
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1 | Jules Verriest
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1965–81 | 492 | 8 |
2 | Denis Viane | 1997–2011 | 385 | 2 |
3 | Geert Broeckaert | 1978–91 | 376 | 19 |
4 | Arthur Ruysschaert | 1925–44 | 372 | 108 |
5 | Roger Claeys | 1941–57 | 362 | 48 |
6 | Jackie De Caluwé | 1951–66 | 354 | 32 |
7 | Robert Braet | 1928–48 | 352 | 0 |
8 | Rudy Poorteman | 1979–91 | 347 | 7 |
9 | Wim Kooiman | 1980–88 / 1994–98 | 339 | 25 |
Bram van Kerkhof | 1974–85 | 339 | 14 |
Most goals for Cercle Brugge
As of matches played 11 June 2011 and according to www.cerclemuseum.be
No. | Name | Career | Appearances | Goals |
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1 | Marcel Pertry | 1943–55 | 280 | 140 |
2 | Josip Weber | 1988–94 | 204 | 136 |
3 | Dirk Beheydt | 1975–84 | 295 | 115 |
4 | Michel Vanderbauwhede | 1920–32 | 231 | 109 |
5 | Arthur Ruysschaert | 1925–44 | 372 | 108 |
6 | Gilbert Bailliu | 1953–66 | 227 | 104 |
7 | Louis Saeys | 1903–27 | 305 | 103 |
8 | Gérard Devos | 1921–30 | 178 | 100 |
9 | Alphonse Six | 1907–12 | 89 | 93 |
10 | André Saeys | 1928–35 / 1941–42 | 172 | 55 |
Eric Buyse | 1959–70 | 265 | 55 |
Top league goalscorers per season
According to www.cerclemuseum.be. Names in italic means that only partial match history for the season could be retrieved.
Pop Poll d'Echte
This prize is awarded by the club's supporters, in an election held by d'Echte, a Cercle Brugge supporters' association. The election is held in two rounds. At the last home game before the winter break, and at the last home game of the season, supporters can receive a paper and vote for three players. The player with most votes after the second round wins the Pop Poll. The main criteria taken into account are performances on the pitch and the players' love for the team.
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1 Alex Querter never received the award, because of his move to city rivals
Coaching staff
Position | Name | Nationality |
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Manager | Miron Muslic | |
Assistant manager | Jimmy De Wulf | |
First-Team coach | Radhi Jaïdi | |
Goalkeeping coach | Stefan Toonen[7] | |
Physical coach | Eddie Lattimore | |
Head of Analysis | Stuart Metcalf | |
Sporting Director | Paul Mitchell | |
Reserves coach | Jimmy De Wulf | |
Reserves coach | Wouter Artz |
Former head coaches
- Joseph Dewulf (1910–14)
- Louis Saeys (1914–28)
- Florimond Vanhalme (1928–37)
- William Maxwell (1937–38)
- Hugo Fenichel (1938–40)
- Florimond Vanhalme (1940–41)
- Louis Saeys (1941–42)
- Willy Steyskal(1942–44)
- Louis Baes (1944–46)
- André De Schepper (1946–48)
- Louis Baes (1948–50)
- Georges Vanden Bempt (1950–51)
- Bill Kennedy(1951–52)
- Louis Versyp (1952–54)
- Arthur Ruysschaert (a.i.)1 (1953–54)
- Guy Thys (1954–56)
- Louis Versyp (1956–57)
- Edmond Delfour (1958–62)
- Jules Bigot (1962–63)
- Georges Meuris (1963–66)
- Jules Van Dooren(1966–67)
- Urbain Braems (1967–72)
- Han Grijzenhout (1972–77)
- Lakis Petropoulos (1977–78)
- Lucien Masyn (1978)
- Han Grijzenhout (1978–79)
- Leo Canjels (1979–82)
- Han Grijzenhout (1982–83)
- Henk Houwaart (1983–84)
- Bram van Kerkhof (1984)
- Georges Leekens (1984 – 30 June 1987)
- René Taelman (1987–88)
- Roland Rotty (1988–89)
- Han Grijzenhout (1989–91)
- Eric Lagrou (1991)
- Henk Houwaart (1 July 1991 – 30 June 1993)
- Georges Leekens (1 Nov 1993 – 30 June 1994)
- Jerko Tipurić (1994–97)
- Rudy Verkempinck (1997–98)
- Ronny Desmedt (1998–99)
- Dennis Van Wijk(31 Oct 1998 – 30 June 2002)
- Jerko Tipurić (2002–04)
- Harm Van Veldhoven(22 May 2004 – 30 June 2007)
- Glen De Boeck (1 July 2007 – 2010)
- Bob Peeters (27 May 2010 – 27 Oct 2012)
- Lorenzo Staelens (a.i.) (28 Oct 2012–??)
- Foeke Booy (5 Nov 2012 – 4 April 2013)
- Lorenzo Staelens (2013–2014)
- Arnar Viðarsson (2014–2015)
- Dennis Van Wijk(2015)
- Frederik Vanderbiest (2015–2016)
- Vincent Euvrard (2016)
- José Riga (2016–2017)
- Franky Vercauteren (2017-2018)
- Laurent Guyot (2018–2019)
- Fabien Mercadal (1 July 2019 – 7 Oct 2019)
- Bernd Storck (12 Oct 2019 – 31 May 2020)
- Paul Clement (3 July 2020 – 1 Feb 2021)
Notes:
- Ruysschaert replaced the suspended Versyp for a few months.
Chairmen history
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See also
References
- ^ "Schotte over vertrek De Boeck: "Degoutant"" (in Dutch). Sport/Voetbalmagazine.be. 26 May 2010. Archived from the original on 29 May 2010. Retrieved 29 May 2010.
- ^ "1B (play-downs)". sporza.
- ^ "Cercle Brugge komt in handen van AS Monaco".
- ^ "Cercle Brugge promoveert weer naar hoogste voetbalafdeling". 10 March 2018.
- ^ "International Tournaments (Paris) 1904-1935". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
- ^ "Teams – A-kern – Selectie – Saison 2022-2023 Cercle Brugge KSV". Cercle Brugge KSV. Archived from the original on 19 June 2022. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
- ^ Jaison, Anson. "Stefan Toonen has been appointed as the new goalkeeping coach of Jupiler Pro League (Belgian top tier) club Cercle Brugge K.S.V."
Further reading
- Roland Podevijn, Cercle Brugge 1899–1989, K.S.V. Cercle Brugge, 1989
External links
- Official website (in Dutch and French)
- Cercle Brugge at UEFA.com