R.S.C. Anderlecht facts for kids
![]() |
||||
Full name | Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Nickname(s) | Purple & White, Sporting (Dutch: Paars-wit; French: Les Mauve et Blanc) |
|||
Short name | R.S.C.A. | |||
Founded | 27 May 1908 | |||
Ground | Constant Vanden Stock – Lotto Park | |||
Capacity | 22,500 | |||
Chairman | Wouter Vandenhaute | |||
Head coach | Besnik Hasi | |||
League | Belgian Pro League | |||
2024–25 | Belgian Pro League, 4th of 16 | |||
|
Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht, often called RSC Anderlecht or RSCA, is a professional football club from Anderlecht, Brussels, Belgium. They play in the Belgian First Division A.
Anderlecht is the most successful Belgian football team in Europe, having won five trophies. They also hold the record for the most Belgian championship wins, with 34 titles. The club won nine Belgian Cups and holds the record for winning five Belgian championships in a row from 1963 to 1968.
The club was started in 1908. They first reached the top level of Belgian football in 1921. Since 1935, they have continuously played in the first division. Their first major trophy was a championship win in 1947, after World War II.
Anderlecht has played their home matches in the Astrid Park since 1917. Their current stadium is called Lotto Park, which was renamed in 2019. Before that, it was known as Constant Vanden Stock Stadium. The team's colors are purple and white. They have big rivalries with Club Brugge and Standard Liège.
Contents
Club History
How Anderlecht Started
Anderlecht was founded on May 27, 1908. A group of football fans started the club at the Concordia café. They called it Sporting Club Anderlechtois. In their very first match, they won 11–8 against Institut Saint-Georges.
The club joined official competitions in 1909. They started at the lowest level of Belgian football. By 1912, they moved up to the second-highest level. Football championships stopped during World War I and started again in 1919. As the team became more popular, Anderlecht moved to a new stadium in the Astrid Park in 1917. They named it Stade Emile Versé to honor Emile Versé, who was a big supporter of the club.
Early Years and First Titles
At the end of the 1920–21 season, Anderlecht was promoted to the first division for the first time. For the next 14 seasons, they moved up and down between divisions several times. This earned them the nickname "the lift club" from rival teams.
In 1933, the club changed its name to Royal Sporting Club Anderlechtois. Since 1935, Anderlecht has stayed in the top football league. With a star player named Jef Mermans, Anderlecht won their first league title in 1947. They continued to be very successful, winning six more titles between 1949 and 1956. They even won three titles in a row twice during this period.
Record-Breaking Wins
In the 1960s, under coaches Pierre Sinibaldi and Andreas Beres, Anderlecht achieved a Belgian league record. They won five titles in a row, from 1963 to 1968. A key player during this time was Paul Van Himst. He was the top scorer in 1965, 1967, and 1969. He also won the Belgian Golden Shoe award four times.
European Successes
Anderlecht first played in the European Champion Clubs' Cup in 1955. They won their first European match in 1962, beating Real Madrid. In 1970, Anderlecht reached the final of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, but lost to Arsenal.
Between 1975 and 1984, Anderlecht had great success in Europe. They won the 1975–76 European Cup Winners' Cup and the 1977–78 European Cup Winners' Cup. They also won the European Super Cup twice in a row.

In the 1982–83 season, former player Paul Van Himst became the new coach. Anderlecht won the 1982–83 UEFA Cup that year. The club's stadium also started to be rebuilt. They tried to win the UEFA Cup again in 1983–84 but lost to Tottenham Hotspur in the final.
Later Championships and Cups
After finishing second three times in a row, Anderlecht won their 18th title in 1984–85. They won the championship again in 1985–86 after a play-off against Club Brugge. In 1986–87, they won their 20th championship on the very last day of the season.
Even after some key players left, the team won the Belgian Cup for the sixth time in 1988. They beat Standard Liège 2–0. The next year, Anderlecht won the cup again, also against Standard.
In the 1990s, Anderlecht reached another European final, the 1990 European Cup Winners' Cup final, but lost to Sampdoria. They won four more national championships and one cup during this decade. In the 2000s, Anderlecht added five more Belgian championship titles, reaching 29 titles by 2007. They also won another cup. In the 2000–01 UEFA Champions League, they made it to the second group stage.
In 2009–10, Anderlecht won their 30th Belgian league title. In the 2011–12 UEFA Europa League, they became the first Belgian team to win all their group stage matches. On May 6, 2012, Anderlecht won their 31st Belgian championship. On July 22, they won their tenth Belgian Super Cup.
The 2014–15 and 2015–16 seasons were not as successful. However, with young players like Youri Tielemans and Leander Dendoncker, Anderlecht became champions again in the 2016–17 season.

In the Europa League, they were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Manchester United after extra time.
After businessman Marc Coucke took over the club in 2018, there were many changes. In the 2019–20 season, the club did not qualify for European competitions. This was the first time in 55 years that they missed out. However, in the 2023-24 season, Anderlecht finished 2nd in the regular season, showing they could compete for the championship again.
Club Colors and Badge
Anderlecht's official colors are purple and white. Their home kit is usually purple with white details. Sometimes, they have worn different colors, like black and purple in 2005–06 or grey in 2007–08. Purple was the main color of their shirts when the club started.
The exact reason for these colors is not fully known. One story says they come from a flower parade in Anderlecht. In this parade, the future Queen Elisabeth rode in a carriage decorated with white and purple orchids. Purple is also the color of the Belgian monarchy.
Anderlecht's colors have even inspired other football clubs. For example, Al Ain FC from the United Arab Emirates changed their colors to purple after seeing Anderlecht play in a tournament in 1977.
The club's motto, "Mens sana in corpore sano" (which means "a healthy mind in a healthy body"), is on its badge. The badge also has the letters "SCA," which stand for the club's first name, Sporting Club Anderlechtois. In 1933, when the club turned 25, they received a royal title. A crown was then added to their badge. In 1959, a new badge with two rings was created to mark the club's 50th anniversary.
Kit Evolution Over Time
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() 1960
|
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() 1965
|
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() 1970
|
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() 1975
|
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() 1980
|
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() 1985
|
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() 1990
|
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() 1995
|
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() 2000
|
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() 2005
|
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() 2010
|
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() 2015
|
Kit Sponsors
Period | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor | Back sponsor | Sleeve sponsor |
---|---|---|---|---|
1973–1974 | In-House / Le Coq Sportif | Belle-Vue | None | None |
1974–1982 | Adidas | |||
1982–1991 | Générale de Banque | |||
1991–2000 | Générale de Banque | |||
2000–2009 | Fortis | Fortis | ||
2009–2014 | BNP Paribas Fortis | BNP Paribas Fortis | ||
2014–2017 | BNP Paribas Fortis / Proximus (in cup and UEFA games) | Proximus | ||
2017–2019 | BNP Paribas Fortis / Allianz (in UEFA games) | |||
2019–2020 | Joma | BNP Paribas Fortis | ||
2020–2023 | DVV Insurance (Home) / Candriam (Away) | None | None | |
2023–2024 | Napoleon Sports & Casino | |||
Aug.–Dec. 2024 | Napoleon Sports & Casino / Sunweb (Away in UEFA matches) | None | ||
2025– | Sunweb | Napoleon Sports & Casino | None |
Crest Evolution
Home Stadium
Anderlecht plays its home matches at the Lotto Park stadium. It is located in the Astrid Park in Anderlecht. The stadium used to hold 40,000 fans, but for safety reasons, it now has 22,500 seats.
Anderlecht has been playing in the Astrid Park since 1917. That's when the Emile Versé Stadium was built. The stadium was completely rebuilt in 1983. It was then renamed in honor of the club's chairman at the time, Constant Vanden Stock. Before 1917, the club played on different pitches in the area. In 2013, the stadium was updated with new scoreboards and advertising screens.
There were plans for Anderlecht to move to a new 60,000-seat stadium called Eurostadium. This stadium was also meant to host the Belgium national team and games for UEFA Euro 2020. However, the project faced many delays. In February 2017, Anderlecht decided not to be part of the project anymore. In the 2018–19 season, Anderlecht had an average of 18,536 fans at their home league games.
In July 2019, the club's new owner, Marc Coucke, sold the naming rights of the Constant Vanden Stockstadion to Lotto. So, the stadium was renamed Lotto Park.
Club Anthem
Before every home match, the song "Anderlecht Champion" by Lange Jojo is played. It was released in 1985 after Anderlecht won the national championship. The song's chorus, "Oléé, Olé, Olé, Oléé," became a famous international sports anthem.
Supporters
Anderlecht had the highest average attendance in the Belgian First Division for ten years, until 2004–05. Fans come from all over Belgium, not just the Brussels Capital Region. Anderlecht has 77 fan clubs, with 5 of them located outside Belgium. As of January 1, 2024, RSC Anderlecht had 4 million followers on social media. This is the highest number among Belgian football clubs.
Rival fans sometimes call Anderlecht supporters "dikkenekken." This Flemish term means "thick necks." It refers to their strong pride in their club. Recently, Anderlecht fans have also started using this term jokingly among themselves.
Club Rivals
Anderlecht's main rivals are Standard Liège and Club Brugge. These three teams are known as the "Big Three" in Belgian football.
It is rare for players to move directly from Club Brugge to Anderlecht. When it happens, it often causes a lot of anger among fans. For example, when Lorenzo Staelens moved to Anderlecht in 1998, Club Brugge fans booed him during his last games for their club.
Player transfers between Anderlecht and Standard Liège are more common. However, a display by Standard fans in 2015, showing a beheaded Steven Defour (a former Standard player who moved to Anderlecht), caused a lot of controversy.
Club Achievements
Type | Competition | Titles | Seasons |
---|---|---|---|
Domestic | Belgian First Division | 34 |
1946–47, 1948–49, 1949–50, 1950–51, 1953–54, 1954–55, 1955–56, 1958–59, 1961–62, 1963–64 |
Belgian Second Division | 2 |
1923–24, 1934–35 |
|
Belgian Cup | 9 |
1964–65, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1993–94, 2007–08 |
|
Belgian League Cup | 3 |
1973, 1974, 2000 |
|
Belgian Super Cup | 13 |
1985, 1987, 1993, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017 |
|
Continental | UEFA Europa League | 1 | 1982–83 |
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup | 2 | 1975–76, 1977–78 | |
UEFA Super Cup | 2 | 1976, 1978 |
- record
- s shared record
Other Trophies
- Tournoi de Paris:
- Winners (3): 1964, 1966, 1977
- Amsterdam Tournament:
- Winners (1): 1976
- Mohammed V Cup:
- Winners (1): 1976
- Tournoi Indoor de Paris-Bercy:
- Winners (1): 1985
- Bruges Matins:
- Winners (2): 1985, 1988
- Youth tournaments (selection):
- Toulon Tournament (1): 1967, Future Cup (3): 2011, 2013, 2015, Torneo di Viareggio (1): 2013, Copa Amsterdam (1): 2015, Otten Cup (1): 2016, Kevin De Bruyne Cup (1): 2018
Individual Player Awards
- Belgian First Division topscorer:
- Jef Mermans (1946–47, 1947–48, 1949–50), Hippolyte Van Den Bosch (1953–54), Jacky Stockman (1961–62), Paul Van Himst (1963–64, 1965–66, 1967–68), Jan Mulder (1966–67), Robbie Rensenbrink (1972–73), Attila Ladynski (1973–74), François Van Der Elst (1976–77), Erwin Vandenbergh (1982–83, 1985–86), Arnór Guðjohnsen (1986–87), Eddie Krncevic (1988–89), Tomasz Radzinski (2000–01), Nenad Jestrović (2004–05), Romelu Lukaku (2009–10), Aleksandar Mitrović (2014–15), Łukasz Teodorczyk (2016–17), Hamdi Harbaoui (2017–18)
- European League topscorer: Jef Mermans (1949–50)
- European Cup topscorer: Paul Van Himst (1966–67)
- World League Topscorer: Jef Mermans (1949–50)
Awards for the Club
- Belgian Sports Merit Award: 1978
- Belgian Sports Team of the Year: 2000
Individual Player Awards

- Belgian Golden Shoe:
- Jef Jurion (1957, 1962), Paul Van Himst (1960, 1961, 1965, 1974), Wilfried Puis (1964), Rob Rensenbrink (1976), Franky Vercauteren (1983), Enzo Scifo (1984), Marc Degryse (1991), Philippe Albert (1992), Pär Zetterberg (1993, 1997), Gilles De Bilde (1994), Lorenzo Staelens (1999), Jan Koller (2000), Aruna Dindane (2003), Vincent Kompany (2004), Mbark Boussoufa (2006, 2010), Matías Suárez (2011), Dieumerci Mbokani (2012), Dennis Praet (2014)
- Belgian Professional Footballer of the Season:
- Juan Lozano (1986–87), Marc Degryse (1989–90), Pär Zetterberg (1996–97, 1997–98), Walter Baseggio (2000–01), Aruna Dindane (2003–04), Vincent Kompany (2004–05), Mohammed Tchité (2006–07), Mbark Boussoufa (2008–09, 2009–10), Matías Suárez (2011–12), Youri Tielemans (2016–17)
- Belgian Young Professional Footballer of the Season:
- Bertrand Crasson (1990–91), Johan Walem (1991–92), Celestine Babayaro (1994–95, 1995–96), Walter Baseggio (1998–99, 1999–2000), Alin Stoica (2000–01), Vincent Kompany (2003–04, 2004–05), Lucas Biglia (2006–07), Youri Tielemans (2013–14, 2014–15), Yari Verschaeren (2018–19)
- Belgian Professional Goalkeeper of the Season:
- Filip De Wilde (1993–94, 1999–2000), Daniel Zitka (2006–07), Silvio Proto (2011–12, 2012–13)
- Belgian Professional Manager of the Season:
- Paul Van Himst (1982–83), Aimé Anthuenis (1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01), Hugo Broos (2003–04), Ariël Jacobs (2009–10), René Weiler (2016–17)
- Onze d'Or:
- Rob Rensenbrink (1976)
- Danish Footballer of the Year:
- Morten Olsen (1983)
- Swedish Golden Ball:
- Pär Zetterberg (1997)
- Canadian Footballer of the Year:
- Tomasz Radzinski (1998)
- Czech Footballer of the Year:
- Jan Koller (1999)
- Hungarian Golden Ball:
- Roland Juhász (2009, 2011)
Current Players
Team Roster
|
|
Players on Loan
|
|
RSCA Futures (Reserve and Youth Teams)
Famous Former Players
Most Successful Players
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Rob Rensenbrink, voted the club's best player of the 20th century | Paul Van Himst, voted Belgium's best player of the 20th century | Jef Mermans, the club's all-time top scorer (367 goals in 399 games) | Olivier Deschacht played the most games for Anderlecht (602) |
Name | Nationality | Position | RSC Anderlecht career |
League record | Honours | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Apps | Goals | |||||
Hugo Broos | ![]() |
DF | 1970–1983 | 350 | 1 | 2 UEFA Cup Winners' Cups, 2 UEFA Super Cups, 1 UEFA Cup, 3 Belgian Championships, 4 Belgian Cups |
Ludo Coeck | ![]() |
MF | 1972–1983 | 292 | 54 | 2 UEFA Cup Winners' Cups, 2 UEFA Super Cups, 1 UEFA Cup, 2 Belgian Championships, 3 Belgian Cups |
Jean Cornelis | ![]() |
DF | 1958–1971 | 287 | 6 | 7 Belgian Championships, 1 Belgian Cup |
Bertrand Crasson | ![]() |
DF | 1989–1996 1998–2003 |
291 | 19 | 6 Belgian Championships, 1 Belgian Cup |
Michel De Groote | ![]() |
DF | 1975–1977 1979–1989 |
294 | 27 | 1 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, 1 UEFA Super Cup, 1 UEFA Cup, 4 Belgian Championships, 3 Belgian Cups |
Filip De Wilde | ![]() |
GK | 1987-1996 1998–2003 |
369 | 0 | 6 Belgian Championships, 3 Belgian Cups |
Olivier Deschacht | ![]() |
DF | 2001–2018 | 395 | 8 | 8 Belgian Championships, 1 Belgian Cup |
Jean Dockx | ![]() |
DF | 1971–1978 | 214 | 12 | 2 UEFA Cup Winners' Cups, 1 UEFA Super Cup, 2 Belgian Championships, 4 Belgian Cups |
Georges Grün | ![]() |
DF | 1982–1990 1994–1996 |
258 | 31 | 1 UEFA Cup, 4 Belgian Championships, 2 Belgian Cups |
Pierre Hanon | ![]() |
DF/MF | 1954–1970 | 353 | 31 | 9 Belgian Championships, 1 Belgian Cup |
Georges Heylens | ![]() |
DF | 1960–1973 | 361 | 10 | 7 Belgian Championships, 3 Belgian Cups |
Jef Jurion | ![]() |
MF | 1953–1968 | 390 | 73 | 8 Belgian Championships, 1 Belgian Cup |
Martin Lippens | ![]() |
MF | 1954–1966 | 232 | 52 | 7 Belgian Championships, 1 Belgian Cup |
Henri Meert | ![]() |
GK | 1942–1960 | 343 | 1 | 8 Belgian Championships |
Jef Mermans | ![]() |
FW | 1942–1957 | 384 | 343 | 7 Belgian Championships |
Jacky Munaron | ![]() |
GK | 1974–1989 | 293 | 0 | 2 UEFA Cup Winners' Cups, 2 UEFA Super Cups, 1 UEFA Cup, 4 Belgian Championships, 4 Belgian Cups |
Luc Nilis | ![]() |
FW | 1986–1994 | 223 | 124 | 4 Belgian Championships, 3 Belgian Cups |
Silvio Proto | ![]() |
GK | 2005–2016 | 246 | 0 | 6 Belgian Championships, 1 Belgian Cup |
Wilfried Puis | ![]() |
FW | 1960–1971 | 267 | 52 | 6 Belgian Championships, 1 Belgian Cup |
Rob Rensenbrink | ![]() |
FW | 1971–1980 | 262 | 143 | 2 UEFA Cup Winners' Cups, 2 UEFA Super Cups, 2 Belgian Championships, 4 Belgian Cups |
Jan Ruiter | ![]() |
GK | 1971–1977 | 179 | 0 | 1 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, 1 UEFA Super Cup, 2 Belgian Championships, 4 Belgian Cups |
Jacques Stockman | ![]() |
FW | 1957–1966 | 236 | 142 | 5 Belgian Championships, 2 Belgian Cups |
Jean Trappeniers | ![]() |
GK | 1959–1971 | 359 | 0 | 6 Belgian Championships, 1 Belgian Cup |
Gilbert Van Binst | ![]() |
DF | 1968–1980 | 262 | 28 | 2 UEFA Cup Winners' Cups, 2 UEFA Super Cups, 2 Belgian Championships, 4 Belgian Cups |
François Van der Elst | ![]() |
FW | 1971–1980 | 243 | 82 | 2 UEFA Cup Winners' Cups, 2 UEFA Super Cups, 1 Belgian Championship, 1 Belgian Cup |
Paul Van Himst | ![]() |
FW | 1959–1975 | 457 | 233 | 8 Belgian Championships, 4 Belgian Cups |
Franky Vercauteren | ![]() |
MF | 1975–1987 | 367 | 93 | 2 UEFA Cup Winners' Cups, 2 UEFA Super Cups, 1 UEFA Cup, 4 Belgian Championships, 1 Belgian Cup |
Pär Zetterberg | ![]() |
MF | 1989–2000 2003–2006 |
284 | 72 | 6 Belgian Championships, 1 Belgian Cup |

Other Notable Players
|
|
Club Staff
Position | Staff |
---|---|
Head Coach | ![]() |
Assistant Coach | ![]() ![]() |
Sporting Director | ![]() |
First Team Coach | ![]() |
Goalkeeper Coach | ![]() |
Video Analyst | ![]() |
Physical Coach | ![]() |
Team Manager | ![]() |
Head Physio | ![]() |
Team doctor | ![]() |
Physical Data Analyst | ![]() |
Physio | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Masseur | ![]() ![]() |
Nutritionist | ![]() |
Mental Coach | ![]() |
Kit Manager | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Club Presidents
Club Managers
Anderlecht has had 37 permanent managers and 3 temporary managers since 1920. The longest-serving manager was Englishman Bill Gormlie, who coached for nine seasons. Georges Perino was the first Anderlecht manager to win a trophy, the championship in 1947. Seven managers have coached the club twice. Some managers, like Jean Dockx, also played for the club before becoming coaches.
Youth Academy
Anderlecht's youth training complex is in Neerpede, a district in Anderlecht. The RSC Anderlecht youth academy is known as one of the best outside the top five European leagues. In August 2023, Jean Kindermans, the head of youth development, left the team after 16 years. Under his leadership, young players like Romelu Lukaku, Youri Tielemans, and Jérémy Doku became famous.
Women's Football Team
In 1993, Brussels Dames 71 became Anderlecht's women's team. This team has won ten Leagues, seven Super Leagues, and eleven Belgian Cups.
Other Sports Teams
Rugby Team
The oldest active rugby team in Belgium is R.S.C. Anderlecht Rugby, started in 1931. This club has won the Belgian Elite League a record 20 times.
Superleague Formula Team
The Superleague Formula was a racing series that ran from 2008 to 2011. Each race car in this competition was linked to an international football club. The team of R.S.C. Anderlecht won the championship in the 2010 season.
Futsal Team
For the 2022–23 season, RSC Anderlecht took over the futsal club FP Halle-Gooik. They renamed it RSC Anderlecht Futsal. This team plays in Roosdaal at the Belleheide Center, which has seats for 1,200 fans.
RSCA Futsal hosted the main round of the 2022–23 UEFA Futsal Champions League. After moving past the main round, they beat the previous year's winner, FC Barcelona. The team then reached the UEFA Champions League semifinals but was eliminated by Sporting Lisbon.
See also
In Spanish: Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht para niños