Standard Liège facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Standard Liège

Full name	Royal Standard de Liège
Nickname(s)	Les Rouches (The Reds)
Founded	1898; 127 years ago (1898)
Ground	Stade Maurice Dufrasne
Ground Capacity	27,670
Owner	777 Partners
Head coach	Mircea Rednic
League	Belgian Pro League
2023–24	Belgian Pro League, 12th of 16
Home colours Away colours Third colours

Royal Standard de Liège, often called Standard Liège, is a professional football club from Liège, Belgium. They are one of Belgium's most successful teams.

The club has won the Belgian league ten times. Their most recent wins were in 2007–08 and 2008–09. Standard Liège has been in the top football league since 1921. This is longer than any other Belgian team.

They have also won eight Belgian Cups. In 1981–82, they reached the final of the European Cup Winners' Cup. They lost that game 2–1 to Barcelona.

Standard players are known as les Rouches. This nickname comes from their red jerseys. The French word for red is rouge. When spoken with a Liège accent, it sounds like rouche.

In March 2022, a company called 777 Partners bought Standard Liège. However, in October 2024, 777 Partners faced financial difficulties. This means the future ownership of the club is currently uncertain.

History of Standard Liège

How the Club Started

Standard Liège began in September 1898. Students from Collège Saint-Servais in Liège created the football club. They named it after the Standard Athletic Club in Paris.

The club's full name is Royal Standard Club of Liège. It was first located in Cointe and Grivegnée. In 1909, the club moved to Sclessin, an industrial area in Liège. Standard joined the Belgian First League in 1909. After a few years in lower leagues, they returned to the top division in 1921. They have stayed there ever since.

Club crest from 1923–1952

Early Successes

After World War II, Roger Petit, a former player, became the club's general secretary. He worked with President Henrard Paul to make Standard a top Belgian team. In 1954, Standard won its first trophy, the Belgian Cup. Soon after, they won their first national league title in 1957–58.

In the 1960s, Standard Liège did well in European competitions. They reached the semi-finals of the European Cup in 1961–62. They lost to Real Madrid in that match. They also reached the semi-finals of the Cup Winners' Cup in 1966–67. They lost to Bayern Munich that year.

Standard played against Real Madrid in the semi-finals of the 1961–62 European Cup.

The 1960s and early 1970s were very successful for the club. Standard won six Belgian First Division titles. They also won two Belgian Cups and one League Cup.

Challenges and Triumphs

In 1981, Standard won the Belgian Cup again. This was under the coach Ernst Happel. The next year, Raymond Goethals became the coach. Under his guidance, the club won the Belgian championship twice. They also won the Belgian Supercup twice.

In 1982, they reached the final of the European Cup Winners' Cup. Standard played against Barcelona at the Camp Nou stadium. They lost the match 1–2.

In 1984, the club faced a difficult situation. This was known as the Standard-Waterschei Affair. It involved some players and the coach. The club was affected by this for several years. Many players were suspended, and it took time for Standard to recover.

On June 6, 1993, Standard won the Belgian Cup for the fifth time. They beat Charleroi in Brussels. This led to another appearance in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. However, they lost badly to Arsenal, with a total score of 10–0 over two games.

Recent Achievements

After the 1982 incident, it took 25 years for Standard to win the Belgian Championship again. They won the title on April 20, 2008. The club won the Belgian league again the next year, on May 24, 2009. They secured their tenth league title after playing against their rivals Anderlecht.

Standard won the national cup once more in 2011. They defeated Westerlo 2–0 in the final on May 21, 2011. Businessman Roland Duchatelet bought the club on June 23, 2011. He later bought the English club Charlton, creating a link between the two clubs.

Flag waving at the Stade Maurice Dufrasne

On October 20, 2014, Guy Luzon stepped down as manager. The club was in 12th place in the league. Assistant coach Ivan Vukomanović took over temporarily.

Golden Shoe Winners

Nine Standard players have won the Belgian Golden Shoe. This award is given to the best player in the Belgian league.

• Jean Nicolay won in 1963.
• Wilfried Van Moer won in 1969 and 1970.
• Christian Piot won in 1972.
• Eric Gerets won in 1982.
• Sérgio Conceição won in 2005.
• Steven Defour won in 2007.
• Axel Witsel won in 2008.
• Milan Jovanović won in 2009.

Stadium Information

The stadium before a game in the 2005–06 season.

Standard Liège plays at the Stade Maurice Dufrasne. People often call it Sclessin, which is the name of the area where it's located. Maurice Dufrasne was the fifth chairman of Standard. He helped move the club to Sclessin in 1909.

When it first opened, it was just a field. Players had to change in a nearby pub. A year later, the first stand was built. By 1924, the stadium could hold 24,000 fans. Around 1970, it reached its largest size, with space for 43,000 spectators.

The stadium got a new main stand in 1985. Seven years later, in 1992, work started on the stand on the opposite side. Both ends of the stadium were updated in the late 1990s. This was done to prepare for the Euro 2000 tournament.

Club Rivalries

Standard fan group, prior to a 2017 derby match against Royal Charleroi.

Standard Liège fans have a strong rivalry with RSC Anderlecht. This match is called the Belgian "Clasico". This rivalry is about more than just the cities of Liège and Brussels. It also shows a difference in social background. Anderlecht is seen as a team for the wealthy, while Standard, from an industrial area, is seen as a workers' club. For a long time, these two teams were the most successful in Belgium.

Many players have played for both clubs. One famous example is Steven Defour. When he returned to Sclessin playing for Anderlecht, fans showed a large banner with his image.

Standard also has local rivalries with RFC Seraing and RFC Liège. In recent years, they have also developed a rivalry with another Walloon club, Sporting Charleroi. Some of these matches have been stopped because of crowd issues between the fans.

Matches against clubs from Limburg, like Racing Genk and STVV, also have high tension. This is because Genk and Sint-Truiden are close to Liège. These regions also share a history in mining and steel industries. The rivalry with Racing Genk grew stronger after an event on May 17, 2011. In a title match, Standard player Mehdi Carcela was hit in the face by a tough tackle from Genk's defender Chris Mavinga. Carcela was injured and had to leave the game. Genk went on to draw the match 1–1 and win the title. This left many Standard fans feeling upset.

Club Honours

Continental Honours

• UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
  • Runners-up (1): 1981–82
• UEFA Intertoto Cup
  • Runners-up (1): 1996

Invitational Honours

• Amsterdam Tournament:
  • Runners-up (1): 1981
• Mohammed V Cup:
  • Champions (1): 1986

European Record

A = appearances (how many times they played in the competition), GP = games played, W = won, D = drawn, L = lost, GF = goals for, GA = goals against.

Summary of Best Results

Here are Standard Liège's best results from the quarter-finals onwards in European competitions:

• European Cup/UEFA Champions League:

Semifinalists in 1962

Quarterfinalists in 1959, 1970 and 1972

• UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (1):

Runners-up in 1982

Semifinalists in 1967

Quarterfinalists in 1968

• UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League:

Quarterfinalists in 1981 and 2010

• UEFA Intertoto Cup (1):

Runners-up in 1996

Semifinalists in 2000

UEFA Club Ranking

This ranking is from May 21, 2025.

Rank	Team	Points
140	FC Flora	11.500
141	K.R.C. Genk	11.370
142	Standard Liège	11.370
143	Royal Charleroi S.C.	11.370
144	Pafos FC	11.250

Players

Current Squad

No. Position Player 1 GK Matthieu Epolo 3 DF Nathan Ngoy 4 DF Boško Šutalo 5 DF Boli Bolingoli 6 MF Hakim Sahabo 7 MF Tobias Mohr 8 MF Nayel Mehssatou 9 FW Thomas Henry 10 FW Dennis Eckert 11 FW Adnane Abid 13 DF Marlon Fossey (captain) 14 MF Léandre Kuavita 17 FW Rafiki Saïd 18 DF Henry Lawrence

No. Position Player 19 MF Moussa Djenepo 20 MF Ibrahim Karamoko 21 GK Lucas Pirard 23 MF Marco Ilaimaharitra 24 DF Josué Homawoo 25 DF Ibe Hautekiet 29 DF Daan Dierckx 44 DF David Bates 45 GK Matteo Godfroid 54 DF Alexandro Calut 55 FW Brahim Ghalidi 94 MF Casper Nielsen 95 FW Grejohn Kyei 99 GK Tom Poitoux

SL16 FC (Reserve Team)

SL16 FC is the reserve team for Standard Liège. These are players under 23 years old. They play in the third-tier Belgian National Division 1.

No. Position Player 4 DF Samy Tory 5 DF Birame Diaw 6 DF Mate Šimičić 7 MF Steeven Assengue 8 MF Noah Sy 10 MF Adrien Giunta 11 MF Junior van Beveren 12 FW Amine Benfriha 18 GK Noah Radelet 20 MF Noah Makembo-Ntemo 23 MF Rabby Mateta Pepa

No. Position Player 27 DF Thiago Paulo da Silva 28 DF Oscar Olivier 31 DF Noah Dodeigne 32 MF Afonso N'Salambi 35 FW René Mitongo 38 MF Gabriel Pires de Carvalho 42 FW Anisse Brrou 46 MF Rayan Berberi 90 DF Faroukou Cissé GK Elias Mago

Players on Loan

No. Position Player DF Souleyman Doumbia (to Charlotte until 31 December 2025)

Notable Players

Most Appearances

Rank	Player	Standard career	Apps
1	Guy Hellers	1983–2000	474
2	Gilbert Bodart	1981–96, 1997–98	469
3	Guy Vandersmissen	1978–91	465
4	Léon Semmeling	1959–74	449

Most Goals

Rank	Player	Standard career	Goals (App.)
1	Jean Capelle	1929–44	245 (285)
2	Roger Claessen	1956–68	161 (229)
3	Maurice Gillis	1919–35	124 (275)

Team Captains

The player's name is in bold when Standard won a title during their time as captain.

Club Officials

Position	Staff
Press Officer	Olivier Smeets
Global Sports Director	Johannes Spors
Sporting director	Fergal Harkin
Head coach	Mircea Rednic
Assistant head coachj	Frazer Robertson
First-team coach	Geoffrey Valenne
Goalkeeping coach	Jean-François Gillet
Fitness coach	Léo Djaoui Renaat Philippaerts Kevin Miny
Video analysis manager	Nathan Kirby
Video analyst	Lovic Mandela Sound
Team Doctor	Bertrand Vanden Bulck
Physiotherapist	Ludovic Depreter
Team Manager	Piero Rossi
Player Liaison Officer	Ricardo Carvalho

Coaches

Dates Name July 1912 – June 1916 Charles Bunyan, Sr. July 1916 – June 1922 Camille van Hoorden July 1922 – June 1924 Lamport Pierre Kogel July 1924 – June 1930 Percy Wilding Hartley July 1930 – June 1932 Maurice Grisard July 1932 – June 1935 Percy Wilding Hartley July 1935 – June 1936 Jean Dupont July 1936 – March 1937 Percy Wilding Hartley April 1937 – Nov 1938 Emile Riff Dec 1938 – June 1939 Jean Dupont July 1939 – June 1940 Maurice Grisard July 1940 – June 1942 René Dohet July 1942 – June 1945 Fernand Wertz July 1945 – June 1950 Marcelin Waroux July 1950 – June 1951 Antoine Basleer July 1951 – June 1953 Maurice Grisard July 1953 – June 1958 André Riou July 1958 – June 1961 Géza Kalocsay

Dates Name July 1961 – June 1963 Jean Prouff July 1963 – Nov 1964 Auguste Jordan Dec 1964 – June 1968 Milorad Pavić July 1968 – June 1973 René Hauss July 1973 – Oct 1973 Vlatko Marković Nov 1973 – June 1974 Ned Bulatović July 1974 – Dec 1975 Cor van der Hart Jan 1976 – June 1976 Maurice Lempereur Lucien Leduc July 1976 – June 1979 Robert Waseige July 1979 – June 1981 Ernst Happel July 1981 – Feb 1984 Raymond Goethals March 1984 – June 1984 Léon Semmeling July 1984 – April 1985 Louis Pilot May 1985 – Feb 1987 Milorad Pavić Feb 1986 – June 1987 Helmut Graf July 1987 – Sept 1987 René Desaeyere Oct 1987 – March 1988 Milorad Pavić April 1988 – June 1988 Jozef Vliers

Dates Name July 1988 – June 1989 Urbain Braems July 1989 – June 1991 Georg Kessler July 1991 – Dec 1993 Arie Haan Jan 1994 – June 1994 René Vandereycken July 1994 – June 1996 Robert Waseige July 1996 – June 1997 Jos Daerden Jul 1997 – Oct 1997 Aad de Mos Nov 1997 – March 1998 Daniel Boccar April 1998 – June 1998 Luka Peruzović July 1998 – Sept 1999 Tomislav Ivić Oct 1999 – Dec 1999 Željko Mijač Jan 2000 – May 2000 Jean Thissen Henri Depireux May 2000 – Dec 2000 Tomislav Ivić Dec 2000 – Jan 2001 Dominique D'Onofrio Christian Labarbe Jan 2001 – June 2002 Michel Preud'homme Jun 2002 – Oct 2002 Robert Waseige Oct 2002 – June 2006 Dominique D'Onofrio

Dates Name Jul 2006 – Sep 2006 Johan Boskamp Sept 2006 – June 2008 Michel Preud'homme June 2008 – Feb 2010 László Bölöni Feb 2010 – June 2011 Dominique D'Onofrio July 2011 – May 2012 José Riga May 2012 – Oct 2012 Ron Jans Oct 2012 – May 2013 Mircea Rednic May 2013 – Oct 2014 Guy Luzon Nov 2014 – Feb 2015 Ivan Vukomanović Feb 2015 – Jun 2015 José Riga Jun 2015 – Aug 2015 Slavoljub Muslin Sep 2015 – Sep 2016 Yannick Ferrera Sep 2016 – Apr 2017 Aleksandar Janković Apr 2017 – May 2017 José Jeunechamps June 2017 – May 2018 Ricardo Sá Pinto June 2018 – Jun 2020 Michel Preud'homme June 2020 – Dec 2020 Philippe Montanier Dec 2020 – Oct 2021 Mbaye Leye Oct 2021 – April 2022 Luka Elsner June 2022 – June 2023 Ronny Deila June 2023 – December 2023 Carl Hoefkens January 2024 – present Ivan Leko

See also

In Spanish: Standard de Lieja para niños