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	Ivan Leko
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. It is based in the city of Liège, Belgium.

Standard Liège is one of Belgium's most successful football teams. They have won the Belgian league ten times. Their most recent wins were in 2007–08 and 2008–09. The club has been in the top 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 match 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 pronounced with a Liège accent, it sounds like rouche. In March 2022, a US company called 777 Partners bought Standard Liège. However, in October 2024, 777 Partners faced financial problems. This made the club's future ownership uncertain.

Club History

Flag waving at the Stade Maurice Dufrasne

Standard Liège started on a school day in September 1898. Students from Collège Saint-Servais in Liège created the club. They named it after the Standard Athletic Club in Paris. The club's full name is Royal Standard Club of Liège. It first played in Cointe and Grivegnée. In 1909, it moved to Sclessin, an industrial area in Liège.

Standard joined the Belgian First League in 1909. After a few years, they moved to lower leagues. But in 1921, they returned to the top division. They have stayed there ever since. After World War II, Roger Petit, a former player, became the club's general secretary. He worked with President Henrard Paul. Together, they helped Standard become one of Belgium's best teams. In 1954, Standard won its first trophy, the Belgian Cup. Soon after, they won their first national title in 1957–58.

In the 1960s, Standard also did well in European competitions. They reached the semi-finals of the European Cup in 1961–62. They lost to Real Madrid. They also reached the semi-finals of the Cup Winners' Cup in 1966–67. They lost to Bayern Munich. The 1960s and early 1970s were very successful. Standard won six Belgian First Division titles, two Belgian Cups, and a League Cup.

Standard fan group, Ultras Inferno 96, celebrating their 15-year anniversary in July 2012.

In 1981, Standard won the Belgian Cup again. This was under the coach Ernst Happel. The next year, Raymond Goethals became the coach. His coaching style helped the club win the Belgian championship twice. They also won the Belgian Supercup twice. In 1982, they reached the European Cup Winners' Cup final. Standard played against Barcelona on May 12, 1982. The match was at Camp Nou, and Standard lost 1–2.

In 1984, a problem affected the club. It was called the Standard-Waterschei Affair [fr]. Before the Barcelona match, Standard had tried to make sure they won the Belgian championship. This involved a game against Thor Waterschei. This issue led to many Standard players, including Eric Gerets, and coach Raymond Goethals being suspended. It took the club several years to recover from this difficult time.

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

After the 1982 problem, it took 25 years for Standard to win the Belgian Championship again. They won the title on April 20, 2008. The club won the league again the next year. This was their tenth league title, won on May 24, 2009. They beat their rivals Anderlecht in a special playoff. Standard won the national cup once more in 2011. They defeated Westerlo 2–0 in the final. Businessman Roland Duchatelet bought the club in June 2011. He later bought the English club Charlton, linking the two teams.

On October 20, 2014, Guy Luzon stopped being Standard's manager. The club was in 12th place in the league. They had also only earned two points in three UEFA Europa League matches.

Golden Shoe Winners

Standard players have won the Belgian Golden Shoe nine times. This award is for 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.

Team Rivalries

Standard Liège fans have a strong rivalry with RSC Anderlecht. This match is called the Belgian "Clasico". The rivalry is about more than just geography between Liège and Brussels. It also shows a difference in social class. Anderlecht is seen as the team of the wealthy. Standard, from an industrial area, is seen as the workers' club. For a long time, these two teams were the most successful in Belgium. Many players have played for both clubs, like Steven Defour.

Standard also has local rivalries. These are with RFC Seraing and RFC Liège. In recent years, they have also developed a rivalry with Sporting Charleroi. Some matches have even been stopped because of crowd problems.

Games against Limburg clubs Racing Genk and STVV are also very intense. This is because Genk and Sint-Truiden are close to Liège. Also, these regions have a history of mining and steel industries. The rivalry with Racing Genk grew stronger on May 17, 2011. In a title match, Standard player Mehdi Carcela was hit in the face. This was by Genk defender Chris Mavinga. Carcela lost consciousness. Mavinga was not sent off. Genk won the title with a 1–1 draw. This left many Standard fans upset.

Club Honours

Domestic Titles

• Belgian League
  • Champions (10): 1957–58, 1960–61, 1962–63, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1970–71, 1981–82, 1982–83, 2007–08, 2008–09
  • Runners-up (13): 1925–26, 1927–28, 1935–36, 1961–62, 1964–65, 1972–73, 1979–80, 1992–93, 1994–95, 2005–06, 2010–11, 2013–14, 2017–18
• Belgian Cup
  • Champions (8): 1953–54, 1965–66, 1966–67, 1980–81, 1992–93, 2010–11, 2015–16, 2017–18
  • Runners-up (10): 1964–65, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1983–84, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1998–99, 1999–00, 2006–07, 2020–21
• Belgian League Cup
  • Champions (1): 1975
• Belgian Supercup
  • Champions (4): 1981, 1983, 2008, 2009
  • Runners-up (5): 1982, 1993, 2011, 2016, 2018

Continental Competitions

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

Invitational Tournaments

• 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 (tied), L = lost, GF = goals for (goals scored), GA = goals against (goals conceded).

Best European Results

Here are Standard Liège's best results in major European competitions:

• European Cup/UEFA Champions League:

They reached the semi-finals in 1962.

They reached the quarter-finals in 1959, 1970, and 1972.

• UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (1):

They were runners-up (second place) in 1982.

They reached the semi-finals in 1967.

They reached the quarter-finals in 1968.

• UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League:

They reached the quarter-finals in 1981 and 2010.

• UEFA Intertoto Cup (1):

They were runners-up in 1996.

They reached the semi-finals in 2000.

Players

Current Squad

No. Position Player 3 DF Nathan Ngoy 4 DF Boško Šutalo 5 DF Boli Bolingoli 6 MF Sotiris Alexandropoulos (on loan from Sporting) 7 MF Marko Bulat (on loan from Dinamo Zagreb) 8 MF Isaac Price 9 FW Andi Zeqiri (on loan from Genk) 10 FW Viktor Đukanović (on loan from Hammarby IF) 11 FW Dennis Eckert (on loan from Union SG) 13 DF Marlon Fossey 14 MF Léandre Kuavita 15 DF Souleyman Doumbia 16 GK Arnaud Bodart 17 DF Ilay Camara (on loan from RWD Molenbeek)

No. Position Player 19 FW Muhammed Badamosi (on loan from Čukarički) 21 FW Soufiane Benjdida 24 MF Aiden O'Neill (captain) 25 DF Ibe Hautekiet 30 GK Laurent Henkinet 31 DF Daan Dierckx 33 MF Hakim Sahabo 40 GK Matthieu Epolo 44 DF David Bates 45 GK Tom Poitoux 51 DF Lucas Noubi 54 DF Alexandro Calut 55 FW Brahim Ghalidi 88 DF Henry Lawrence

SL16 FC (Reserve Team)

SL16 FC is Standard's reserve team for younger players (U23). 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 13 GK Matteo Godfroid 18 GK Noah Radelet 20 MF Noah Makembo-Ntemo

No. Position Player 23 MF Rabby Mateta Pepa 27 DF Thiago Paulo da Silva 28 DF Oscar Olivier 31 DF Noah Dodeigne 32 MF Afonso N'Salambi 38 MF Gabriel Pires de Carvalho 42 FW Anisse Brrou 46 MF Rayan Berberi 90 DF Faroukou Cissé GK Elias Mago

Players on Loan

These players are currently playing for other teams on a temporary basis.

No. Position Player MF Moussa Djenepo (to Antalyaspor until 30 June 2025) MF Noah Mawete Kinsiona (to Lierse Kempenzonen until 30 June 2025)

No. Position Player FW Grejohn Kyei (to Charleroi until 30 June 2025)

Notable Players

Most Appearances

These players have played the most games for Standard Liège.

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

These players have scored the most goals for Standard Liège.

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 league title.

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Club Officials

Position	Staff
Press Officer	Olivier Smeets
Global Sports Director	Johannes Spors
Sporting director	Fergal Harkin
Head coach	Ivan Leko
First-team coach	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