Tonight the leader in the highest football class will be back in action. No, not Anderlecht, Club Brugge or Antwerp, but the friendly Union from the heart of Brussels. Supporters Juan, Tiago and Frank declare their love for the folk club.
“Union is Brussels at its best”
Union appeals to a wide audience. Juan Benjumea has roots in Spain. “I have been a supporter of Union since I moved from Antwerp to Brussels. Thanks to Union I have become a Brussels citizen”, the Brussels Member of Parliament tells his story.
“Because Union reflects Brussels. We are mixing up French and Dutch. Brussels residents from Italy, Spain and Portugal support Union, just like the Eurocrats.”
“And finally, the club also has fans from Forest, Molenbeek or from the suburbs. Young and old, emigrated, emigrated, official… Brussels at its best!”
Juan thoroughly enjoys the success. “Not so long ago we fought against relegation in the second division, now we dream of the title and the Champions League”, laughs the fan, who also had to explain his love for Union to the Spanish sports newspaper Marca.
“I never thought I would support another team besides Betis, but I see a lot of similarities. In Seville the slogan is: “Viva el Betis, manque pierda! Long live Betis, even if they lose.”
“That also applies to Union. We often win now, but when we swallow a goal, we only sing louder.”
Long live Betis, even when they lose. and dThis also applies to Union.
“Where else do you take a selfie with a player? At Union!”
Frank Segers has a butcher’s shop in Sint-Gillis. “We are very proud that we can beat the big boys in our country with our club,” he tells his story.
“The days before the game in the store there is only one topic: Union. Everyone is completely optimistic. We don’t believe we can lose this season.”
“We will keep our feet on the ground,” the butcher assures. “The song will not last, we also know that. Sooner or later the system-Mazzu will be found, but for the moment we are there.”
The players also feel that Union is a people’s club. “They fraternize with the supporters. Where can you still take a selfie with a football player after the match? That may last for me, even if we play European.”
“Hipsters?
Tiago Van der Haeghen has also been supporting Union for years. “Just for the love of football, this fairy tale can continue for a while. I also believe in that, although the play-offs will certainly not be easy,” he thinks.
“Atmosphere will always be there. Even when things go bad, we keep singing. We have always done that, also in the lower classes. At the highest level, of course, it gets more resonance,” he laughs.
Because success attracts extra supporters. “In the third division we sang with 100 people, now we are in the stands with 8,000 fans. Some seniors may be bothered by that, I don’t. For me it simply means that Union is doing well. Everyone is welcome here.”
“Whether we are a hipster club? You can call us that, ça va! Hipsters sound more positive than Cocks or Rats”, Tiago laughs again.
Hipsters sound more positive than Cocks or Rats (laughs).
Union – OHL live on Sporza
Will the party stay at Union? Follow the match against Oud-Heverlee Leuven live on Sporza tonight: on our website, in our apps and in Sporza on Radio 1.
