After a wait of 1,291 days, KV Kortrijk and Zulte Waregem are set to face each other in a competitive local derby known as the Vlasico, bringing together two clubs whose supporters share a combined history of 101 years of loyalty, according to regional media reports. Ahead of the fixture in South West Flanders, former managers Francky Dury and Hein Vanhaezebrouck sat down to discuss the fixture’s significance, modern football finances, and the changing landscape of Belgian football.
Hein Vanhaezebrouck, 62, famously led KV Kortrijk to the top flight in 2008 before guiding them to Play-off 1 and a Belgian Cup final. Across the region, 68-year-old Francky Dury steered Zulte Waregem from the third division to a 1A vice-championship and two cup victories. Looking ahead to the showdown after a three-and-a-half-year hiatus without a derby, both managers reflected on how mutual rivalry forced their respective clubs to elevate their standards over decades of competition.
“As a small club, competing for the title is no longer in the cards,” Dury and Vanhaezebrouck noted during a joint interview previewing the matchup, pointing to the widening economic gap in the modern game where traditional smaller outfits must redefine success around survival, stability, and regional pride rather than silverware.
The Stakes of the Vlasico After a Three-and-a-Half-Year Absence
The fixture represents more than just three points for the supporters of both the Veekaa and Essevee. Local fans have spent the week driving up the intensity, putting players on notice for a game that carries profound bragging rights across South West Flanders. With 1,291 days having passed since their last competitive meeting, ticket demand and fan demonstrations have underscored what the fixture means to communities that have backed their respective sides for over a century.
While larger financial powerhouses in the Jupiler Pro League dominate the championship conversation, matches like KV Kortrijk against Zulte Waregem serve as a reminder of traditional football culture in Belgium.
Tactical Histories and Coaching Legacies
The shared history of Vanhaezebrouck and Dury defines much of the modern era for both clubs. Vanhaezebrouck’s tactical blueprint at Kortrijk established a baseline of disciplined organization combined with aggressive pressing, which later earned him success at larger clubs. Dury, meanwhile, became synonymous with Zulte Waregem, guiding the club through European campaigns and domestic cup triumphs with a tight-knit squad ethos.
Although both veterans have stepped away from the immediate dugouts of this current rivalry, their imprint remains visible in how both KV Kortrijk and Zulte Waregem approach high-stakes encounters.
As the referee blows the whistle to restart this historic regional rivalry, both squads will carry not only the immediate weight of their current league positions but also the expectations of supporters who have waited nearly four years for local bragging rights to be decided on the pitch.
