Although my interest in Belgian football has been reduced since having emigrated and no longer seeing games on weekly basis, this weekend I did focus on the native country for once again. The league could be decided this weekend and Standard was on the brink of winning their first championship in 25 years.
Having grown up amongst Anderlecht fans, I would either love the club or revolt against it. The latter happened. Although I refuse to use words such as hatred (it is a game after all...) I can safely say I felt a strong rivalry with Anderlecht. Of the clubs that are able to keep them from the league crown, only Standard really attracted me. Liege is a great city, the Standard audience is very colourful and loyal (a bit of a southern/meditarranean atmosphere you could say) and somehow emotionally the club does float my boat. Not like being a fan, but apart from my own favourites Oostende the "Rouches" are one of the teams I can appreciate a lot. But ever since I followed Belgian football (which started in the early nineties) Standard always disappointed or came close but narrowly missed the trophies in the end. It almost forced me to not care about Club Brugge winning trophies as they seemed to be the only alternative to Anderlecht. Until this season...
Standard was not the team people predicted on top of the league. They lost some key players (including star player Conceicao who left for the dollars in Kuwait's league) and started the season with a talented yet very young and unexperienced squad. But, directed by an outstanding Steven Defour as new leader (despite his very young age), Standard freewheeled through the early stages of the season. Because of a bad period with draws against teams such as St Truiden, Dender and Mons, Brugge did lead the league halfway the season. But after new year, Standard was the team that went on freewheeling through the league again. Since their 1-2 victory in the clash in Brugge, they leapfrogged over Club and never lost the nr 1 spot again. Before last weekend they had 7 points in front of Anderlecht and 8 in front of Brugge. With Club Brugge only getting a draw in Ghent, Standard only needed 1 more victory to be sure of the title. That decisive game brought their arch rivals Anderlecht to the Sclessin stadium.
Anderlecht were in great shape and by an impressive winning stroke they climbed to nr 2, which was unexpected after their very bad first half of the season. Standard had received an uppercut in the Belgian cup where Ghent eliminated them with a 4-0 victory. Standard, still unbeaten in the league, was under pressure but the knowledge that beating the arch rivals from Anderlecht would lead to the league crown gave the team the needed wings. Sclessin was sold out and the atmosphere was as impressive as it can possibly get in Belgium, with a haunting atmosphere usually seen only in football stadiums in Italy, Spain, Greece or Turkey. To see Defour get the Golden Shoe (trophy for best player in the league of last year) from living legend Zinedine Zidane was the first moment of magic for the Standard fans that night. Standard needed 1 more win and 2 second half goals by Dieumerci Mbokani (formerly with Anderlecht!) assured the Rouches of the win and of the Belgian title.
Winning the league for the first time in 25 years and winning it by beating your most bitter rivals in the decisive game... I can imagine for Standard fans the last 25 years were incredibly frustrating and desperation must often have been their share, but to end that long wait in such a way and by beating your worst rivals must be the ultimate climax you can get in a football stadium.
Congratulations to Standard and after years of hoping it'd happen and equal number of disillusions I am finally witnessing the Liege outfit celebrating a new league trophy. Still unbeaten with only 3 league games to go, only 17 goals against them, ... No doubt it was well deserved. Standard have 1 remaining target to chase after a week of long celebrations: to finish the season unbeaten, which would be the first time it happens since Belgian football professionalised after world war II. A big congrats to Standard who finally break the spell after 25 years of waiting.
Anderlecht however can still claim the vice-champions title if they beat direct rivals Club Brugge within two weeks, the game which will probably decide which of the two teams joins Standard to the Champions League qualifiers.
On a sidenote: for my own favourites Oostende the situation may not be entirely hopeless but still very bleak. Second from bottom in divison II, relegation to 3rd division is very near. KVO last week surprisingly beat 2nd placed Tubize with 5-2 and this weekend won yet another game: 1-2 in Beveren. However, with all other teams on the bottom of the table winning their games as well (Deinze, Union St Gilles, Waasland and Olympic Charleroi all won their games as well), there is not the slightest progress with the win in Beveren. KVO have less than a handful of games left to save themselves. I keep my fingers crossed but realistically it could get very tough to escape from relegation.
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