Union Saint-Gilloise victorious in the Belgian Cup Final
The Brussels football club Union Saint-Gilloise was victorious in Thursday’s Belgian Cup final. Union beat last year’s winner Royal Antwerp FC by a single goal at the King Boudewijn Stadium in Brussels on Thursday afternoon. The last time that Union won the Belgian Cup was 110 years ago in 1914.
The fans of Royale Union Saint-Gilloise have had a very long wait but final after 89 years the club has won a title. The last time was in 1935 when Union won its 11th and ass things still stand last league championship title. The club’s previous cup victory was in 1914 just a couple of months before the start of the First World War. Union won Thursday’s final by a single goal that was scored by Koki Machida during stoppage time at the end of the first half.
Royal Antwerp FC were unable to take the Belgian Cup for the second year running, while Koki Machida’s goal will remain etched in the collective memories of Union fans for many years to come. His goal gave Union its first title since 1935, the last time that the Brussels club became Belgian league champions.
Union are something of a bogyman team for Antwerp. The Great Old have failed to beat Union in any of their last 6 encounters. Antwerp have lost each of their last three games against the Brussels club.
Outpouring of joy
This victory was a particularly emotional moment for Union’s coach Alexander Blessin. He stormed into the stands after the final whistle and hugged his wife Charlotte. She is currently recovering from a spinal cord infarction that she suffered last July. However, she didn’t want to miss her husband and his team’s big day.
Speaking after the game she told journalists that "It's Alexander's first title. He deserves it. But everyone at Union deserves it, because this is a great team."