The Belgian league may have a sensational champion. The newcomer is already 10 points ahead!

In the 26th round of the Belgian Jupiler Pro League, the two highest ranked teams clashed. Second-placed Antwerp welcomed the leading team Royale Union SG to their stadium. The visitors won 2:0 and increased their lead over Antwerp to 10 points.

At the end of the season it will be 6 years since the whole world watched Leicester City’s sensational journey to the Premier League title. Back then, the team around coach Ranieri was considered a relegation aspirant, even though the season before as a newcomer they saved themselves only at the last minute. A season later, they were celebrating the title.

This year, the newcomer to the Belgian league, Royale Union SG, can emulate and actually improve on his path. Eight rounds before the end of the regular season, he already has a 10 point lead at the top of the table. In the last few games, apart from second-placed Antwerp, it managed to beat Andrécht 1: 0, draw 0: 0 in Bruges and beat Genk 2: 1.

Royale Union Saint-Gilloise

Royale Union Saint-Gilloise is a club based in the suburbs of Brussels. Before World War II, it was one of the best clubs in Belgium. It won 11 championship titles. Only Anderlecht and Bruges have more in their showcase, but the last one dates back to 1935. Last year, they were promoted to the top flight after 48 years.

Brighton owner Tony Bloom and his business partner Alex Muzio joined the club in 2018 and became the club’s top man. At the Union, they have set out clearly how they will select players.

People at the club will first go through the football data thoroughly and assess whether the picked fella would fit into the playing system. They then find out affordability and then seek information about his character, social media activity, ask former teammates and coaches.

A prime example of this is striker Deniz Undav, who is a major contributor to their success, having already scored 20 goals and is the top scorer in the Jupiler Pro League. He was plucked by Union the summer before last from SV Meppen, a team in the third German league. What’s more, he was acquired for free. The 25-year-old forward is now worth €5 million and has more than tripled it since arriving in Belgium.

As you can see, this progression is yielding clear results. The club is doing well beyond expectations and it is only a matter of time before this fairytale journey through the competition ends with a sensational championship title.

Source: Livesport, Wikipedia, Transfermarkt