Union Royale Saint Gilloise: They’re doing it again
- Liam Scahill
- Apr 13, 2023
- 4 min read
By the one and only Alex Barker aka the Euroexpert -
What they’re doing, confounds logic.
In their second season back after over 70 years in the wilderness, Belgian side Union Royale Saint Gilloise are heading for a Belgian League title, under the ownership of Tony Bloom, the part owner of Brighton in the Premier League.
Through their rugged cheap-as-chips recruitment they have built a team of winners, like Deniz Undav upfront alongside Dante Vanzeir, both players topping the goalscoring charts. Whether it’s the Luxembourg goalkeeper or the Japanese Kaoru Mitoma, they keep finding ways to beat down the opposition.
Sadly, thanks to the very complicated process of winning a league title in Belgium, USG fell short to Club Brugge. Despite finishing five points clear in the regular league table, becoming the first promoted side ever to do so in the country, they were pipped in the Championship playoff round. With Mitoma and Undav moving to Brighton, manager Felice Mazzú heading to giants Anderlecht, the USG dream was over.
However, nearly a year later, they’re somehow back in the fight for the title. Karel Geraerts’ side sit second, just two points behind leaders Genk, and even more impressively, USG have become the first Belgian side since Club Brugge in 2014 to reach the quarter finals of the Europa League, facing Bayer Leverkusen.
Just like last season, the historic Belgian outfit have challenged the status quo with a bunch of rag-tag signings from untouched corners of European football, while Undav has struggled at Brighton and Mazzú was sacked by Anderlecht before Christmas.
Of course, they’ve been helped by Bloom and his business partner Alex Muzio, but the fans are owed success. USG have the third most Belgian titles in history, with 11, but a takeover was needed to restore any semblance of glory to the Brussels-based side. As Muzio told The Independent, they wanted to buy a football club to have “fun”.
Without a doubt, the biggest revelation has been Victor Boniface, from the new-found talent factory in Norwegian football, FK Bodø/Glimt. After barely featuring in the Eliteserien last season, the 22-year-old was signed for a humble club record fee, €2m.
Seven goals and six assists in the league only tell half the story, with the Nigerian particularly impressing in Europe. He is one of the top scorers in the Europa league with five goals and two assists.
Screaming for the ball, he positions himself well, and the defender trailing him can’t get close…
The finish is exquisite, straight through the keepers legs, first time finish.
With a 6ft 3 stature big enough to score four headed goals in the league, and speed quick enough to take advantage of any space behind a defence, Boniface looks as comfortable at Europa League level as anyone else.
He’s not the only talent emerging though. Brighton have used the USG ownership link to great effect since they were promoted to the Belgian top flight, blooding youngsters like Kacper Kozłowski and of course, Mitoma.
Next off the conveyor belt is Ivorian winger Simon Adingra, brought in from another Norwegian side, Nordsjælland, and loaned to Belgium for the season. Only the more experienced Maltan midfielder Teddy Tuema has more goal contributions for USG in the league than Adingra.
Having come through at the Ghanaian academy Right to Dream, home to Kamaldeen Sulemana, Mohammed Kudus and more, the 21-year-old shows both discipline and technical quality that are hallmarks of recent exports from the school. Though a little unpolished at times, Adingra’s give-and-goes with Boniface have been a particular highlight this season.
In USG’s 3-5-2 system, he’s tasked with playing as an attacking LWB with a much-needed task of defending. He’s still working on that part, he was sent off against Club Brugge for bringing down Tajon Buchanan in the penalty area earlier this year. Yet as a right-footer, he’s playing a unique role with a unique set of skills, and has largely fit the bill.
Another key player to the system, one that’s quite similar to what Mazzú implemented last season, is Siebe Van Der Heyden at LCB. USG rely on contracting into a tight 5-3-2 defensive block out of possession, whether that’s against Bayer Leverkusen or Zulte Waregem. As this viz from Total Football Analysis shows, their block often lies quite deep.
Van Der Heyden is as close as you can get to a veteran in a side, being the third longest serving current player after joining in July 2019 from Eindhoven FC. He’s won 69% of his ground duels in the Europa League (Success in 1v1 duels both forwards and backwards), and helps cover for Adingra’s driving runs.
Interest was shown in February by Real Valladoloid in the 24-year-old, who turns 25 later this month. It’s helped him grow more comfortable with the ball in tight spaces, and the Belgian even made his international debut against Burkina Faso last year.
Perhaps the league will escape their grasp once more, and perhaps another year of getting ripped apart by the continent’s vultures will be too much for this resurgent side, even too much for the sustainable approach the owners have implemented.
Just like Muzio said though, this club isn’t about being a feeder to the Premier League despite the obvious links. This isn’t about farming young players or treating the fans as an afterthought.
USG are a team built on the foundation that as long as it’s possible, it’s doable. Above all else, we should just try and continue the ride of one of football’s last pure stories.
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