Royal Antwerp F.C.
Belgian football team.
Royal Antwerp Football Club, commonly known as Antwerp or The Great Old, is a professional football club based in Antwerp, Belgium. Founded in 1880, it is Belgium's oldest football club and competes in the Belgian Pro League. Antwerp plays its home matches at the Bosuil Stadium, which has a capacity of around 16,000 spectators and has been the club's home since 1923.
The club's colors are red and white, and they are nicknamed "The Great Old" due to their status as Belgium's oldest existing football club. Antwerp has a rich history in Belgian football, having won four Belgian league titles, with their most recent triumph coming in the 2021-22 season, ending a 66-year drought. They have also claimed three Belgian Cups, with victories in 1955, 1992, and 2020.
Antwerp's golden era came in the 1940s and 1950s when they won three of their four league titles (1944, 1957, 1958). During this period, they were one of the dominant forces in Belgian football. However, the club experienced a significant decline in the latter part of the 20th century, even dropping to the third tier of Belgian football in the late 1990s.
The club's resurgence began in the early 2000s, culminating in their return to the top flight in 2017. Since then, Antwerp has re-established itself as one of Belgium's top clubs, consistently finishing in the upper echelons of the league and qualifying for European competitions.
In European football, Antwerp's most notable achievement came in 1993 when they reached the final of the European Cup Winners' Cup, losing to Parma. More recently, they have participated in the UEFA Europa League group stages, showcasing their return to prominence on the continental stage.
The club has a fierce rivalry with Beerschot, another team from Antwerp, in what is known as the "Great Old Derby." Antwerp also maintains rivalries with other top Belgian clubs such as Anderlecht and Club Brugge.
In recent years, Antwerp has benefited from significant investment, which has allowed them to attract higher-profile players and compete for domestic honors.