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Standard Liège

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Standard de Liège
File:Royal Standard de Liege.svg
Full nameRoyal Standard de Liège
Nickname(s)Les Rouches (The Reds)
Founded1898; 126 years ago (1898)
GroundStade Maurice Dufrasne
Liège
Capacity30,023
ChairmanRoland Duchâtelet
ManagerJosé Riga
LeagueBelgian Pro League
2010–11Belgian Pro League, 2nd (Play-Off I)

Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège, is a Belgian football club from the city of Liège. They are one of the most successful clubs in Belgium, having won the Belgian league on 10 occasions, most recently in 2007-08 and 2008-09. They have also won 5 Belgian Cups, and in 1981-82 they reached the final of the European Cup Winners' Cup, which they lost 2-1 against Barcelona.

Standard players are nicknamed the "Rouches" because of their red jerseys. The French word for red, rouge, when pronounced with a Walloon accent, sounds like "rouche".

Name Evolution

  • 1898: Standard Football Club (Standard FC),
  • 1899: Standard FC Liégeois (Standard FCL),
  • 1910: Standard Club Liégeois (Standard CL),
  • 1923: Royal Standard Club Liège (R. Standard CL),
  • 1952: Royal Standard Club Liégeois (R. Standard CL),
  • 1972: Royal Standard de Liège.

History

Flag waving in the stadium (2009).

From beginning to 1st Division

The club was founded in 1898, under the name of Standard FC, by students at the Saint-Servais High School in Liège. The inspiration for the name was Standard Athletic Club, a popular Parisian club at the time (Champions of France 1894, 1895, 1897, 1898 and 1901). The names "Excelsior", "Sporting" and "Daring" were considered, before the name Standard was chosen, winning a vote by one point ahead of the name "Skill of Liège". Many of the founders were old players or followers of existing pioneer club FC Liegeois, which was founded six years prior in 1892.

Standard FC became Standard FC Liégeois in 1899. But thanks to the great rivalry with local FC Liégeois, the word "football" disappeared from the club's official name, which became simply Standard Club Liégeois in 1910.

Standard entered its first official championship in 1902–03 with an away win (1-2) in Stade Wallon II (reserve team of Stade Wallon) in Verviers. Standard finished with 9 wins and 3 losses, and a record victory against Stade Wallon II 14-0. In 1903-1904, Standard finished runner-up in the regional league of Liège and became regional champion in 1905.

Until 1908-1909, Belgian Football had only one national league: the Division d'Honneur (Honour League). Beneath this were regional leagues (Antwerp, Brabant, Hainaut/Namur, Liège and Flanders), of whose champions competed in play offs at the end of the season to obtain promotion to the Honour League. In 1909, Standard Club Liégeois successfully gained promotion for the first time in its history to the highest level in Belgium.

Standard stayed in the highest league until 1914. The club's best finish in this period was its first attempt, finishing 5th in the "Honneur". In 1914, Standard finished bottom, tied with La Gantoise (Ghent). After a play off over two legs La Gantoise received the right to stay in the Honneur, while Standard were relegated.

WWI and definitively back in the top flight

Following a five year break during the First World War, in which the leagues in Belgium were not contested, Standard resumed playing, this time in the Promotion league, a second tier national league which had been created in 1909. In 1919/1920, the club finished runner-up behind FC Tilleur (another team of Liège, whose stadium was very close to Standard's ground). But in 1921, the "Rouches" were champions in Promotion League and regained their top flight status, which they have maintained ever since. In 2010-2011, Standard will enjoyed 80 consecutive years at the highest national level: a Belgian record and not far off a world record.

In 1923, the club became Royal Standard Club Liégeois. (In Belgium the title "Royal" is usually given by the Monarch to all associations which reach 50 years of age, although at this time Standard was only 25 years old).

Although Standard enjoyed several good years in the post WW1 decades - with second place league finishes in 1925-1926, when the club finished runner up 7 points behind champions Beerschot; in 1928, finishing 11 points behind Beerschot again; and in 1936, ending just 3 points behind Daring CB - the club's supporters had to wait until 1954 for the first silverware.

Roger Petit Era : First Trophy and first Title

Soon after World War II, Roger Petit, former player and team captain, became General Secretary of the Club. Under his visionnary feeling for football and business, Petit who worked hand in hand with President Henrard, turned Standard to a significantly more professional club and brought it to the top of Belgian football.

In 1954, Standard won the first of what have been five Belgian Cups, with a final victory against RC Malines 3-1. Four years later in 1958, Royal Standard Club Liégeois was crowned national champion for the first time and thus qualified to play in the European Cup the following season.

In the qualifying round of the European Cup, Standard comfortably beat Scottish champions Heart of Midlothian, 5-1 at home. It was the first time that a Belgian club had won a European Cup round, and Standard's success started to attract many new fans. Standard went on to beat Sporting CP of Portugal in the second round, and then Stade of Reims in the home leg of the quarter-final, 2-0 in Liège. The club's great European run came to an end in the away leg at Colombes, when Reims' international stars, many of whom had just returned from playing in France's 3rd-place finish in the 1958 World Cup, managed to beat Standard 3-0. After the game, French striker Just Fontaine said: "Standard were better but we were lucky tonight." Despite the defeat, Standard had made their mark in Europe, and their excellent performance had established the Legend of Standard in the minds of their fans.

Belgian European Legend

The first ever Belgian European victories was followed by other great results on the European scene. Two other Belgian titles were won in '61 and '63. In 61-62, The second participation at the Champions Cup confirms the Legend of the Standard. The "Rouches" won easily four times against Frederikstadt (Norway) and Haka Valkeakoski (Finland). The first leg of the quarter finals was played in Sclessin (Standard Home) to a packed stadium. Crowds were standing all the way down to the actual pitch lines ! Players had to push people so they could take the corner kicks ! Standard crushed Glasgow Rangers 4-1. The 2-0 defeat on the 2nd leg was quickly forgotten: Standard reached a European semi-final, a first for a Belgian club. Real Madrid put an end to the dream.

In 1964, the Swedish champion IFK Norrköpping ended the European cup aspirations of Standard during the first round.

In 1966, Standard won its 2nd National Cup with a 1-0 win in the final against great rival Anderlecht (winning goal by Nico Dewalque).

In 1966-1967, Standard again reached the semi-finals level (European Cup of Cup Winners - EC2). FC Bayern Munich, with a young striker named Gerd Muller, defeated them two times, 2-0 and 1-3 in Belgium. A few weeks later, Standard won its 3rd National cup against FC Malinois (3-1 after extra time)

1967-1968's European Cup of Cup's Winners fulfilled the legend of what Belgian crowds consider as "European Standard". The Rouches won against Izmir (Turkey) and Aberdeen (Scotland) and reached the quarter-finals stage. Standard held AC Milan to a draw two times (1-1). A replay was held in Milan, where the Rossoneri won 2-0.

After a lengthy national league domination by Anderlecht, R. Standard CL won three titles in a row (1969, 1970 and 1971) and the National Cup in 1973.

Win in Chamartin The EC1 of 69-70 allowed Standard to write another page of its Golden Book. After winning easily against Netori Tirana (Albania), the Rouches became the first Belgian club to eliminate Real Madrid , with a 2-3 win in Stantiago Bernabeu Stadion. The all-whites of fearsome Leeds United crushed the Belgian dream only after two great fights (twice defeated 1-0, goals by Lorimer and Giles).

EC1 70-71 exited too early against Legia Warsaw (Poland) in the second round.

EC1 71-72 showed another great Standard. Linfield FC and CSKA Moscow could not stop the Belgian champions. In quarter-finals, the newly instituted away-goals rule (scored by Sandro Mazzola in Liege) offered the semi-final stage against Inter Milan (1-0 and 2-1).

EC2 72-73 Standard took the runner-up position to Anderlecht in Belgian Cup 1972 and were eliminated immediately against Sparta Prague.

EC 2 73-74 Standard was again runner-up to Anderlecht in Belgian Cup 1973, started well in qualification against ARDS FC and Craiova but lost against Feyenoord Rotterdam in the quarter-finals.

First desert crossing

From the championship of 1974, R. Standard CL knew many hard years. The end of the Seventies was like a desert crossing for Standard. The championship of 1976 was the most difficult. The Rouches finished in 8th place at 13 points behind champions FC Brugghe (at this time a win gave 2 points). After three third-places in a row, Standard was runner up four points behind FC Brugghe in 1980.

Back in Europe

In 1981, R. Standard CL wins its 4th National Cup (4-1 against Lokeren SC). A very high point of the club's history was the 1982 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, in which they were beaten by FC Barcelona in the final (2-1). This final was held in... Barcelona's Camp Nou. Standard took the lead with a nice goal of further team Captain Guy Vandersmissen. Allan Simonsen answered with a header. Quini gave the win to Barça, after a free-kick...too quickly played. German referee Eischweiler allowed the Spanish players to take the kick before Belgian defenders' wall was ready.

A few days before the EC2 final, Standard wins its 8th National title. The Rouches confirmed with a 9th title in 1983.

EC1 82-83 ended early, in the second round against Juventus Torino (Italy). EC 1 83-84 ended also in the second round this time against Dundee United (Scotland).

Scandal, second desert crossing and Wauters Era

In 1984, a scandal was revealed implicating several players and trainers in an alleged plan to influence other Belgian clubs to "ease off" toward the end of the season, so that Standard might face Barcelona without injuries. As a result, the club received a heavy fine and - in order to pay for it - had to sell its best players. Trainer Goethals then left the club. Secretary General Roger Petit handed in his resignation. Some players (including internationals Michel Preud'homme and Eric Gerets) received a ban.

Jean Wauters a former political prisonner during WWII and Andre Duchene a businessman took over the club management with many ambitions. Under this duo Sclessin stadium underwent significant re-building. Full modern facilities were planned for. The first step was to demolish and re-build the main stand. Through the years till the Euro 2000 bid, the Maurice Dufrasne stadium was renovated.

It took the Standard more than 20 years to overcome the consequences of the scandal. The National Cup win of 1993 (2-0 against RSC Charleroi) was the only ray of sunshine in a long trophyless period. Despite the fact that the Belgian titles stopped coming, remarkably the club remained very popular across Belgium - even in the Flemish north. In 1996, the club absorbed R.F.C. Seraing.

Maurice Dufrasne stadium in 2006.

D'Onofrio Era, back at the Top

Since the mid-2000's, R. Standard de Liège has enjoyed a new golden period. French businessman Robert Louis-Dreyfus, the strong man of Olympique Marseille, helped the club avoid bankruptcy. The club's resurgence began in the 2005-2006 season, when it finished second in the Belgian League and earned a place in the Champions League qualifiers.

On April 20, 2008 they won their first Belgian League title in 25 years with 3 games left, claiming an unbeaten record of 31 games. Standard defeated their arch rivals R.S.C. Anderlecht in the decisive match, with 2 goals from Dieumerci Mbokani who had played for Anderlecht the previous season. The team was one of the youngest in the Belgian First Division. A total of 32 scouts from foreign teams were in the stadium with Marouane Fellaini as the main focus of their interests.[citation needed]. Fellaini later signed for Everton F.C. in a deal worth €20M in the dying minutes of the transfer deadline in 2008. Standard made their second appearance in the Champions League qualifiers in 2008-09.

Standard confirmed its title with a second in the 2008-2009 season after two play-off matches against Anderlecht (1-1 and 1-0). It was the thenth national title for the Rouches. From those play off games, the winner got a ticket to the final stage of the Champions League and its 15M Euro Jackpot. Standard drew Arsenal F.C., AZ Alkmaar and Olympiacos Piraeus. Starting off on a 2-0 lead against Arsenal FC, the Belgian team eventually lost 2-3 with an offside goal allowed to the English side. Standard grabbed the third place in the group with a late goal from goalkeeper Bolat against AZ Alkmaar, thus qualifying for the Europa League Finals. Despite the dismissal of its coach Lazlo Bölöni, the Belgian national champions reached the quarter-finals after eliminating Red Bull Salzburg and Panathinaikos. Hamburger SV stopped the Rouches with two wins (2-1 and 1-3).

Standard Liege's domination over Belgian football was highlighted in January 2010 as one of their players got the title of Football Player of the Year (Golden Shoe) for the fourth time in four years. After Sergio Conceicao (2005), Steven Defour (2007) and Axel Witsel (2008), Milan Jovanović received the trophy for 2009.

The results of the 2009-2010 season were very disappointing in the Belgian League. Standard missed out on a spot in the Play-Off 1 series as they finished 8th. Even in the less prestigious Play Off 2 series they finished only 2nd.

In the 2010-2011 season, Standard won the Belgian Cup. In the Belgian Pro League, the club also managed to reach 2nd place after barely qualifying for Play-Off 1.

Honours

Domestic

Belgian League

Champions (10): 1957-58, 1960-61, 1962-63, 1968-69, 1969-70, 1970-71, 1981-82, 1982-83, 2007-08, 2008-09
Runners-up (11): 1925-26, 1927-28, 1935-36, 1961-62, 1964-65, 1972-73, 1979-80, 1992-93, 1994-95, 2005-06, 2010-11

Belgian Cup

Champions (6): 1954, 1966, 1967, 1981, 1993, 2011
Runners-up (9): 1965, 1972, 1973, 1984, 1988, 1989, 1999, 2000, 2007

Belgian League Cup

Champions (1): 1975

Belgian Supercup

Champions (4) 1981, 1983, 2008, 2009
Runners-up (2) 1993, 1982

International

UEFA Cup Winners' Cup

Runners-up (1) 1982

UEFA Intertoto Cup

Runners-up (1) 1996

European record

As of December, 2008.
Competition A GP W D L GF GA
UEFA Champions League 1044235167552
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 636195126849
UEFA Cup/Europa League 14703018229988
UEFA Intertoto Cup 32081022516

Current squad

As of 24 March 2011''

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
2 MF Belgium BEL Réginal Goreux
4 DF Ghana GHA Daniel Opare
5 DF Brazil BRA Felipe
6 DF Belgium BEL Laurent Ciman
7 MF France FRA Franck Berrier
8 MF Belgium BEL Steven Defour (captain)
10 FW Burundi BDI Mohammed Tchité
11 MF Morocco MAR Mehdi Carcela-Gonzalez
13 FW Cameroon CMR Aloys Nong
14 FW Brazil BRA Danilo
15 DF Belgium BEL Sébastien Pocognoli
16 DF Morocco MAR Abdelfettah Boukhriss
20 MF Belgium BEL Leroy Labylle
22 DF France FRA Eliaquim Mangala
24 MF Belgium BEL Koen Daerden
25 DF Brazil BRA Kanu
No. Pos. Nation Player
27 MF Belgium BEL Arnor Angeli
29 FW Ivory Coast CIV Zoro Cyriac Gohi Bi
30 MF Belgium BEL Franco Zennaro
31 MF Belgium BEL Tino Suši
33 GK Montenegro MNE Srđan Blažić
34 MF Senegal SEN Pape Abdou Camara
35 MF Togo TOG Henri Eninful
37 DF Belgium BEL Jelle Van Damme
38 GK Turkey TUR Sinan Bolat
77 FW Romania ROU Gicu Grozav
99 FW Senegal SEN Mbaye Leye
— DF Algeria ALG Karim Belhocine
— MF Belgium BEL Geoffrey Mujangi Bia
— MF Brazil BRA Edenilson
— MF Uruguay URU Nacho González
— MF Belgium BEL Paul-Jose M'Poku


Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
17 MF France FRA Hans Dibi (at UD Melilla)
25 FW Belgium BEL Christian Benteke (at KV Mechelen)
— MF Belgium BEL Andrea Mutombo (at Sint-Truiden)
— MF Ivory Coast CIV Moussa Traoré (at Zulte-Waregem)
— DF Israel ISR Rami Gershon (at K.V. Kortrijk)
— DF Brazil BRA Victor Ramos (at CR Vasco da Gama)

Notable players

Former players

Main article: List of Royal Standard de Liège players

Player stats

Appearances

# Player Standard career Appearances
1 Luxembourg Guy Hellers 1983–00 474
2 Belgium Gilbert Bodart 1981–96, 1997–98 469
3 Belgium Guy Vandersmissen 1978–91 465
4 Belgium Léon Semmeling 1959–74 449

Goals

# Player Standard career Goals (App.)
1 Belgium Jean Capelle 1929–44 245 (285)
2 Belgium Roger Claessen 1956–68 161 (229)
3 Belgium Maurice Gillis 1919–35 124 (275)

Coaches

Captains

Player's name in bold when Standard won the title

  • 1954/55:
  • 1955/56:
  • 1956/57:
  • 1957/62: Belgium Denis Houf
  • 1962/63:
  • 1963/64:
  • 1964/65:
  • 1965/66:
  • 1966/67:
  • 1967/68:
  • 1968/69:
  • 1969/70:
  • 1970/71:
  • 1971/72:
  
  • 1972/73:
  • 1973/74:
  • 1974/75: Belgium Wilfried van Moer
  • 1975/76:
  • 1976/77:
  • 1977/78:
  • 1978/79:
  • 1979/80:
  • 1980/83: Belgium Eric Gerets
  • 1983/84:
  • 1984/85:
  • 1985/86:
  • 1986/87:
  • 1987/88:
  

U-20 Squad

"*" as of call up for the first squad Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
— GK Italy ITA Nicola Hatefi
GK Belgium BEL Jesse Soubry
— DF Italy ITA Jonathan Dostilio
DF Turkey TUR Mehmet Sarper Kiskac
— DF Kenya KEN Pierre-Yves Ngawa
— DF Belgium BEL Fabian Piette
— DF Belgium BEL Pierre Sevens
— DF Belgium BEL Christopher Verbist
DF Turkey TUR Ali Yasar
— DF Italy ITA Franco Zennaro
— MF Republic of the Congo CGO Jason Bola
— MF Belgium BEL Julien de Sart
— MF Brazil BRA Junior Da Silva Edmilson
— MF Senegal SEN Karim Faye
— MF Belgium BEL Romain Frère
No. Pos. Nation Player
— MF Lebanon LBN Reda Jaadi
— MF Belgium BEL Alexander Maes
— MF Bosnia and Herzegovina BIH Deni Milosevic
— MF France FRA Jonathan Mendes
— MF Democratic Republic of the Congo COD Maecky-Fred N'Gombo
— MF Belgium BEL Grégory Scolas
— MF Belgium BEL Simon Wantiez
— MF Belgium BEL Kevin Vandeberg
— FW Morocco MAR Zakaria Bakkalli
— FW Democratic Republic of the Congo COD Christopher Bombele
— FW Belgium BEL Axel Bonemme
— FW Tanzania TAN Matt Debra
— FW France FRA Daimy Deflem
— FW Italy ITA Sébastien Locigno
— FW Democratic Republic of the Congo COD Dolly Menga

Supporters Awards

Man of the season (since 1997/98)

Most regular Standardman of the season (votes after every match on the official website)

Season 1 2 3
1997/98 Netherlands Björn van der Doelen - -
1998/99 Croatia Vedran Runje Portugal António Folha Belgium Emile Mpenza
1999/00 Belgium Bernd Thijs Belgium Michaël Goossens Croatia Vedran Runje
2000/01 Croatia Vedran Runje Croatia Ivica Mornar Croatia Robert Prosinečki
2001/02 Portugal Almami Moreira Belgium Michaël Goossens Belgium Harold Meyssen
2002/03 Sweden Fredrik Söderström Portugal Almami Moreira Norway Ole Martin Årst
2003/04 Belgium Emile Mpenza Portugal Almami Moreira Belgium Jonathan Walasiak
2004/05 Portugal Sérgio Conceição Croatia Vedran Runje United States Oguchi Onyewu
2005/06 Burundi Mémé Tchité Portugal Sérgio Conceição Portugal Almami Moreira
2006/07 Belgium Steven Defour Serbia Milan Jovanović Portugal Sérgio Conceição
2007/08 Democratic Republic of the Congo Dieumerci Mbokani Serbia Milan Jovanović Belgium Steven Defour

Trophy Scharlaken UGH (since 2000/01)

Standardman of the season presented by fan club Les Rouches des Flandres in cooperation with the official website

Season 1
2000/01 Croatia Vedran Runje
2001/02 Portugal Almami Moreira
2002/03 Portugal Almami Moreira
2003/04 Belgium Emile Mpenza
2004/05 Portugal Sérgio Conceição
2005/06 United States Oguchi Onyewu
2006/07 Belgium Steven Defour
2007/08 Belgium Steven Defour

Youth Team

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
— GK Belgium BEL Mathieu Delbouille
— DF Italy ITA Rèmy Anelli
— DF Italy ITA Francois D'Onofrio
— DF Morocco MAR Karim El Ouahidi
— DF Italy ITA Jordan Feltesse
— DF Belgium BEL Lionel Gendarme
— DF Mauritania MTN Alpha Kane
— DF Belgium BEL Marvin Konsdorff
— DF France FRA Simon Ligot
— DF Democratic Republic of the Congo COD Jeremy Mayele Munkana
— DF Democratic Republic of the Congo COD Rudy Mansoni Ngombo
— DF Belgium BEL Arnaud van Belle
— MF Belgium BEL Kenny Brisy
— MF Brazil BRA Paulo Da Silva Ediberg
— MF Senegal SEN Pape Abdou Camara
No. Pos. Nation Player
— MF Ivory Coast CIV Lofti Fouka
— MF Ivory Coast CIV Morel Keh
— MF Belgium BEL Michael Lallemand
— MF Republic of the Congo CGO Axel Mafuta
— MF Democratic Republic of the Congo COD Joany Mununga
— MF Democratic Republic of the Congo COD Fréjus Obrou N'Gnon
— MF Democratic Republic of the Congo COD Dieumerci Ndongala
— MF Belgium BEL Steve Otte
— MF Italy ITA Benjamin Pardini
— FW Croatia CRO Maxime Bosak
— FW Belgium BEL Jordy Croux
— FW Netherlands NED Dinesh Gogar
— FW Belgium BEL Rémi Defays
— FW Democratic Republic of the Congo COD Axel Kasa-Vubu
— FW Belgium BEL Axel Lismonde

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