Royal Charleroi S.C.

History

Charleroi Sporting Club was founded in 1904 and they received the matricule n°22. Twenty years after their foundation, they qualified to play in the Promotion (then the second level in Belgian football) and in 1929, the club changed its name to Royal Charleroi Sporting Club. Rivals from Olympic Charleroi were playing in the first division in the late 1930s and the 1940s, while Sporting Charleroi was playing one level down, until they promoted in 1947. In 1949, Sporting Charleroi finished 4th (2 points behind Standard Liège) whereas Olympic Charleroi was 14th. But Olympic took the lead again until 1955 and their relegation to the second division. At the end of the 1956–57 season, Olympic Charleroi had promoted to the first division but Sporting Charleroi finished last in the first division and was thus relegated to the second division. A spell of 9 seasons in the second division followed and in 1966–67 Sporting Charleroi was back at the top level. They finished at the second place in 1968–69 5 points behind Standard Liège but within two years they were relegated again.

In 1974 the first division was changing from 16 to 20 teams and Sporting Charleroi was chosen to play at the top level. Olympic Charleroi promoted too as they had won the second division right before but they remained at the top level for just one season. Sporting underwent a new relegation in 1979–80 (17th on 18) but was back five years later. Their best result since then in the first division is a 4th place in 1993–94. In September 2005, the G-14 took FIFA to court over the eight-month injury incurred by Abdelmajid Oulmers whilst on international duty with Morocco.

Colours and badge

The colours of Charleroi are black and white with a shirt generally striped, which led to the team being nicknamed The Zebras.

Stadium

Main article: Stade du Pays de Charleroi

The current ground was baptized in 1939 with a match Sporting-Union du Centre and it was located near the coal mine named Mambourg. In 1985 the stadium was slightly modernized as the club had qualified for the first division. It was then heavily renewed in the late 1990s in view of the 2000 European Football Championship. The name changed on 24 May 1999 from Stade du Mambourg to Stade du Pays de Charleroi. During the tournament, the full capacity of the stadium was up to 30,000 seats. The Stade du Pays de Charleroi hosted notably the match between Germany and England. The highest stand was eventually reduced and the capacity is now 15,000.

Honours

• Belgian First Division
  • Runners-up: 1968–69
• Belgian Second Division
  • Winners: 1946–47, 2011–12
  • Runners-up: 1965–66
• Belgian Second Division play-offs
  • Winners: 1985
• Belgian Cup
  • Runners-up: 1977–78, 1992–93

European record

UEFA club competition record

Correct as of May 2016

Matches

Current squad

On loan

Retired numbers

Main article: List of retired numbers in association football

11 – Has been retired in honor of club legend Dante Brogno since July 2001, his retirement.

Zebra Elites (Second team)

Club officials

Coaches

• Czechoslovakia Jiří Sobotka (1968–69)
• Austria Lukas Aurednik (1969–71)
• Belgium Léopold Anoul (1974–75)
• Belgium Jean-Paul Colonval (1975–76)
• Belgium Aimé Anthuenis (1 July 1987 – 30 June 1989)
• Belgium Georges Heylens (1990–92)
• Croatia Luka Peruzović (1 July 1991 – 30 June 1992)
• Belgium Robert Waseige (1 July 1992 – 30 June 1994)
• Belgium Georges Leekens (1 July 1994 – 30 July 1995)
• Croatia Luka Peruzović (1 August 1995 – 30 June 1997)
• Belgium Robert Waseige (1 July 1997 – 1999)
• Croatia Luka Peruzović (1999 – 8 December 1999)
• Belgium Raymond Mommens (1999–00)
• Belgium Manu Ferrera (2000)
• Belgium Enzo Scifo (2001–02)
• Belgium Dante Brogno (November 2002 – 3 October 2003)
• Belgium Robert Waseige (15 October 2003 – 26 April 2004)
• Belgium Jacky Mathijssen (26 April 2004 – 30 June 2007)
• Belgium Philippe Vande Walle (1 July 2007 – 10 December 2007)
• Belgium Thierry Siquet (11 December 2007 – 9 December 2008)
• Scotland John Collins (15 December 2008 – 30 June 2009)
• Belgium Stéphane Demol (2009)
• Belgium Jacky Mathijssen (2009)
• Belgium Stéphane Demol (1 July 2009 – 1 November 2009)
• Scotland Tommy Craig (20 November 2009 – 14 April 2010)
• Belgium Jacky Mathijssen (1 July 2010 – 20 September 2010)
• Hungary Csaba László (23 September 2010 – 17 March 2011)
• Hungary Zoltan Kovacs (interim) (24 March 2011 – 4 April 2011)
• Croatia Luka Peruzović (4 April 2011 – 30 June 2011)
• Belgium Jos Daerden (1 July 2011 – 26 September 2011)
• Hungary Tibor Balogh (27 September 2011 – 22 February 2012)
• Belgium Mario Notaro (interim) (23 February 2012 – 5 March 2012)
• Netherlands Dennis van Wijk (5 March 2012 – 12 June 2012)
• Belgium Yannick Ferrera (14 July 2012 – 14 February 2013)
• Croatia Luka Peruzović (interim) (14 February 2013 – 13 March 2013)
• Belgium Mario Notaro (interim) (March 2013 – 13 April 2013)
• Belgium Felice Mazzu (1 June 2013 – 3 June 2019)
• France Karim Belhocine (1 July 2019 –30 June 2021)
• Belgium Edward Still (1 July 2021 -22 October 2022)

References

References

1. [http://sporting-charleroi.be/club-stade.php/ Het Stade du Pays de Charleroi] {{Webarchive. link. (17 August 2010 sporting-charleroi.be (last check 30 March 2018))
2. (6 September 2012). "Fabien Debecq nouveau président du Sporting de Charleroi". RTL Belux S.A..
3. [http://sporting-charleroi.be/club-stade.php/ Het Stade du Pays de Charleroi] {{Webarchive. link. (17 August 2010 sporting-charleroi.be (last check 30 March 2018))
4. "Équipes {{!}} RCSC".
5. "Zebra Elites".