Sport

Union Saint-Gilloise is currently leading the championship, and has confirmed its status as a top team in our championship since its return to the elite of Belgian football. Despite changes of coach and numerous departures of very good players who are currently enjoying the good days of good clubs in Europe, the Union is settling in for the long term and might well go to the end this year. On the set of La Tribune, everyone seemed to agree on the fact that the USG would deserve this trophy for its performances in D1A for 2 and a half years.

For Marc Wilmots the observation is clear, and the figures will not contradict it: “If it weren’t for the playoffs, they would have been champions for two seasons.“

What everyone agrees on on the set, but the playoffs exist and this makes the former coach of the Devils fear a new repetition of the disaster scenario: “I don’t know what will happen this year because the points will be divided in two once more. This is a time when you need to be well. If you lose two players at this point…“Philippe Albert added: “There is also the CAN, that will have to come into play.“

But despite everything, the Union’s record remains truly exceptional since its accession to D1A, showing extraordinary regularity in terms of results while the team has changed quite a bit, and the staff as well: “We must also take into consideration all the players who left, the fact that they had three coaches in three years, how many clubs would have resisted this tornado?” launches Philippe Albert, “if they are not champions this year, they never will be once more. They should have already been during the last two seasons. […] I hope for them that this time they will do it, because in terms of consistency they are the best team in two and a half years. They deserve a trophy.“

Victor Boniface is at the top of the Bundesliga with Leverkusen, Denis Undav has just been voted player of the month in Germany with Stuttgart and there is a debate in Germany regarding whether he should start in the selection, it cannot be due randomly. Stephan Streker is seduced by this way of doing things: “It’s linked to their recruitment policy, their very philosophy of looking for vengeful players, with a great mentality, I think it’s unique.”

Good scouting, with a top mentality, important elements of the good unionist recipe. Gustaf Nilsson drinking a beer at the end of the meeting with supporters, reflecting a spirit of conviviality specific to Duden Park and its fans, another secret ingredient in the recipe for success for the USG. Stephan only sees positives: “I think that if the players are really united, if they party together, if they go drinking following matches, I would say that it earns points rather than the other way around. My only fear concerning them is that at the Union we focus on the fear that things will go wrong once once more in the home stretch.”

But even if everything is perfectly in place, external elements must not come to disrupt the unionist machine: “There is a well-established collective, but when you have bad luck like they had in previous years. Because quality is essential is present. I think that these are also facts of matches which worked once morest them at certain moments”, concludes Philippe Albert.

USG currently leads the Pro League with 44 units, eight more than its runner-up in Anderlecht.