Brugge rise continues
Wednesday, July 23, 2003
Article summary
Club history: Late developers, Club Brugge KV are now one of Belgium's biggest clubs.
Article body
uefa.com looks back at the achievements of Club Brugge KV as part of our series of histories of the 18 clubs directly involved in the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round.
City rivalry
As in so many major cities, football divides Bruges into two distinct camps. Club Brugge KV, founded in 1891, represent the Flemish-speaking community and have deep roots in the city's working class, while rivals Cercle Brugge KSV developed from within the middle-class community of English and Dutch immigrants.
Slow starters
Initially known as Brugsche Football Club and then Royal Football Club Brugeois, Club Brugge took part in the inaugural Belgian championship in 1896/97, but thereafter suffered two decades of disappointment and near misses until finally, in 1919/20, they were Belgian champions for the first time.
Major force again
Success proved short-lived, though, and by the end of the decade Brugge were yo-yoing between the top two divisions. It soon became more common for the club to be outside the top flight than in it and it was not until the late 1960s that they established themselves as a major force. The 1967/68 season was the sign of things to come, with Brugge runners-up to RSC Anderlecht in the league and lifting the Belgian Cup after defeating Beerschot VAC on penalties.
European finals
Another cup triumph followed in 1970 and after three successive second-place finishes, Brugge finally ended a 53-year wait for their second league title in 1972/73. UEFA Cup runners-up to Liverpool FC in 1975/76, they consoled themselves with a hat-trick of titles from 1976-78. But the greatest night in the club's history was once again ruined by Liverpool, as the Merseyside club beat them 1-0 in the 1978 European Champion Clubs' Cup final at Wembley.
Further titles
The 1980s brought two more league championships and another Belgian Cup, but little progress in Europe. Further titles in 1989/90 and 1991/92 were complemented by a run to the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup semi-finals in the latter season and a domestic double in 1996 - a triumph made all the sweeter as it was sealed by a cup final victory against old rivals Cercle.
Financial problems
Despite suffering financial problems since the late 1990s Brugge have continued to thrive with further title successes in 1998 and 2003, when the club cantered to the championship with a stunning 96 goals in 32 games.
