Faces in the crowd

Pic of the week

Supporters of KV Mechelen celebrate the winning goal against Anderlecht last Sunday. The 2-1 upset put KV Mechelen in 11th place in the Belgian Pro League, while Anderlecht remains 2nd. Photo by John Weaver

Soon after I moved to Mechelen in 2011, KV Mechelen became “my team” in the Belgian Pro League. They may look like a middle-of-the-table team right now, and they are. But as I quickly learned, this is also a team that has seen some very high highs and very low lows in its 110-year history. 

The high: while KVM have won the Belgian first division title four times, their real claim to fame came in 1988 when they took home the European Cup Winners Cup (now the UEFA Champions League) with a 1-0 win over Ajax of Amsterdam.

The low: financial problems during the 2002-03 season left the club on the brink of bankruptcy. Donations from loyal supporters saved the club from going under, but they were forced to sell many of their players and were relegated to the third division. However, the team made a quick comeback and, by 2008, was back in the first division.