Cercle Brugge KSV

Cercle Brugge Koninklijke Sportvereniging (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈsɛrklə ˈbrɵɣə ˈkoːnɪŋkləkə ˈspɔrtfəˌreːnəɣɪŋ]) is a Belgian professional football club based in Bruges. Cercle have played in the Belgian Pro League since the 2003–04 season, having previously spent several years in the Belgian Second Division following relegation in 1997. Their matricule is the n°12. The club plays home games at the Jan Breydel Stadium, which they share with fierce rivals Club Brugge. Cercle Brugge won their first national title in 1911, and won two more titles (in 1927 and 1930) before the Second World War. The side also won the Belgian Cup in 1927 and in 1985, and have represented Belgium in European tournaments on several occasions. Since 2017, they have been owned by French club AS Monaco.

History

Early years (1899–1919)

Cercle Brugge was founded on 9 April 1899 as Cercle Sportif Brugeois by former students of the Saint Francis Xavier Institute, colloquially known as De Freres (English: The Friars) in Bruges. Originally, the organisation focused on five sports: football, cricket, lawn tennis, running and cycling.

Cercle Brugge became a member of the Royal Belgian Football Association in 1900 and were awarded matricule number 12. The same year the club moved from their football field in Sint-Michiels, which was owned by De Freres, to a pitch in Sint-Andries, which offered better facilities and was closer to Bruges' main railway station in 't Zand square. Cercle achieved their first success in the 1902 Henri Fraeys Cup, defeating Olympique Iris Club Lillois (the predecessor of Lille OSC) and US Tourcoing. After winning another few friendly cups Cercle achieved their first big success, winning the national title in the 1910–11 season. Cercle ended a single point ahead of their main rivals FC Bruges, after their confrontation on the season's last matchday ended in a 1–1 draw.

Three years later Belgian football was devastated by World War I: Cercle lost

This page also has a version in other languages :  Серкль Брюгге (russian)