Koninklijke Voetbalclub Kortrijk (often simply called KV Kortrijk or KVK) is a Belgian professional football club based in Kortrijk, West Flanders. They play in the Belgian First Division, and they achieved their best ranking ever during the 2009–10 season, finishing fourth after the play-offs. KV Kortrijk was founded in 1971, though their roots can be traced to 1901. They are registered to the Royal Belgian Football Association with matricule number 19. The club colours are red and white. They play their home matches at the Guldensporenstadion, named after the Battle of the Golden Spurs which took place in Kortrijk in 1302.
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| Full name | Koninklijke Voetbalclub Kortrijk | |||
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| Nickname(s) | De Kerels (The Guys) | |||
| Founded | 1901 | |||
| Ground | Guldensporenstadion, Kortrijk | |||
| Capacity | 9,399[1] | |||
| Owner | Vincent Tan | |||
| Chairman | Derek Chin | |||
| Head coach | Vacant | |||
| League | Belgian Pro League | |||
| 2023–24 | Belgian Pro League, 14th of 16 | |||
| Website | kvk | |||
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KV Kortrijk first entered the first division in the early 20th century, between 1906–07 and 1910–11. They eventually had to wait 65 years to return at the highest level, when they spent 15 seasons at the top flight, interrupted by a season in the second division (between 1976–77 and 1978–79 and between 1980–81 and 1991–92). KV Kortrijk also played the 1998–99 season in the first division before they returned to the Belgian Pro League in the 2008–09 season.
History
editIn 1901 SC Courtraisien was founded. The club merged with FC Courtraisien in 1918. They received in 1951 the name Koninklijke Kortrijk Sport. They had the matricule n°19 like the oldest club SC Courtraisien. Stade Kortrijk was founded in 1923 with matricule n°161. Because Stade Kortrijk and Koninklijke Kortrijk Sport didn't play well anymore, they merged in 1971. They could play with matricule n°19 and the new name was KV Kortrijk.
Early 2000's KV Kortrijk dropped to the third division. In 2001 they went bankrupt but managed to finish the season. They even won the third division playoffs but the club did not promote to the second division as they were penalized for the bankruptcy. In 2004 KV Kortrijk promoted to the second division, and in the 2007–08 season they managed to get promoted to the first division.
KV Kortrijk was bought for €5 million by Malaysian businessman Vincent Tan on 12 May 2015.[2]
Honours
edit- Belgian Cup
- Runners-up (1): 2011–12
- Belgian Second Division
- Winners (2): 1905–06, 2007–08
- Runners-up (2): 1979–80, 1997–98
- Belgian Second Division final round
- Winners (3): 1976, 1980, 1998
Colours and badge
editKV Kortrijk's colours are generally red and white. The home kit is usually all red with white trim and red shorts. The away kit is similar, except in blue. The club's logo is a white shield, split into thirds by a red upside-down, V-like shape, and the letters "KVK" are split into each third, in a red font. On top of the shield is a crown.
Stadium
editKV Kortrijk plays their home matches at the Guldensporen Stadion. It is located in Kortrijk, Belgium, and the current capacity of the ground is 9,399. In the summer of 2008, the ground's capacity was increased from 6,896 to 9,399,[1] after Kortrijk's elevation into the Belgian First Division. Guldensporenstadion literally means "Stadium of the Golden Spurs". The stadium is named after this in reference to the Battle of the Golden Spurs which, in 1302, was fought in Kortrijk. The stadium has a traditional local stadium look about it and is single-tiered all around the ground.
Current squad
edit- As of 3 February 2025[3]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Out on loan
editNote: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Coaching staff
edit| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| Head Coach | |
| Assistant Coach | |
| Goalkeeper Coach | |
| Head of Performance | |
| Video Analyst | |
| Team Manager |
Managers
editAndré Van Maldeghem & Luc Maddens (1971–73)
Marijan Brnčić (1978–79)
Henk Houwaart (1979–83)
Karim Belhocine (2016)
Yannis Anastasiou (2017)
Luka Elsner (2021)
Adnan Čustović (2022)
Bernd Storck (2022–2023)
Freyr Alexandersson (2024)
References
edit- ^ a b Guldensporenstadion Archived 11 August 2015 at the Wayback Machine, kvk.be (last check 30 March 2018)
- ^ Buyse, Frank (12 May 2015). "Officieel: Maleisische miljardair Vincent Tan neemt KV Kortrijk over" (in Dutch). Nieuwsblad – Sportwereld. Archived from the original on 14 May 2015. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
- ^ "spelers – KV Kortrijk". kvk.be. Archived from the original on 31 August 2012. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
External links
edit- Official website
- Kortrijk at UEFA.com