First the cup victory in April, now also the league title – Mark van Bommel sensationally wins the championship with Royal Antwerp. And that in a dramatic finale.
Genk – Royal Antwerp had to wait 66 years for the championship. Now it's done: Under coach and ex-Bayern player Mark van Bommel, the Belgian team narrowly beat title contenders KRC Genk and Union Saint-Gilloise in injury time on the very last matchday. The injury time was full of surprises.
| Mark van Bommel | |
|---|---|
| Born: | 22 April 1977 (age 46 years), Maasbracht, Netherlands |
| Stations as a player: | PSV Eindhoven, FC Barcelona, FC Bayern Munich, AC Milan |
| Stations as a trainer: | Saudi Arabia, PSV Eindhoven, VfL Wolfsburg, Royal Antwerp |
Mark van Bommel wins league title – last-minute goal makes Antwerp celebrate
The starting position for Royal Antwerp was anything but clear before the last matchday in the first division. In the previous week, the team missed out on the early championship in front of their home crowd and finally had to fight for the championship with Union Saint-Gilloise (46 points) and opponents Genk (45 points) on the last matchday.
While Saint-Gilloise had to play against FC Brugge, league leaders Antwerp dueled with pursuers Genk. Just before the end of the game, Saint-Gilloise looked like the champions. But then Bruges managed to equalize 90-1 in the 1th minute, a bitter 1-3 defeat for title contenders Saint-Gilloise was even on the scoreboard at the end.
Genk, meanwhile, led 2-1 against van Bommel Club Antwerp. The championship was a long way off for the 46-year-old. Until the 94th minute of the game. That's when the time came for Captain Toby Alderweireld. With a dream goal into the top left corner, he brought Antwerp back into the game with a 2-2 tie. Four minutes later, after the final whistle, it was clear that Antwerp were the new Belgian champions, one point ahead of Genk and Saint-Gilloise.
+Coach Mark van Bommel (right) celebrated the fifth league title in the club's history with Royal Antwerp.
© IMAGO/Maarten Straetemans
Overwhelmed by sensational championship: Van Bommel sets record with Antwerp
In addition to the Belgian championship, van Bommel also bagged the cup victory against KV Mechelen (2-0). Thus, the Dutch ex-professional achieved a true feat: For the first time in their club history, "The Great Old" won the double. "This is my best moment on Belgian soil. In Belgium, they managed to win the double only seven times. That's extraordinary," said van Bommel, looking back on the historic evening.
"That's what we've been training for, but the fact that it ends like this, no," said van Bommel, shaking his head: "We're playing for the title away from home and our own stadium is sold out. This is only possible in Antwerp." The former Bayern player has been the new coach at the oldest football club in Belgium since the end of May 2022. In Germany, he most recently stopped as a coach at VfL Wolfsburg. After 115 days in office, it was time to say goodbye to Lower Saxony in October 2021.
Pranjic, Braafheid, Lucio: What ex-FCB players do today
Pranjic, Braafheid, Lucio: What ex-FCB players do today
Jubilant sprint across the pitch: "Then you really don't know what you're doing anymore"
Just in time for the final whistle, Mark van Bommel was finally able to let out all his energy: In a full sprint, the former Bayern star ran across half the pitch, the whole pack behind him. "Then you really don't know what you're doing. You run and they jump around your neck. Only then did I realize that I had run onto the field," said the Dutchman.
The 46-year-old played for FC Bayern Munich from 2006 to 2011. Especially because of numerous unsportsmanlike acts in his active career as a footballer, Mark van Bommel remained in the memory of many fans. (dpa/likr)
Category list image: © IMAGO/Maarten Straetemans
