Royal Antwerp celebrate their first Belgian top-tier football title since 1957

ISTANBUL

Royal Antwerp finished the season one point ahead of Genk and Union to become Belgian champions for the first time in 66 years.

In Genk’s Cegeka Arena, Toby Alderweireld on Sunday made a classy long-range goal in stoppage time to give his side the Belgian top-tier football title after a 2-2 draw on matchday 40.

“I have no words for this. Everyone wrote us off, we fought so hard for this. Everyone was against us, but we did it today,” Alderweireld, 34, said after the match.

In another Pro League clash on Sunday, playing at Joseph Marien Stadium, Union Saint-Gilloise suffered a 3-1 home loss to Club Brugge to drop to the number three spot.

Following the matches, Royal Antwerp finished the standings with 47 points, ahead of second-place Genk and Union Saint-Gilloise in 40 matches.

Club Brugge finished the 2022-23 season in fourth place with 36 points.

Mark van Bommel’s Antwerp, back in the Pro League after a gap of 13 years, also won the Belgian Cup this season, making it the fifth club in the history of Belgian football to clinch the double.

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