Historical Crests Royale Union Saint-Gilloise (Union SG)

Name: ​ ​​Royale Union Saint-Gilloise (Union SG)

Nickname(s): ​Les Unionistes (The Unionists)

Founded: 1897

Stadium: Joseph Marien Stadium

Capacity: ​ 9,400

Royal Union Saint Gilloise Crest History

The first official Union Saint-Gilloise crest appeared in 1897, following the club's foundation as Union Saint-Gilloise. The badge featured a traditional monogram based on the club's initials, reflecting the elegant style of late nineteenth-century football emblems and establishing the yellow-and-blue identity that would become synonymous with the club.

In 1970, the club introduced a refined version of its traditional crest. While retaining the familiar colours and monogram, the design adopted cleaner lines and more balanced proportions, creating a more modern appearance while preserving Union's historic identity.

A major change arrived in 1973, when the club briefly adopted the name Royale Union during a period of financial uncertainty and difficult relations with the municipality of Saint-Gilles. The crest was redesigned accordingly, removing the reference to Saint-Gilloise and introducing a simplified circular emblem displaying the club's revised name. Although distinctive, the badge was used for only a decade before the club returned to its traditional identity.

In 1990, following the restoration of the Royale Union Saint-Gilloise name, the crest was updated to reflect the club's historic identity once again. The redesign reintroduced the traditional wording while retaining the club's famous yellow-and-blue colours, symbolising a return to its roots after the "Royale Union" period.

A further redesign was unveiled in 1995, introducing a cleaner and more contemporary interpretation of the club's emblem. The typography and proportions were refined, while the traditional colours and core identity remained unchanged. Later that same year, the badge received another update with simplified graphic elements and improved balance, creating the version that would represent Union Saint-Gilloise for the next two decades.

In 2015, the club unveiled its current crest. Inspired by the historic emblems of the early twentieth century, the redesigned badge features a bold circular design incorporating the intertwined RUSG monogram at its centre, surrounded by the club's full name in yellow and blue. Combining classic symbolism with modern styling, the crest reflects Union Saint-Gilloise's rich heritage while providing a clean visual identity suited to the club's modern resurgence.

Royal Union Saint Gilloise Club History

Founded on 1 November 1897, Royale Union Saint-Gilloise is one of Belgium's oldest and most successful football clubs. Established in the Brussels municipality of Saint-Gilles, the club quickly adopted its famous yellow-and-blue colours and became one of the pioneers of organised football in Belgium. Union received the Royal designation in 1920 and has played its home matches at the historic Joseph Marien Stadium since 1919.

Union Saint-Gilloise dominated Belgian football during the first half of the twentieth century, winning eleven Belgian league championships between 1904 and 1935. The club's greatest achievement came during the early 1930s, when the legendary "Union 60" side went 60 consecutive league matches unbeaten between 1933 and 1935, a Belgian record that still stands today. Union also won the Belgian Cup in 1913 and 1914, firmly establishing itself as one of the country's greatest clubs.

Following the Second World War, Union's fortunes gradually declined. Although the club continued to compete in European competitions during the 1950s and 1960s, it struggled to match its earlier domestic success. Relegation from the Belgian First Division in 1973 marked the beginning of a prolonged period outside the top flight, with Union eventually falling as low as the fourth tier of Belgian football.

A remarkable revival began after British businessman Tony Bloom invested in the club in 2018, with Alex Muzio later becoming majority owner. Using an innovative recruitment strategy based on data analysis and player development, Union returned to the Belgian Pro League by winning the 2020–21 Belgian First Division B title, ending a 48-year absence from the top flight. In their first season back, Union finished top of the regular-season table and narrowly missed out on the league title after the Championship Play-offs.

The club continued its resurgence throughout the 2020s, establishing itself as one of Belgium's strongest sides. Union reached the quarter-finals of the 2022–23 UEFA Europa League, returned to regular European competition and finally ended a 90-year wait for the Belgian championship by winning its twelfth league title in 2024–25. The success completed one of the greatest revivals in modern European football and restored Union Saint-Gilloise to the summit of Belgian football.

Union Saint-Gilloise's fiercest rivalry is the Brussels Derby against RSC Anderlecht, a fixture that pits two of the capital's most historic clubs against one another. Matches against RWDM and RFC Liège are also significant, reflecting long-standing regional and historical rivalries. 

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