Cegeka Arena
Stadionplein 4
3600 Genk
Belgium
Ground Number: 1273
Sunday 10th March 2024
Sunday 10th March 2024
KRC Genk 1-0 Standard Liege
Juplier Pro League
KRC GENK - A BRIEF HISTORY
Koninklijke Racing Club Genk, KRC Genk, Racing Genk or simply Genk were established in 1988 following a merger between KFC Winterslag and K Waterschei SV Thor Genk. The former were established in 1923 and their high point came in 1981 when a 5th-place finish saw them qualify for the UEFA Cup. They defeated Norwegian side Byrne and Arsenal before going out to Dundee United. The latter was formed in 1919 as Waterschei's Sport Vereeniging Thor with Thor being the acronym of Tot Herstel Onzer Rechten (To recover our rights). Their most successful period was the early 1980s when they won the Belgian Cup twice (1980 and 1982). The latter victory led to Waterschei unexpectedly reaching the semi-finals of the European Cup Winners Cup in 1982–83. After defeating PSG in the quarter-finals, Waterschei lost the first leg of the semi-final 5–1 at Pittodrie, home of the eventual winners, Aberdeen. A 1–0 victory in Genk, courtesy of Eddy Voordeckers, could not reverse the position.
The new club took Winterslag's place in the top tier but was relegated after a single season. They were promoted back straight away and would last another four seasons before being relegated back. In 1996, they finished as runners-up to KSC Lokeren and were promoted once more. They have remained in the top tier ever since. By 1999, Genk were champions and they went on to capture further titles in 2002, 2011 and 2019. They've won the Belgian Cup five times and in 2011 and 2019, they won the Belgian Super Cup - their version of the Charity Shield. 98 games have been played in European competition. Notable achievements include reaching the quarter-finals of the 2017 Europa League before losing to Celta Vigo. They've also reached the group stage of the Champions League, finishing bottom on each occasion.
MY VISIT
This was the penultimate game of my weekend to be decided and was one of a reasonable but limited number of choices on Sunday. RES Harre-Manhay could have got me a new country in the Luxembourg League but was located in Belgium. There were options in the Netherlands and Germany too but the fact that it was Sunday and the fact that a lot of the teams were located in small villages meant that travelling was awkward for some, the journey there was an hour but a couple of hours back, that's if the trains ran late enough. In the end, I opted for something fairly close and that could be done on the train, even if it meant that I'd have to walk a bit more. The bus was possible but the app got terrible reviews and how to get tickets was unclear. Initially, FC Herstal won out because it looked like a nice ground with plentiful terracing. The downsides were the fence surrounding the pitch and the distance from the pitch, plus the club's lack of social media coverage about the actual football. The Facebook page seemed more interested in promoting kids' clubs and local restaurants but I was willing to put my trust in Futbology and Soccerway which tallied with the l'avenir website.
The day before, another about-turn and I opted for KRC Genk v Standard Liege. This was not much further on the train than Herstal and it had the benefit of being fixed in stone. It was also 90 minutes earlier and although time would still be tight between games, I'd have a bit more to play with if I made the earlier train. A ticket was purchased for under £24 and the return train fare an excellently priced £11.65. Afterwards, I worked out I probably only needed the single part but it was still a great value fare. From the game last night I got the last train back to Liège, pretty much having the whole train to myself. I was back in the room around 11, opting not to bother going in search of a bar for a nightcap. Instead, I just had a can of Strongbow whilst I watched YouTube and typed my blog. It had been a pretty sober day for me, the only other drink I had enjoyed was the small Kriek beer for my lunch. After the excess on Friday though, it was a good thing. I chatted to other hoppers online and pencilled in the Old Firm Women's derby for next Sunday after Dan got me a ticket online. I went to bed around 1 and had a decent night's sleep.
I awoke at my normal work time on a Sunday, albeit an hour ahead. I had a shower and got dressed before heading out to the shop. Some bread, a cake, crisps, grapes and water were purchased before I went back to my room. I had some of it for breakfast before going back out at 10. The train was the standard, basic, graffiti-strewn train that I'd become accustomed to in Belgium. It was surprisingly empty, given that the away side today were Standard Liège. The Sweeper podcast provided decent entertainment on the journey. I then listened to some old Timmy Mallet radio shoes which he'd uploaded, a real time capsule. A brief stop at Hasselt allowed me time to go for a stroll. I spotted some people in strange clothes, obviously having fun.
We were in Genk just before 12 and I popped to the shop to get a couple of cans of Kriek beer. This turned out to be a bit of an error as the transport connections to the ground were terrible. An hourly bus dropped you off nearby but for me, it was the 27 to a random street around half an hour walk away. We were in Dutch as opposed to French-speaking Belgium now, a different type of Careffour that was not as good as the one in Liège. I should have really made my way straight to the ground as there was plenty there in the fan park. I picked up a nice pennant for 10 euros and went in. The stewards were friendly but spotted my Tynecastle bag and thought I was Scottish. It was too close to kickoff to correct them. It was a great atmosphere in the stadium and it seemed like a really nice club.
Genk were 7th, whilst Standard Liege were 10th. Form was mixed for both teams with Genk losing their last game against Club Brugge but winning the two games before that. Standard Liege had beaten Gent 4-2 in their last outing but had lost the previous two. It was Genk who did all the pressing in the first half hour, coming close on several occasions. In fact, they dominated the first half, bar a couple of corners for Standard Liège at the end where they came close. On 50 minutes, the home side finally did take the lead, Anouar Eit El Hadj following up after a shot was blocked. That was how it stayed, with Genk looking the more likely to score.
THE GROUND
THE CEGEKA ARENA is a mixed bag. It's a great stadium with a really good club shop and friendly people. There is also a great-looking fan park which I believe forces you to use a ridiculous proprietary payment system which is definitely the case inside. The public transport links are also woeful. If you come prepared though, you should have a great time but you shouldn't have to jump through hoops to pay for stuff and get to the stadium.
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