View source for K.R.C. Mechelen

{{Short description|Belgian football club}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox football club
| clubname    = Racing Mechelen
| image       = Logo of KRC Mechelen.gif
| fullname    = Koninklijke Racing Club Mechelen
| nickname    = Den Racing, De Racingers
| founded     = {{start date and age|1904}} (creation)
| ground      = [[Oscar Vankesbeeckstadion]], <br>[[Mechelen]]
| capacity    = 6,123<ref>[http://www.racingmechelen.be/club/stadion/ stadion], racingmechelen.be (last check 30 March 2018)</ref>
| chairman    = [[Koen Van Exem]]
| manager     = [[Lucien Suykens]]
| coach       = [[James Van Vaerenbergh]]
| league      = [[Belgian Division 2]]
| season      = [[2024–25 Belgian Division 2|2024–25]]
| position    = Belgian Division 2 VV B, 6th of 16
| pattern_la1 = _whiteshoulders|pattern_b1=_whitestripes|pattern_ra1=_whiteshoulders
| leftarm1    = 005a29|body1=005a29|rightarm1=005a29|shorts1=ffffff|socks1=005a29
| pattern_la2 = |pattern_b2=|pattern_ra2=
| leftarm2    = ffffff|body2=cc0000|rightarm2=ffffff|shorts2=cc0000|socks2=cc0000
}}
'''Koninklijke Racing Club Mechelen''', simply known as '''Racing Mechelen''' or '''KRC Mechelen''', is a [[football in Belgium|Belgian association football]] club from [[Mechelen]] in the [[Antwerp (province)|Antwerp]] province. It is a long-time rival of [[KV Mechelen]]. The club's best position ever is a second place in the [[Belgian First Division|first division]] 1951–52. KRC Mechelen also reached the final of the [[Belgian Cup]] in 1954. However, the team has been falling through the [[Belgian football league system]] since 2015 and in the 2017–18 season it will be playing in the [[Belgian Provincial Leagues]] for the first time since 1906.

==History==
Founded in July 1904 as Racing Club de Malines, the club registered with the federation two years later on 22 June 1906 and received the [[Football in Belgium#Matricule numbers|matricule]] n°24. The name of the club changed three times: first the suffix Société Royale was added (1929), then the name was translated into [[Dutch language|Dutch]] becoming [[Koninklijk]]e Racing Club Mechelen (1937).

Racing Mechelen played its first season in the [[Belgian Pro League|first division]] in 1910–11 and finished 8th of 12 teams. By this time, rival FC Malines, later called [[KV Mechelen]], was playing in [[Belgian Second Division|second division]]. The following season, Racing ended 11th just one point away from [[K. Beerschot V.A.C.|Beerschot]] and was relegated. Just before World War I, Racing finished second in their division while FC Malines was third (8 points away). Thus RC Malines were promoted, playing the following season in the first division, which was played in 1919–20. They ended in 6th place. Two years after that FC Malines was playing in the first division too. In 1929 and 1930 after having spent one year in the second division (1924), the club grabbed third place in the first division. A record it would beat in 1952 with a second place after a new sequence of two third places (1950 and 1951). In 1954 it qualified for the final game of the [[Belgian Cup]]. Afterwards, the club fell to the second division and has rarely played at a higher level in recent decades.

==Stadium==
[[File:Rcmwiki.jpg|400px|thumb|3 April 2004: North stand]]
The Oscar Vankesbeeckstadion is a football stadium in the [[Belgium|Belgian]] city of [[Mechelen]]. The stadium is located just to the north of the centre of town over the [[River Dijle]]. It was built in 1923 and is named after the former president of the club: Oscar Van Kesbeeck (1886–1943) who was a [[Flanders|Flemish]] Liberal Politician. The current capacity of the stadium is 6,123.<ref>[http://www.racingmechelen.be/club/stadion/ stadion] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180330212706/http://www.racingmechelen.be/club/stadion/ |date=30 March 2018 }}, racingmechelen.be (last check 30 March 2018)</ref> The Oscar Vankesbeeckstadion is located just under a mile away from [[Argosstadion Achter de Kazerne]], which is home to rivals [[KV Mechelen]].

==Honours==
*'''[[Belgian First Division]]:'''
**Runners-up (1): [[1951–52 Belgian First Division|1951–52]]
**Third place (4): [[1928–29 Belgian First Division|1928–29]], [[1929–30 Belgian First Division|1929–30]], [[1949–50 Belgian First Division|1949–50]], [[1950–51 Belgian First Division|1950–51]]
*'''[[Belgian Second Division]]:'''
**'''Winners (4):''' 1909–10, 1947–1948, 1974–1975, 1987–1988
**Runners-up (5): 1913–1914, 1924–1925, 1938–1939, 1945–1946, 1984–1985
*'''[[Belgian Third Division]]:'''
**'''Winners (4):''' 1961–1962, 1965–1966, 1968–1969, 2013–2014
*'''[[Belgian Cup]]:'''
**Runners-up (1): 1953–1954

==Current squad==
{{Fs start}}
{{Fs player|no=1|nat=BEL|pos=GK|name=Gianni De Ruysscher}}
{{Fs player|no=2|nat=BEL|pos=DF|name=Thibault Borrens}}
{{Fs player|no=3|nat=BEL|pos=DF|name=Stein Stuyck}}
{{Fs player|no=4|nat=BEL|pos=MF|name=Niels Mariën}}
{{Fs player|no=5|nat=BEL|pos=MF|name=Nils Van Delm}}
{{Fs player|no=6|nat=BEL|pos=FW|name=Dani Martinez Correas}}
{{Fs player|no=7|nat=BEL|pos=FW|name=Dean Maleszewski}}
{{Fs player|no=8|nat=BEL|pos=MF|name=Andreas Luckermans}}
{{Fs player|no=9|nat=BEL|pos=FW|name=Wannes Janssens}}
{{Fs player|no=10|nat=BEL|pos=MF|name=Lothar Hens}}
{{Fs player|no=11|nat=BEL|pos=DF|name=Yannick Dierickx}}
{{Fs player|no=12|nat=BEL|pos=MF|name=Savio Stoffels}}
{{Fs player|no=13|nat=BEL|pos=FW|name=Sacha Fontaine}}
{{Fs mid}}
{{Fs player|no=14|nat=BEL|pos=FW|name=Kevin Huysmans}}
{{Fs player|no=17|nat=BEL|pos=FW|name=Kevin Yagan}}
{{Fs player|no=18|nat=BEL|pos=MF|name=Augustin Dondo}}
{{Fs player|no=19|nat=BEL|pos=DF|name=Wout Kerckhofs}}
{{Fs player|no=20|nat=BEL|pos=DF|name=Bram Kerckhofs}}
{{Fs player|no=21|nat=BEL|pos=DF|name=Christophe Van Dorst}}
{{Fs player|no=22|nat=BEL|pos=GK|name=Indy Van Bulck}}
{{Fs player|no=23|nat=BEL|pos=GK|name=Frederic Ledent}}
{{Fs player|no=26|nat=BEL|pos=MF|name=Sabri Hmouda}}
{{Fs player|no=|nat=BEL|pos=FW|name=Dean Doncos}}
{{Fs player|no=|nat=BEL|pos=FW|name=Alessandro Pignoloni}}
{{Fs player|no=|nat=BEL|pos=FW|name=Alec Mertens}}
{{Fs end}}

==On loan==
{{Fs start}}
{{Fs end}}

==Managers==
{|
|valign="top"|
* 1919–56: {{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Jan Dogaer]]
* 1956–57:  {{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Richard Gedopt]]
* 1957–58:  {{flagicon|HUN}} [[Janos Pintye]]
* 1958–58: {{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Guillaume Placklé]]
* 1958–61: {{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Marcel Bruyninckx]]
* 1961–62:  {{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Albert Herremans]]
* 1962–63:  {{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Marius Mondele]]
* 1963–64:  {{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Gérard Engelen]]
* 1964–65:  {{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Jean Hamers]]
* 1965–68:  {{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Rik Van Herp]]
* 1968–68:  {{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Jos De Winne]]
* 1968–68:  {{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Emile Deghislage]]
* 1968–72:  {{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Rik Matthys]]
* 1972–72:  {{flagicon|ROM}} [[Oliver Gaspar (football manager)|Oliver Gaspar]]
* 1972–76:  {{flagicon|FRG}} [[Ernst Künnecke]]
* 1976–77:  {{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Bob Maertens]]
* 1977–81:  {{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Raoul Peeters]]
* 1981–83:  {{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Jean-Pierre Borremans]]
* 1983–85:  {{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Albert Bers]]
* 1985–86:  {{flagicon|POL}} [[Włodzimierz Lubański]]
* 1986–89:  {{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Rik Pauwels]]
|valign="top"|
* 1989–90:  {{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Raoul Peeters]]
* 1990–91:  {{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Guy Mangelschots]]
* 1991–92:  {{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Albert Van Marcke]]
* 1992–93: {{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Jan Ceuleers]]/{{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Piet Demol]]
* 1992–93:  {{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Piet Demol]]
* 1993–94:  {{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Piet Demol]]/ {{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Rik Pauwels]]
* 1994–97:  {{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Albert Van Marcke]]
* 1998–98:  {{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Marc Huysmans]]
* 1998–98:  {{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Albert Van Marcke]]
* 1998–98:  {{flagicon|Georgia}} [[David Kipiani]]/ {{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Albert Van Marcke]]
* 1999–01:  {{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Patrick Hantson]]
* 2001–03:  {{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Marc Ghys]]
* 2003–04:  {{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Marc Ghys]]/{ {{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Joël Crahay]]
* 2004–05:  {{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Joël Crahay]]/ {{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Patrick Asselman]]
* 2005–06:  {{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Patrick Asselman]]/{{flagicon|ENG}} [[Colin Andrews]]
* 2006–07:  {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Colin Andrews]]
* 2007–09:  {{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Regi Van Acker]]
* 2009–10:  {{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Regi Van Acker]]/ {{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Luc Leys]]/ {{flagicon|NED}} [[Danny Hoekman]]/ {{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Marc Ghys]]
* 2010–11:  {{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Raoul Peeters]]
* 2011–12:  {{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Marc Ghys]]/ {{flagicon|Senegal}} [[Sadio Ba]]
* 2012–:  {{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Thierry Pister]]
|}

==References==
<references />

==External links==
* {{official website|http://www.racingmechelen.be}} {{in lang|nl}}

{{coord missing|Belgium}}

{{Belgian Pro League}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mechelen}}
[[Category:K.R.C. Mechelen| ]]
[[Category:Football clubs in Belgium]]
[[Category:Association football clubs established in 1904]]
[[Category:1904 establishments in Belgium]]
[[Category:Football clubs in Mechelen|K.R.C. Mechelen]]
[[Category:Organisations based in Belgium with royal patronage]]
[[Category:Belgian Pro League clubs]]