The promotion is a poetic conclusion to a historic year, as the club celebrated its 125th anniversary on March 16.
IN a season defined by grit, family values and a nearly impenetrable home fortress, KV Kortrijk has officially secured an immediate return to the Jupiler Pro League.
The “Kerels” completed their mission just one season after the heartbreak of relegation, becoming only the second club in the last 15 years of Belgian football, following KV Mechelen, to pull off a successful “bounce-back” promotion in a single attempt.
The promotion is a poetic conclusion to a historic year, as the club celebrated its 125th anniversary on March 16.
The foundation of Kortrijk’s success was built on home soil. The team turned the Guldensporenstadion into a “no-go zone” for visitors, amassing a staggering 43 points out of a possible 48.
Their dominance at home was unparalleled in the second tier, suffering only a single defeat at the hands of eventual champions SK Beveren.
The atmosphere in the stands matched the performance on the pitch. Boasting an average occupancy rate of 85%—a figure surpassed only by Belgian giants Club Brugge and RSC Anderlecht—Kortrijk recorded four sell-out matches, a feat almost unheard of in the Challenger Pro League.
The turnaround follows a significant summer overhaul led by owner Tan Sri Vincent Tan. The appointments of Nils Vanneste (Sporting Director) and Jelle Schelstraete (Operations Director Sports) alongside CEO Guillaume Nuytten and COO Jelle Brulez proved pivotal.
The mandate was clear: achieve rapid promotion while building a sustainable sporting structure for the future.
“I’m extremely proud of the team’s achievements, from the coaches and players to the fans.
“The team showed incredible resilience, bouncing back straight into the top flight. We hope to carry these values and work ethic into next season,” Vincent Tan said.
In a unique sporting twist, both clubs under Tan’s ownership (including Cardiff City) have celebrated promotions immediately following relegations this season, highlighting a successful year for his football portfolio.
While the first team flourished on the grass, the club’s commercial and social wings underwent a “reinvention.” KV Kortrijk now boasts the youngest fanbase in Belgian professional football, with an average age of just 36.
The club also confirmed that its state-of-the-art training complex is on track for completion by the end of the year, a move COO Jelle Brulez describes as a symbol of further professionalisation.
“This promotion is the result of hard work, belief and unconditional support.
“What has been accomplished today is more than just a sporting success. It reflects the values that have characterised our club for 125 years: family, resilience, and professionalism,” said Brulez.
Kortrijk’s return to the top flight is not viewed by the board as an endpoint, but as a “statement of intent.” With a youth academy that successfully integrated homegrown talent into the first team this season, the club aims to be a stable, long-term competitor among Belgium’s elite.
Details regarding the official promotion celebrations for the “red-and-white family” are expected to be released shortly.
For the fans in the Guldensporenstadion, the message is clear: KV Kortrijk is back where it belongs.
