‘More than just a Gulaschsuppe’: why are the eastern cantons mourning Eupen’s decline?

What will they miss most? Christophe Ramjouy, of Belgian RundFunk, the public broadcaster for our German-speaking colleagues, doesn’t have to think about it for a moment.

“Gulachsube,” he laughs. To get a nice portion of soup, you had to go to Am Kehrweg. But also for a nice piece of cake, many of Sporza’s colleagues emphasize.

Shamakhat!

Not only journalists enjoyed Yubin’s visit. The trip to the eastern cantons was also a guarantee of fun for the visiting fans. The location close to the stadium was a plus for away fans.

With 10 of the 16 top-flight clubs hailing from Flanders, a team from Eupen represents a fresh change in offer. “It’s not the Flemish Championship, it’s the Belgian Championship,” Ramjoy says.

“That’s why we will miss Eupen. Former Club Brugge coach Michel Prudhomme described the match in Eupen as a European trip. But Eupen is not far away in a small country like Belgium.”

With the help of his Qatari owners, Eupen has occasionally managed to lure a former international star to the remote Belgian corner.

Think Luis Garcia (ex-Real), Jeffrin Suarez (ex-Barcelona), Claude Makelele (ex-Real), Adriano and Victor Vazquez (both ex-Barcelona).

“Maybe Neymar will come too,” Ramjoy laughed 4 years ago. At that time, Eupen was still dreaming of a place in the top eight, now he has to dream of a quick return to 1A.

“If it weren’t for the Gulaschsuppe, you would have to be in Eupen to enjoy the family atmosphere,” says Ramjoy. “Euben may not have been a crowd magnet, but there was a fun atmosphere and you could still see good football in those eight years.”

“It was certainly a showcase for the Eastern Cantons, but the team isn’t dead yet, is it? They want to return to 1A next year, even though that might require more money.”

To liven up the atmosphere, the fans created a new song for the club in 2019. Mike Theissen, Eupen’s captain, so to speak, sang the song to encourage the players in the relegation battle. With success, because Eubin was able to extend his stay in the first division.

Farewell to Eupen also means farewell to Eupi. The panda mascot will help keep everything from being too black and white in the Challenger League.

When the orange match ball was brought out again, it was often in Eupen (if the match wasn’t postponed, that is). Where can we still throw snowballs in winter?