“The Union smiles when it is first, but also when it is second” Felice Mazzù was applauded for a long time this Monday evening in the wedding hall of the town hall of Saint-Gilles. And it was indeed a question of marriage in a sense.
The players, management, staff, but above all the club have become honorary citizens of Saint-Gilles at the hands of mayor Charles Picqué and Mariam El Hamidine, mayor of Forest. Not everyone was present for the ceremony. “Some have already gone on vacation”but defender Siebe Van der Heyden, who has been the link between the fans and the team during the season, might not miss it. “My girlfriend was like, ‘Do you realize?’ And I tell him: ‘No!’ Whether it’s here in Saint-Gilles or even further, everywhere in Belgium, it’s incredible all these people who are there for us. I’m going to need a few days to realize.”
Chairman Alex Muzio was there, as was Tony Bloom, the majority shareholder. “I would first like to congratulate everyone at the club, from the staff to the players, for the magnificent season achieved.“, launched the owner of the Brussels club and Brighton, in the Premier League. “In the middle of October, I was coming back from the Norwich – Brighton match when Union – Seraing was playing (Editor’s note: 4-2 victory following being down 0-2 at 10 once morest 11). That day, I understood that the team might do special things this season. When we decided to buy the club with Alex Muzio, we saw that they were a sleeping giant with fantastic fans and a great culture. It has been a difficult but fantastic journey. Even though the Union were not Belgian champions, the players will remain in people’s hearts in the future.”