Eupen’s eight season spell in the Belgian Pro League almost at an end

Eupen’s defeat to Charleroi on Friday night has left their chances of survival hanging by a thread. Should RWDM avoid defeat against Kortrijk on Sunday afternoon, Eupen will be all but relegated. This will end a run of eight straight seasons in the Belgian top flight for the side from east Belgium. They would need RWDM to lose their next game against Charleroi, while Eupen would then have to beat both Kortrijk and RWDM.

Eupen are the only club in the top flight from the small German speaking region of Belgium. Thanks to investment from Qatar and the Aspire group, they have been able to experience top flight football over the past few seasons. This year, however, the ownership barely invested in the squad and it has shown. They brought in Florian Kohfeldt to try and get the most out of a small squad, but unfortunately that was not possible and the former Werder Bremen head coach decided to leave rather than fight the relegation play-offs.

Goals in the first half from Antoine Bernier and Oday Dabbagh on Friday in Eupen were enough to give the Zebras all three points. Eupen did pull one back late on, but they remain five points behind RWDM with two games to go. Eupen have only picked up one point during the play-offs, losing the other three games.

There will be concerns around the club about what relegation will mean in terms of investment from the owners. If they were not willing to back the team in the top flight, will they be willing to invest at all in the second tier?