Moments of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: Part 5: KV Mechelen 1987/88

Belgian football clubs have enjoyed memorable European nights with Anderlecht and Standard Liege leading the way for Belgium. Yet it was an unfancied club just 25km south of Antwerp that would upset the odds in Europe during Belgium’s first golden generation of the 1980s. 

Founded in 1904, KV Mechelen are one of Belgium’s oldest teams, first tasting success during the 1940s when they won the league in 1943, 1946 and 1948. But their rise could not be sustained and were relegated to the second tier in 1955.

The club would yo-yo from the top flight to the second tier of Belgian football throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Things looked the same when the 1980s arrived, with Mechelen relegated from the top flight by the end of the 1981-82 season. Little did the club know it would kickstart a comeback beyond their wildest dreams. 

Up stepped John Cordier, a highly successful businessman in IT, to become president of the club in 1982. Mechelen soon won back promotion to the top flight by the end of the 1982-83 season. Instead of continuing their yo-yo tendencies, Mechelen under manager Leo Canjels impressively finished the 1983-84 season in sixth.