RAAL La Louvière
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Royal Association Athlétique Louviéroise La Louvière (known by its abbreviation RAAL La Louvière) is a Belgian professional football club based in
La Louvière La Louvière (; ) is a city and Municipalities of Belgium, municipality of Wallonia located in the Hainaut Province, province of Hainaut, Belgium. The municipality consists of the following districts: Boussoit, Haine-Saint-Paul, Haine-Saint-Pie ...
, in the province of Hainaut. The club founded in 2009 out of a merger, competes in
Belgian Pro League The Belgian Pro League (; ; ), officially the Jupiler Pro League () for sponsor Jupiler, is a professional association football league in Belgium and the highest level of the Belgian football league system. Contested by 16 clubs from the 2023 ...
as of 2025–26, the top tier of Belgian football after being promoted from the
Challenger Pro League The Challenger Pro League, previously known as 1B Pro League is the second-highest division in the Football in Belgium, Belgian football Belgian football league system, league system, one level below the Belgian Pro League. It was created by the ...
in 2024–25.


History


Early history

Cercle Sportif Couillet was founded in 1919 and joined the
Royal Belgian Football Association The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA; ; ; ) is the governing body of football in Belgium. It was a founding member of FIFA in 1904 and UEFA in 1954 and was based in Brussels, not far from the King Baudouin Stadium. Since October 2021, th ...
(KBVB) in 1920. In 1934 the club had risen to the national divisions for the first time. After that, the club spent the next decades in the lower-tier
Belgian Provincial Leagues The Belgian Provincial leagues are the lower leagues for Belgian football. Until 2016, these were at levels 5-8 in the Belgian football league system however as part of the reform an extra level was created causing the provincial leagues to drop ...
. In 1945 the club officially changed its name to Amicale Cercle Sportif Couillet. A few years later, in 1949, another club was founded in Couillet, Union Sportive Couillet d'Amérique. After a few years in a competing amateur association, they moved to the KBVB in 1952 as a debuting club, under matricule number 5580. In 1956, they effectively became member. In 1962, Amicale Cercle Sportif Couillet received the royal title and changed its name to Royale Amicale Cercle Sportif Couillet (RACS Couillet). In 1977, both clubs from Couillet eventually merged. The new club was named Royale Association Cercle Sportif Couillet (also abbreviated as RACS Couillet), and continued to play under matricule number 94 of Amicale Cercle Sportif. At the beginning of the 2000s, the club successfully worked its way up from the
Belgian Provincial Leagues The Belgian Provincial leagues are the lower leagues for Belgian football. Until 2016, these were at levels 5-8 in the Belgian football league system however as part of the reform an extra level was created causing the provincial leagues to drop ...
. After all, in 2000 RACS Couillet had climbed back up to the national
Belgian Fourth Division The Belgian Fourth Division was the lowest nationwide division in Belgian football. The division was split into four separate leagues, A, B, C and D. The team with the most points in the four leagues together was declared the overall winner ...
and in 2005 they even forced promotion to the
Belgian Third Division The Belgian Third Division (, ) was the third highest level in Football in Belgium, Belgian football. It had two leagues of 18 teams each (Belgian Third Division A, A and Belgian Third Division B, B) at the same level. This competition, originall ...
. However, in the 2007–08 season, the club finished last in the table and relegated back to the Fourth Division.


Football Couillet-La Louvière (2009–2011)

In 2009, it was decided to collaborate with third-division team RAA Louviéroise, a former top-tier team that was experiencing financial difficulties. It did not come to an official merger, but the name RAA Louviéroise was dropped and the club name of RACS Couillet was changed to Football Couillet-La Louvière, which continued to play in the Fourth Division with Couillet's ''
matricule Association football is the most popular sport in Belgium, which has been played since the end of the 19th century. The national association was founded in 1895 with the intention of bringing some order and organization to the sport. The fir ...
'' number 94, with the traditional matricle number of RAA Louviéroise, number 93, being lost. The first team played in the stadium of RAA Louviéroise, the Stade du Tivoli in
La Louvière La Louvière (; ) is a city and Municipalities of Belgium, municipality of Wallonia located in the Hainaut Province, province of Hainaut, Belgium. The municipality consists of the following districts: Boussoit, Haine-Saint-Paul, Haine-Saint-Pie ...
. Several youth teams continued to play in the Stade du Fiestaux and other areas in Couillet. In the club logo, the wolf was taken from the RAA Louviéroise logo, and the club's nickname became ''"Les Loups"'' ("the wolves"). The green and white club colors were retained.


FC Charleroi (2011–2014)

In the spring of 2011, the football landscape in
La Louvière La Louvière (; ) is a city and Municipalities of Belgium, municipality of Wallonia located in the Hainaut Province, province of Hainaut, Belgium. The municipality consists of the following districts: Boussoit, Haine-Saint-Paul, Haine-Saint-Pie ...
and
Charleroi Charleroi (, , ; ) is a city and a municipality of Wallonia, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. It is the largest city in both Hainaut and Wallonia. The city is situated in the valley of the Sambre, in the south-west of Belgium, not ...
changed again. Football club URS du Center, affiliated with the
Royal Belgian Football Association The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA; ; ; ) is the governing body of football in Belgium. It was a founding member of FIFA in 1904 and UEFA in 1954 and was based in Brussels, not far from the King Baudouin Stadium. Since October 2021, th ...
(KBVB) with matricle number 213, started playing in the Stade du Tivoli under the new name
UR La Louvière Centre Union Royale La Louvière Centre is a Belgian association football club based in La Louvière, in the province of Hainaut. Created in 1922 and the team set to play in Belgian Division 3 from 2025–26, the fifth tier of Belgian football after ...
. The recently relocated Football Couillet-La Louvière returned to Charleroi and the name became Football Club Charleroi (FC Charleroi). There was also cooperation with provincial club RFCS Marcinelle, affiliated with the KBVB with matricule number 301, although this did not immediately lead to a merger. In the course of the 2011–12 season, the club's identity was changed further. Blue and white colors were chosen and a logo with a lion was introduced. In 2013, the board took over football club RJS Heppignies-Lambusart-Fleurus, who were experiencing financial difficulties. This club was affiliated with the KBVB through matricule number 5192 and competed in the
Belgian Third Division The Belgian Third Division (, ) was the third highest level in Football in Belgium, Belgian football. It had two leagues of 18 teams each (Belgian Third Division A, A and Belgian Third Division B, B) at the same level. This competition, originall ...
. The first team of FC Charleroi was transferred to that club from next season, which was renamed Charleroi Fleurus. They started playing in the Third Division in Charleroi and the club colors and the logo of FC Charleroi were also adopted. Under the matricule number 94, an "empty" club would remain and the matricule number was "for sale". Because chairman Roberto Leone had not yet found a suitable investor, a team for the
Belgian Fourth Division The Belgian Fourth Division was the lowest nationwide division in Belgian football. The division was split into four separate leagues, A, B, C and D. The team with the most points in the four leagues together was declared the overall winner ...
and a youth team were registered for the 2013–14 season. On the second matchday, the club suffered a staggering 12–0 loss to
Sint-Eloois-Winkel Sport Sint-Eloois-Winkel Sport is a Belgian football club based in Sint-Eloois-Winkel, West Flanders. The club play their home games at Sportpark Terschueren. The club colours, reflected in their crest and kits, are red and black. Formed in 1940, the ...
. FC Charleroi ended the season in the
Belgian Fourth Division The Belgian Fourth Division was the lowest nationwide division in Belgian football. The division was split into four separate leagues, A, B, C and D. The team with the most points in the four leagues together was declared the overall winner ...
with a 16–0 loss against OMS Ingelmunster. They finished the season with only five points and conceded 144 goals. FC Charleroi thus relegated to the
Belgian Provincial Leagues The Belgian Provincial leagues are the lower leagues for Belgian football. Until 2016, these were at levels 5-8 in the Belgian football league system however as part of the reform an extra level was created causing the provincial leagues to drop ...
.


Racing Charleroi-Couillet-Fleurus (2014–2017)

After the season there was a major change of matricule numbers between a number of Walloon clubs. The Liège
Provincial League Provincial League (formerly known as Professional League) also known as Pro League was the old regional Football league in Thailand in 1999–2008. It was founded in 1999 under the name "Provincial League" organized by Sports Authority of Thailan ...
club RFC Sérésien (matricule number 23) was acquired by the French
Ligue 2 Ligue 2 (, League 2), also known as Ligue 2 BKT due to sponsorship reasons, is a French professional football league. The league serves as the second division of French football and is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Prof ...
club
FC Metz Football Club de Metz () is a Football in France, French association football club based in Metz, Lorraine. The club was formed in 1932 and plays in Ligue 1, the highest division in the French football league system, for the 2025–26 Ligue 1, ...
. They wanted to enter the Belgian Second Division as soon as possible, and because this would take at least three seasons via the sporting route, they were looking for a matricule number to take a shortcut to the higher divisions. They found this in
Hainaut Province Hainaut ( , also , ; ; ; ; ), historically also known as Heynault in English, is the westernmost province of Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium. To its south lies the French department of Nord, while within Belgium it borders ...
at Second Division club
Boussu Dour Borinage Royal Francs Borains is a football club based in Boussu, Hainaut Province, Belgium. It was founded in 1949 and its home ground is Stade Robert Urbain, which has a capacity of 6,000. The club is affiliated to the Royal Belgian Football Association ...
(matricule number 167), who were having financial difficulties. Boussu Dour wanted to leave their matricule number on the condition that they could take over another matricule number in the national series and keep their national youth license. Boussu Dour found an agreement with Roberto Leone, president of relegating fourth division FC Charleroi (matricule number 94) and relegating Third Division team Charleroi-Fleurus (matricule number 5192, and in possession of a national youth license). Boussu Dour would take over the matricule number 5192 and continue playing as
Francs Borains Royal Francs Borains is a football club based in Boussu, Hainaut Province, Belgium. It was founded in 1949 and its home ground is Stade Robert Urbain, which has a capacity of 6,000. The club is affiliated to the Royal Belgian Football Associati ...
in the Fourth Division. Matricule number 167 was taken over by
Seraing United RFC Seraing is a Belgian association football club based in Seraing in the province of Liège. They play their home games at the Stade du Pairay. The club currently compete in Challenger Pro League, the second tier of Belgian football. History ...
. Due to the departure of matricule number 5192, they fell back to the remaining matricule number 94 to develop a club in the region around Charleroi. Administratively, a merger was entered into with the redundant matricule number 23 of RFC Sérésien, which thus brought its national license for youth work into the merger. The fusion club was called RC Charleroi-Couillet-Fleurus (RCCF) and continued to play with matricule number 94. Due to the relegation of FC Charleroi, RCCF started in 2014–15 in the Provincial League of Hainaut. After one season, the club played in Belgian Fourth Division again and was able to force promotion to the Third Division via the final round, which then became
Belgian Second Amateur Division The Belgian Division 2, commonly referred to as simply Tweede Afdeling (in Dutch) or Division 2 (in French) is the fourth-highest division in the Belgian football league system, one level below the Belgian National Division 1. It was created by ...
for the 2016–17 season. The club, however, only outdid
UR Namur Union Namur, formerly known as Union Royale Namur, is a Belgian football club based in Namur, capital of Namur Province. The team currently play in the National Division 1, the third tier of Belgian football. They are often nicknamed ''Les Merl ...
in the league table, and relegated after one season.


RAAL La Louvière (2017–present)

Meanwhile, after the disintegration of the historic RAA La Louvière into lower-tier clubs in Charleroi, URS Center became
La Louvière La Louvière (; ) is a city and Municipalities of Belgium, municipality of Wallonia located in the Hainaut Province, province of Hainaut, Belgium. The municipality consists of the following districts: Boussoit, Haine-Saint-Paul, Haine-Saint-Pie ...
's primary club and took the name
UR La Louvière Centre Union Royale La Louvière Centre is a Belgian association football club based in La Louvière, in the province of Hainaut. Created in 1922 and the team set to play in Belgian Division 3 from 2025–26, the fifth tier of Belgian football after ...
. Yet, not everyone thought that this club was really the replacement for ''RAAL''. Under the initiative of former footballer
Salvatore Curaba Salvatore Curaba (born August 27, 1963, in La Louvière, Belgium) is an entrepreneur and former professional football player. Early life Salvatore Curaba's parents left Italy for Belgium in 1956. His father worked in the mines of Saint-Vaast, F ...
, the matricule number of Racing Charleroi Couillet Fleurus was taken over and the name was changed to RAAL La Louvière, with the club returning to the city of
La Louvière La Louvière (; ) is a city and Municipalities of Belgium, municipality of Wallonia located in the Hainaut Province, province of Hainaut, Belgium. The municipality consists of the following districts: Boussoit, Haine-Saint-Paul, Haine-Saint-Pie ...
. In the 2017–18 season, the club started competing in the fifth-tier
Belgian Third Amateur Division The Belgian Division 3, commonly referred to as simply Derde Afdeling (in Dutch) or Division 3 (in French) is the fifth-highest division in the Belgian football league system, one level below the Belgian Division 2. It was created by the Royal B ...
, where the club immediately won the title in its inaugural season. In the 2023–24 season, RAAL La Louvière secured promotion to the second-tier
Challenger Pro League The Challenger Pro League, previously known as 1B Pro League is the second-highest division in the Football in Belgium, Belgian football Belgian football league system, league system, one level below the Belgian Pro League. It was created by the ...
for the first time in history as champions of
Belgian National Division 1 The Belgian Division 1 is a semi-professional division and the third-highest division in the Football in Belgium, Belgian football Belgian football league system, league system, one level below the Challenger Pro League. It was created by the Ro ...
after obtaining a license from professional league. On 18 April 2025, RAAL La Louvière secured promotion to the top-tier
Belgian Pro League The Belgian Pro League (; ; ), officially the Jupiler Pro League () for sponsor Jupiler, is a professional association football league in Belgium and the highest level of the Belgian football league system. Contested by 16 clubs from the 2023 ...
for the first time in history from next season as runner-up of
Challenger Pro League The Challenger Pro League, previously known as 1B Pro League is the second-highest division in the Football in Belgium, Belgian football Belgian football league system, league system, one level below the Belgian Pro League. It was created by the ...
after defeat
Lommel Lommel () is a municipality and city in the Belgian province of Limburg. Lying in the Kempen, it has about 34,000 inhabitants and is part of the arrondissement of Maaseik. Besides the residential town, Lommel also has a number of nature reserv ...
1–2 with own goal Yeboah Amankwah in 79th minute and Mouhamed Belkheir in 92nd minute and ended one year stint in second tier.


Stadium

RAAL La Louvière move to new stadium from 2025–26, after play in Stade du Tivoli until 2025.


Current squad

''As of 12 February 2025.'' (''on loan from
Red Star A red star, five-pointed and filled, is a symbol that has often historically been associated with communist ideology, particularly in combination with the hammer and sickle, but is also used as a purely socialist symbol in the 21st century. ...
'')


Coaching staff


Honours

*
Belgian National Division 1 The Belgian Division 1 is a semi-professional division and the third-highest division in the Football in Belgium, Belgian football Belgian football league system, league system, one level below the Challenger Pro League. It was created by the Ro ...
**Winner (1): 2023–24 *
Challenger Pro League The Challenger Pro League, previously known as 1B Pro League is the second-highest division in the Football in Belgium, Belgian football Belgian football league system, league system, one level below the Belgian Pro League. It was created by the ...
**Runner-up (1): 2024–25


References


External links

* {{Belgian Pro League
RAAL La Louvière Royal Association Athlétique Louviéroise La Louvière (known by its abbreviation RAAL La Louvière) is a football in Belgium, Belgian professional football club based in La Louvière, in the province of Hainaut (province), Hainaut. The club f ...
Association football clubs established in 1919 1919 establishments in Belgium Association football clubs established in 2009 2009 establishments in Belgium Belgian Pro League clubs Sport in La Louvière Sport in Charleroi Sports team and club relocations