Union Saint-Gilloise is preparing to host Real Sociedad at the DenDreef stadium in Leuven, as its own venue, the JosephMarien, does not meet UEFA requirements for Europa League matches. The decision to play in a dormitory city about 30km from Brussels is due to the lack of modern infrastructure, adequate lighting and recording systems required by European regulations. The club, managed by David Hubert, has had to adopt “nomadic” status over the last year, moving its international matches to four different stadiums, which has reinforced its reputation as a team that can impose itself regardless of the place of play.
The historic JosephMarien, with its romantic charm and its ability to host Belgian League matches, cannot meet UEFA standards. For this reason, the Union has signed an agreement to use DenDreef as its European “home”, although the road trip can take up to an hour due to Belgian traffic. Despite the distance, the club's fans are accustomed to these logistics and have shown that the location does not affect their performance in continental competitions.
In the current season, Union maintains a solid position in the domestic league, with two wins and two draws in the first four rounds. In the group stage of the Europa League, the team achieved a 3-3 draw against the Norwegian Bodo/Glimt at the Albertparkstadion in Ostend, marking their first participation in the competition in the last season. The match against Real Sociedad will be their first home game in the current edition of the Europa League, although they had already played at DenDreef in the 2022/2023 season.
Coach PellegrinoMatarazzo has emphasized that the club does not expect an advantage from the change of venue. Their pride lies in the ability to make any visitor feel uncomfortable, regardless of where the goals are located. The experience of playing in Leuven will test their unbeaten record at home, but Union have shown that location is no obstacle to their competitiveness on the European stage.