Royal CharleroiThe stadium of RSC Charleroi, even though the club itself has never won a national title or cup, earned a place in European football history through one of the most talked-about matches of Euro 2000: it was at the Stade du Pays de Charleroi, on 17 June 2000, that England beat Germany 1–0 thanks to a goal from Alan Shearer, securing their first win over that rival at a major tournament since the 1966 World Cup final.
The club was founded on 1 January 1904 in Charleroi, in the Walloon province of Hainaut, and remains one of the most recognisable teams in Wallonia despite lacking major honours. It first reached the Belgian top flight in the 1947–48 season, and achieved its best-ever league finish in 1968–69, ending the season in second place — just three points behind champions Standard Liège — under coach Pol Anoul. That result earned the club its European debut, though the run in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup ended quickly with defeat to Rouen.
Charleroi has twice reached the Belgian Cup final, losing on both occasions: in 1977–78 to Beveren, and in 1992–93 to Standard Liège, then managed by Robert Waseige, later Belgium's national team coach. To this day, neither final has translated into the club's first major trophy.
Known as Les Zèbres (The Zebras) for their distinctive black-and-white colours, the team has played at the same ground near the former Mambourg coal mine since 1939, extensively rebuilt in the late 1990s specifically to host Euro 2000. Charleroi maintains a long-standing local rivalry with Olympic Charleroi, now playing in the lower divisions. After years spent in the shadow of Belgium's traditional giants, the club — led for over a decade by managing director Mehdi Bayat — has consolidated its place in the Pro League in the 21st century and returned to European competition, taking part in the UEFA Conference League.
