The seventh edition of our KDB Cup is getting closer and closer. Drongen will once again become a Valhalla for two days of pure and high-quality youth football.
Will FC Barcelona win our Cup for the third time in a row, the fourth time in total? It just might. Or not, because once again a lot of top teams are competing. Four Belgian clubs: KAA Gent, Club Brugge, KRC Genk and RSC Anderlecht. They did well in the past editions. Anderlecht, for example, played the final in 2017 and in 2018, which it also won. KRC Genk made it to the final in 2019. Then Chelsea FC won, competing for the fifth time. For the first time, Manchester City will be joined by city rival Manchester United at Campus Keiskant. If they meet, we will get a replay of the English Cup Final, which takes place on 25 May. For Manchester United, it will be their first participation.
Furthermore, there is also a Dutch (PSV Eindhoven), a Scottish (Rangers FC) and a German (RB Leipzig) contender. SE Palmeiras in turn provides an intercontinental touch. The Brazilians made their debut last year and are only too happy to return. The ex-club of Rivaldo and Roberto Carlos, among others, provided a lot of spectacle and took third place with very attractive football.
Some posters to look forward to in the group stage on Saturday are; Manchester City - RSC Anderlecht in Group A, Manchester United - Club Brugge in Group B and FC Barcelona - KAA Gent in Group C. On Saturday afternoon, there is the replay of the 2019 final, between Chelsea FC and KRC Genk. These are just a few examples, as all the duels promise to be very exciting.
Is Kevin De Bruyne present?
A question that has been recurring among a lot of fans for several weeks now is whether Kevin De Bruyne will be present. "Of the past six editions, he was there four times," tournament director Carl De Clercq told PlaySports live in the TV studio on Sunday 19 May. "He was only absent due to his own wedding party (2017) and when he played the Champions League final (2023)."
Still a bit of a coffee-guessing, then. Paul Naudts, initiator and long-time our tournament chairman, added in Het Nieuwsblad on 22 May: "We hope to have certainty by the end of this week."
Appointment on Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 June. Don't have tickets yet?
Hurry to Here. The playing schedule is Here available.
