Meet the two former Irish League players celebrating historic Belgian top-flight title success with Royale Union Saint-Gilloise
Two former Irish League players are celebrating after Royale Union Saint-Gilloise’s historic Pro League title triumph last weekend.
In what has been a year of ending droughts as the likes of Newcastle United, Crystal Palace, Tottenham Hotspur and, closer to home, Dungannon Swifts all picked up silverware, it was a similar story in Belgium’s top-flight as USG sealed their first league crown in 90 years.
Based in Brussels, Chris O’Loughlin, who previously spent time on the books of Cliftonville and Larne, serves as sporting director while former Glentoran youth coach Artur Kopyt is part of the first team backroom staff under ex-Belgian international Sébastien Pocognoli.
O’Loughlin’s career has taken him around the world, spending time in South Africa, Congo, England and Australia, where he worked alongside current Reds boss Jim Magilton at Melbourne Victory, before returning to Belgium in 2017.
The 46-year-old has been in his current position since 2019, guiding USG to the Pro League after winning the second-tier title and onto the European stage, reaching the Europa League quarter-finals in 2022/23 alongside dream clashes against the likes of Liverpool and Roma.
USG have now scaled yet another mountain by clinching the league crown after putting together a 10-game unbeaten run throughout the Championship Group, which means they’ll be taking part in the Champions League next term.
What makes USG’s success even more impressive is the fact they operate on a much smaller budget compared to some other powerhouses – their record transfer fee is reported to be somewhere around £5.4million, but their reputation for developing talent is mightily impressive.
The likes of Victor Boniface, who USG sold to Bayer Leverkusen for £20million in 2023, German international Deniz Undav and current Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma have all benefitted from spending time at the club.
Speaking to the News Letter in 2023, O’Loughlin explained: "Our idea was always to get into the First Division and be a competitive team challenging for European football and eventually get there. It has happened really quickly.
"We always believed in the process but qualifying, playing well in Europe and winning games while maintaining form in the league were untested waters for us. That was all new.
"We couldn't really say how we would manage it but we always believed.”
Kopyt has also had an interesting path to the top, spending 15 years in Belfast with his coaching career starting at Aquinas before spells at Glentoran, the Irish Football Association and futsal outfit Sparta Belfast.
He played in the Irish League for Donegal Celtic, Lisburn Distillery and Larne, and has now helped USG collect three major trophies alongside sitting on some of the most famous benches in Europe, including Anfield.
Kopyt and O’Loughlin both did their UEFA A Licence together in Belfast back in 2012 – chats over coffee about football with current Linfield assistant manager Ross Oliver and Geoff Wilson were just as crucial as the sessions – and when O’Loughlin needed a specialised coach to help USG transition into Belgium’s top-flight eight years later, he gave his old friend a call.
"I don't tend to do a lot of interviews or speak about it because I'm not this kind of guy - I prefer for the work to do the talking and people's opinions about me, but I’m proud,” Kopyt said in an interview with the News Letter last year. “I'll say it wasn't easy to get here.
"I didn't always believe I'd get to work at this level...I had a dream when I was coaching Glens U11s in the rain at Ormeau Park, but you never know how it will happen.
"If you look from the outside it's a top place to be. You can meet these people, coach against them - this is where everyone wants to be and I'm living my dream. I'm healthy, I'm doing the job I always wanted to do and it's great experience to be in those stadiums.
"To go from Ormeau Park six years ago to being on the bench at Anfield analysing Liverpool and trying to find their weaknesses, it's an amazing experience. I'm enjoying it and I'm excited for the journey.
"If you're doing the work and say are a grassroots coach in Belfast thinking it will never happen for you, just do the job the best you can and look for the best options. Go abroad and meet people because the world of football is big.
"I did it and I'm an example, but there are lots of examples. I know people who didn't have much of a playing career but are still doing great things. I'm not a special guy - it happened for me and can happen for anybody if you're disciplined, consistent and have a belief."