Molenbeek up in arms over football club name change

Molenbeek is threatening to terminate its agreement with football club Daring Brussels, following US owner John Textor’s decision to wipe out the name Molenbeek from the club’s title Racing White Daring Molenbeek (RWDM).

The municipal council may even terminate the agreement with the club around the use of Edmond Machtens stadium.

“The council of Molenbeek-Saint-Jean has taken note with dismay and indignation of the intention of the RWDM directors to change the club’s name to ‘Daring Brussels’, under the pretext that the term ‘Molenbeek’ would damage the image of the club,” the municipality said.

The commune said that it can end the agreement to allow the club to play at the stadium without a notice period “in the event of an event or behaviour that damages the trust of the municipality in the residents or their administrators”.

First alderman Dirk De Block (PTB) had already indicated to Bruzz that the municipality “has awarded a stadium to RWDM for almost no money. The name change shows little respect towards supporters and the municipality.”

Textor’s argument that keeping Molenbeek in the title would be detrimental to the club’s reputation and success has not only offended the municipality, but also many of the fans, who almost unanimously criticised the move at a recent meeting.

Several supporters’ clubs have considered closing down and many fans indicated that they would not renew their season tickets if the name change remained. A protest march is planned this Sunday (15 June).

However, for the club, the name change seems to be a done deal. “Negotiations with the RBFA [the Royal Belgian Football Association, the official body that deals with all areas related to Belgian football] are almost completed and we are now waiting for the green light," spokesman Damien Bytebier said.

"That will certainly happen before the start of next season."

Meanwhile RWDM said that its rebrand, using one of its original names, Daring de Bruxelles, will symbolise the club’s ambition to be a modern club representing the European capital by 2025. The team is also Belgian champions Union Saint-Gilloise’s historic rivals.

Daring Club de Bruxelles, founded in 1895, won five Belgian championship titles (1912, 1914, 1921, 1936, 1937) and a Belgian Cup in 1935, but ceased operations in 1973. Royal Racing White then moved from Woluwe to Molenbeek, becoming Racing White Daring de Molenbeek, before declaring bankruptcy in 2003.

The current RWDM was established in 2015 and reached the Belgian Second Division, later known as Division 1B, in 2020.

After a brief stint in the top tier in 2023 under the American shareholder Textor, the club was relegated. This season saw them narrowly miss promotion to the Jupiler Pro League, finishing third in the Challenger Pro League and eliminated in the promotion playoffs.

Under its new name, the club said it was embracing its heritage as a Belgian football icon, and aimed to be an elite football club.

The team’s traditional red and black colours will be enhanced with gold motifs, a nod to its original emblem, featuring Brussels’ patron saint, Saint Michael, on the new logo.

Molenbeek’s girls football team however, the oldest club in Belgium, is keeping the original name and logo. “We are proud to be from Molenbeek,” said chairwoman Tania Dekens.

“We were founded in Molenbeek and are proud of it. I can’t say that’s always easy. When we go to play in Flemish Brabant, or outside, we sometimes get some racist treatment towards our girls - even the little ones,” she said.

But Dekens argues that this would not change, if the club is called ‘Molenbeek’ or not, noting: “Our girls are from more than 70 different origins. That diversity is not going to disappear.”