Former Belgium international Toby Alderweireld sealed Royal Antwerp’s first Belgian league title since 1957 on a dramatic final day of the season with a superb strike deep in added time against title rival Genk.
Antwerp also won the Belgian Cup this season, making it the fifth club in the history of Belgian football to secure the double.
Alderweireld’s powerful shot from outside the box on Sunday secured a 2-2 draw, enough for Antwerp to be crowned champions for the fifth time ahead of Genk and Brussels’ club Union Saint-Gilloise.
With each team of that trio still having a shot at the title before kickoff, the final day of the playoffs was full of twists and turns until the very last minute.
Union, which led 1-0 against Club Brugge until the 89th minute, thought it would win the title only two years after its return to the first division but could not hold onto the result, conceding three very late goals in a 3-1 home defeat.
At Genk, the hosts dominated for long spells and built a 2-1 lead when Bryan Heynen found the net in the 75th. That result, combined with Union's defeat, would have given them the title, but Alderweireld thought otherwise when he silenced the fans with his stunning shot into the top corner.
The goal prompted wild scenes of celebrations as staff members and substitutes ran onto the field to celebrate with their teammates.
Antwerp did not earn a direct spot in the Champions League group stage and will play the final round of qualifying for the lucrative competition.
After spending a year in Qatar, Alderweireld returned to Europe this season to sign for his hometown club. The 34-year-old former Tottenham defender, who was part of Belgium’s so-called “Golden Generation” of players who finished third at the 2018 World Cup, quit international soccer earlier this year.
Alderweireld, who also played for Ajax and Atletico Madrid, was targeted by online hate messages including threats against his family following another playoff match against Genk last month. Alderweireld received the messages on social media after Antwerp rallied past Genk 2-1, with Alderweireld scoring Antwerp’s first goal as his team came from behind to win.
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