K.R.C. Genk Tryouts & Club Guide: History, Stadium, Players, and More!

Koninklijk Racing Club Genk, commonly known as KRC Genk, Racing Genk or simply Genk, is a Belgian professional football club based in the city of Genk in Belgian Limburg. The club competes in the Belgian Pro League, the top flight of Belgian football.

K.R.C. Genk Youth Development System

Genk is well known for its outstanding youth academy. In 2003 they built their youth center next to their stadium and set up a youth program with Ronny Vangeneugden. There are further plans to build a boarding school and some synthetic pitches. In the past and now, many young players have found their way through the youth system. Some examples are Yannick Carrasco, Jelle Vossen, Dennis Praet, Steven Defour, Christian Benteke, Thibaut Courtois, Divock Origi, Timothy Castagne, Leandro Trossard and Kevin De Bruyne.

Their scouting is also highly regarded. Players such as Kalidou Koulibaly, Wilfred Ndidi, Leon Bailey, Sergej Milinković-Savić and Sander Berge all played for Genk.

Jos Vaessen Talent Academy Info

KRC Genk Youth
Stadionplein 7
3600 Genk

Number of grass pitches: 5
Number of artificial pitches: 2
Covered hall with artificial pitch: 1

K.R.C. Genk Academy Scouting

Scouting is the basis of our youth academy. A good quality intake is very important. The goal is to identify and select all young talents in time. This not only looks at the talent, but also at the motivation, drive and mental resilience of the player.

Head of youth scouting:  Janssen Jochen Substructure: Frederix Johan

K.R.C. Genk Academy Teams

There are various youth academy teams at KRC Genk, which include: Promises, U18, U16, U15, U14, U13, U12, U11, U10, U9, U8, and U7. To see the latest squads, please click here.

UEFA Youth League

An amazing experience. We are convinced that this would be the answer if we asked every player in our U19 what they thought of the Uefa Youth League. A first participation and that was immediately crowned with a handsome third place in a group with strong opponents from Liverpool, Salzburg and Naples.

The year 2019 will go down in history as historical. With the U15, U16, U18, U21 and the first team, no fewer than five teams of KRC Genk became champions of Belgium. An unprecedented achievement in the history of Belgian football. An achievement that will be talked about with a great feeling in many years.

Because of this achievement KRC Genk was assured of participation in the Youth League. There were two possibilities to end up in this European top competition. Play champion in the league at the U18, or count on the national title of our first team. The goal of the entire group of players was clear: to secure the qualification themselves by becoming champion of Belgium. The boys of coach Hans Somers and Alfonso Merola became number one in Belgium on May 4 by beating STVV in-house. KRC dominated almost the entire competition. A more than justified champion.

The joy was great when big names such as Liverpool, Napoli and Salzburg came out of the cups during the draw in Monaco in August. Trainer Kevin Van Dessel was delighted after the draw. “These are three opponents, each with their own way of playing football. It will be a new experience for our players to play against these kinds of teams. ” Liverpool and Salzburg were already known in advance that they bring physical football with a lot of pressure on the ball. “That’s right. In their attacking compartment they have some players who can make a difference. We have heard from Napoli that they play more from the defensive organization. In any case, it will be a new step in the boys’ development. We are curious and will do our very best to make it to the next round. ”

The first test for our young guard soon followed. On September 17, the Genk delegation went to Salzburg for the first ever game of KRC Genk in the Uefa Youth League. “We are really not going to make a family trip,” said midfielder Elias Sierra. KRC nevertheless faced a 1-0 deficit for a long time against the Austrians. Blauwwit went in search of the deserved equalizer. In the final minutes of the match, midfielder Matisse Didden was foul-blocked in the sixteen-meter area. Defender Siebe Vandermeulen did not miss this unique opportunity and kicked the equalizer against the net. “A mixed feeling,” said the defender. “I had the feeling that we could end this race as the winner. We also got some good opportunities. On the other hand, we should not be dissatisfied. We played a strong game against a tough opponent. This should give us confidence for the next matches. ” Trainer Kevin Van Dessel was also a satisfied man afterwards. “I can only be proud of our boys. There were opportunities to win, but in the final minute goalkeeper Tobe Leysen kept his nets clean on an Austrian attempt. This is a great result against a strong opponent. We are already looking forward to our home game against the Italian Napoli. ” This is a great result against a strong opponent. We are already looking forward to our home game against the Italian Napoli. ” This is a great result against a strong opponent. We are already looking forward to our home game against the Italian Napoli. ”

That home game against Napoli, our first ever in-house, can best be described as memorable. No less than 1800 spectators sat in the stands for this match. It clearly gave our boys a boost because from minute 1 KRC Genk took control of the game. Yet our boys only managed to take the lead after the break. Siebe Vandermeulen kicked his second penalty kick in goal in as many matches. When Arne Cuypers cleverly fired the 2-0 against the nets a little later, Genk thought the game was over. Nothing could be further from the truth, as it was 2-1 back after an Italian counter. KRC did not seem interested and went in search of a third goal. It also came when Andras Nemeth was able to decide the game definitively just before the end: 3-1 home win!

“This is fantastic,” said goalscorer Arne Cuypers. “I think this victory is more than justified. We have shown to Europe that we can really ‘ball’ in Genk. We can do a golden thing in our next home game if we can get a good result against Liverpool. Hopefully in a full house. That would be great. ” Trainer Kevin Van Dessel also praised his team. “I think this was propaganda for Genk youth football. We try to show our vision always and everywhere. KRC Genk wants to bring offensive football to the mat and today we were rewarded for that. This was an excellent performance for our team. ”

With a handsome 4 out of 6 in their pocket, KRC Genk hosted the great Liverpool on 23 October. In a sold-out B-stadium, the spectators saw an adult match from Liverpool. With Harvey Elliott, a very great English talent, in the base. The ‘Reds’ showcased their class from a good organization and their high-quality attacking line. That ultimately resulted in a fairly logical 0-2 defeat. “This is a painful defeat. We had hoped for a point today, but it should not be ”, said the tall Genk midfielder Matisse Didden. “Nevertheless, we are definitely not going to lower our heads. We are only halfway through this pool. The next game is an away game against Liverpool and we will give everything there. I don’t lose hope. ”

The Youth League was therefore halfway to our promises. With 1 win, 1 draw and 1 defeat, the balance was neatly balanced. The feeling that dominated the group was that a place in the next should be possible. It would be a unique achievement, but the road was still long. Starting with an away game against Liverpool.

Originally this match was planned on the field of a local club, but due to the intense rainfall, this match took place at the ‘Liverpool Academy’. Circumstances against you. The game seemed to be heading 0-0 for a long time. Until the very last seconds of the game. The substitute Pierre Dwomoh was able to reach Luca Oyen in the sixteen. His shot was still blocked but substitute Sam Krawczyk was well followed: 0-1 and an absolute ecstasy on and off the field at every Genkie. “This is really unbelievable,” said the overly happy Dutchman after the match. “Let’s be honest: this is a deserved victory. We had a difficult time for a while but we held up well in the difficult moments. But we also got excellent opportunities and actually had the better of the game. What a feeling this is.

The stunt win in Liverpool created a positive vibe in the players group. With a win at home against Salzburg on match day 5, the qualification for the next phase would be a fact. The players group and technical staff were convinced of the possibilities. “We have to put the icing on the cake and get that qualification,” said trainer Kevin Van Dessel before the start. Andras Nemeth also agreed with these words. “All the praise we get is nice, but we have to make sure that we close the game with a positive result. That should really be possible with this group, but Salzburg is a solid team and they also want to win and continue ”, said the Hungarian international.

Unfortunately, the match against Salzburg never became a match. The Austrians never let KRC come into the game with their high pressing and physical football. A logical 0-2 defeat eventually became the verdict for our boys. Due to the result in the match between Liverpool and Napoli, KRC Genk was also certain of the elimination. “This is a tough blow for us. Based on our first 4 games, I think we could have progressed to the next round but it shouldn’t be. Today Salzburg turned out to be a size too big ”, said midfielder Elias Sierra afterwards. Shawn Adewoye also reacted disappointed after the game. “Indeed. This is sour. But we still have to look back with a good feeling because our opponents were always strong teams. We didn’t just have to play soccer against Janneke and Mieke. This has been a good learning moment for us. We have benefited from this. ”

On the sixth and final match day, the Genk delegation went to Naples for the meeting with SSC Napoli. KRC won 3-1 in the first leg, but it was a difficult match in Naples. In the first half, our boys could not play football together on a very bad artificial turf pitch. After the break, Blauwwit got more grip on the game with a few big chances to follow. The home team did not do anything in return. Unfortunately, KRC did not score. It became 0-0 in Naples. “The Youth League is over. We had hoped to make it to the next round, but in hindsight we missed qualifying in the home games against Liverpool and Salzburg. In the away games we have always done well ”, said defender Xander Lambrix afterwards in Italy. “It was a unique experience to be able to play European football like the pros. This way you also play against teams with a different vision, with better referees, at other accommodations that you are used to in Belgium. This actually tastes like more! ”

Director of youth academy Roland Breugelmans was also a satisfied man after the match in Naples. “I am absolutely satisfied with what I have seen during these races. If you can play six matches in Europe against strong teams and end up losing only twice, you certainly have not done badly. We do not easily encounter this kind of competitions and framework in our own league. We are happy that we were able to experience this. This was a very educational learning process. ”

The director also took a closer look at the campaign. “After the away game in Liverpool, I thought we could make it to qualifying, but unfortunately we couldn’t. Apart from that, I think we can be happy and can say that this was instructive for the players of our U21 / U18 group. Our team was the youngest of the entire Youth League. As a club we have been able to determine where our players are at this level. ”

The European scene will change radically in the coming years, but there are still opportunities for reaching the Youth League. “Without focusing specifically on the result, achieving the title in the U18 competition must remain an absolute goal to be able to participate again in this competition. But of course the focus is still on training: our boys have to get better. We left nothing to chance during this campaign. The youth players were given the same framework and facilities as the first team. UEFA also complimented us on our accommodation and organization at the home games. It was interesting to see what the Liverpool and Salzburg academies looked like. When we shortly have two new synthetic turf pitches, our academy will be improved again.

How to Join the Academy at KRC Genk?

Joining the youth of KRC-Genk as a playing member

Regularly we get the question: “Can I join KRC on unilateral request?”
This means “as a youth player”. That is not possible.

KRC Genk is not a club of which every youth player can become and remain a member. A strict selection procedure precedes membership.

KRC Genk strives to train players for the first team and that is why it is assessed after each season whether a player continues to develop and therefore can continue to follow the training. 

They also know from the start that there is a twice-yearly evaluation and that it is always possible that they will have to leave the club after a few years.

This all does not look very nice, but it is the only possibility to find youth players with a potential added value for the A-team and to safeguard us from a youth operation with more than a thousand players.

Naturally, the trainers and the guidance of the youth academy try to bring all players to the highest level. Only a very small group can make the eventual switch to professional football. Yet a youth academy has never been in vain. You were given the opportunity to reach the highest possible level together with other players. The end station is somewhere else for everyone. A youth academy is always a good learning experience, and not just purely in the field of football. 

What do we recommend to people?

Join your son at your preferred local club. If he adds value there, he certainly stands out, also with our scouts. We have about twenty for the youth alone. If your son is singled out, KRC will contact you.

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K.R.C. Genk History

In 1988, the club was established as a result of the amalgamation of Waterschei Thor and KFC Winterslag; it thereafter assumed the matricule number of its predecessor. Since the late 1990s, it has consistently been one of the most successful clubs in Belgium, which enables them to qualify for European competitions on a regular basis. Since the 1996–1997 season, the club has been competing in the top level of competition known as the first division. They call the Luminus Arena, where they play their home games, “home.” The primary colors of their wardrobe are blue and white.

Stadium

In the Belgian city of Genk is located a multi-use stadium known as the Luminus Arena. The majority of its time is spent being used for football matches, and Racing Genk calls it their home field. The stadium was constructed in 1999 and has a total capacity of 23,718 spectators, of whom 4,200 are standing room only.

This was the only season that Heusden-Zolder competed at the highest level, and it took place at this stadium in 2003-04. The club was demoted, and as a result, it was forced to relocate to the Mijnstadion in Beringen. The home stadium sees anywhere from 20,000 to 22,000 fans on a weekly basis, making this number the typical range for the overall attendance.

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