Why did Royal Antwerp fans travel to Kortrijk in white doctor's coats for 'den Gino'?
A bloc of Royal Antwerp supporters made the trip to Kortrijk's Guldensporenstadion dressed in white doctor's coats — a costumed tribute to a man they call 'den Gino,' staged under the message 'we never forget legends.
In 30 seconds
- A section of Royal Antwerp supporters travelled to KV Kortrijk's Guldensporenstadion wearing white doctor's coats as a tribute, according to Het Nieuwsblad.
- The tribute honoured a figure the supporters call 'den Gino,' under the message that legends are never forgotten.
- Royal Antwerp FC holds matricule No. 1 as Belgium's oldest registered club, nicknamed 'The Great Old,' based at the Bosuil in Deurne.
- The gesture is an example of Belgian football's coded, group-focused supporter tribute culture rather than a literal or commercial display.
Royal Antwerp FC — matricule No. 1, the oldest registered Belgian football club, nicknamed 'The Great Old' and based at the Bosuil in Deurne — saw a section of its supporters travel to KV Kortrijk's Guldensporenstadion in West Flanders wearing white doctor's coats as a tribute to a figure they call 'den Gino.' The action, reported by regional daily Het Nieuwsblad, is an example of Belgian supporter tribute culture: coded, group-focused displays that honour a person meaningful to the fanbase.
Background
Belgian football has a long tradition of supporter-led tributes, part of a wider European ultras movement in which organised fan groups mark losses and honour individuals through choreographed displays, banners and coordinated coreo. In Flanders these gestures tend to prize meaning and in-group memory over pure spectacle, and clubs such as Royal Antwerp — with one of the country's most traditional fanbases — are among the most visible practitioners.
What to do
Newcomers wanting to experience this side of Belgian football should buy away tickets through the clubs' own official channels rather than resale, expect atmospheric standing sections that demand commitment, arrive early, and treat supporter tributes with respect even when the in-jokes are impossible to decode from the outside.
Impact
Regional — The action links Antwerp — specifically the Deurne district around the Bosuil — with Kortrijk in West Flanders, a reminder that Belgian club support routinely travels across Flanders and turns another town's stadium into a temporary stage for a visiting community's rituals.
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- 11 Aug 2026
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This story was assembled from verified evidence, with its sources and reasoning recorded as it was written.