Dante Brogno: The Zebra that never changed its stripes

One club players a rarity in football these days. There have been many famous ones, but one that may be unknown to English audiences is Dante Brogno. Ask any Charleroi fan about Dante Brogno and they will certainly have plenty of stories to say. Between 1985 and 2001, the striker played an incredible 426 games for the Zebras, scoring 121 goals in the process. In the league alone he played over 300 games and scored 108 goals.

At the start of the 2022/2023 season, the Charleroi fans unveiled a special tifo for their favourite son.

Brogno was born in Charleroi and made his debut for the club at the age of 19 in the now defunct League Cup. He scored two goals in three appearances in the cup, making his full league debut in the following season. The 1992/93 season was Brogno’s best of his career to date, as the striker scored 15 goals in all competitions. In many ways, as he got older, his goal scoring record began to imrprove. His best season in terms of goals was the 1999/2000 campaign, where he scored a career high 14 league goals in 27 games. Even in his last season the forward grabbed 11 goals. When the strike rdecided to hang up his boots, the club decided to hang up the players number 11 shirt.

Since retiring, the former son of Charleroi has turned his had to management. During the 2002/2003 season he was given the head coach job with Charleroi, having originally joined Enzo Scifo’s staff as assistant manager. He was then given the main job when Scifo left. Brogno only spent a year in charge before returning to an assistant role and looking after the clubs youth sides.

He finally embarked on a proper managerial career of his own by joining the other Charleori side, Olympic Charleroi. After time spent with Union Saint Gilloise, AFC Tubize and UR La Louviere, he ended up at RFC Liege. He was able to return the once top division side to the third tier of Belgian football, before joining Francs Borains and doing the same.

Clearly, Brogno knows how to win promotion in the lower reaches of Belgian football. He is currently head coach at RAEC Mons in the third amateur division, the equivalent of the fifth tier of Belgian footballer. Mons, the rebirth of the former side known by the same name, won promotion to the second amateur division. Mons fans will certainly be hoping that Brogno can work the same magic he managed with RFC Liege and Francs Borains next season.

GBeNeFN | Ben Jackson

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