} In 1890, students from the Catholic school Broeders Xaverianen and the neutral school Koninklijk Atheneum joined together to form the Brugsche Football Club. The former students christened the club's founding by establishing the Latin motto '
mens sana in corpore sano' (a healthy mind in a healthy body). A year later on 13 November 1891, the club was re-created under Brugsche FC, and this is now seen as the official foundation of the current Club Brugge. In 1892, an official board was installed at the club to oversee all operations and team decisions. In 1895, the national athletics sports union was founded, predecessor of the later national football association, under the name UBSSA (Union Belge des Sociétés de Sports Athlétiques); Brugsche FC was a founding member of the UBSSSA and as such took part in the first league campaign organized in Belgian football during the
1895–96 season. Financial difficulties in the following year forced the club to leave the UBSSA, and soon after, Football Club Brugeois was formed by breakaway club members. The two sides were reunited in 1897 under the French name of Football Club Brugeois; they did not take on the Dutch title Club Brugge until 1972. They celebrated by changing their title to Royal FC Brugeois – with their regal status now reflected in their modern prefix KV, standing for Koninklijke Vereniging (royal club). Happel also guided Club Brugge to their first European final, reaching the
1976 UEFA Cup Final. Over the two-legged final against English giants
Liverpool, Club Brugge fell 3–4 on aggregate. Two years later, Brugge again met Liverpool in a European final, this time in the
1978 European Cup Final at
Wembley, becoming the first Belgian club to reach the final of the competition. Brugge fell to a lone second-half goal from
Kenny Dalglish as Liverpool won their second European Cup and third European trophy in succession. Following the cup final loss to Liverpool, Happel left Club Brugge and would lead
Netherlands later that summer to the final of the
1978 FIFA World Cup. On 25 November 1992, Brugge player
Daniel Amokachi became the first goal scorer in the
Champions League. He scored in a 1–0 win over
CSKA Moscow. On 20 May 2021, Brugge drew 3–3 with
rivals Anderlecht to win the
Belgian First Division A title for the fourth time in six years and 17th time overall. It was the first time since 1973 that Club Brugge had been crowned champions at Anderlecht's ground and the first time since 1976–77 and 1977–78 that Brugge had won back-to-back league titles. A year later, they would become champions for a third time in a row at Antwerp's ground, the first time since 1977–79. They would go on and qualify for the
2022–23 UEFA Champions League knockout for the first time in the modern history, after losing only once and keeping 5
clean sheets in the group stage. == Crest and colours ==