Formation and early years (1911–1947) Olympic Club Caroloregian Lodelinsart was established on 20 September 1911 by 17-year-old Jules Ponsaert, and joined the Union Belge des Sociétés de Sports Athlétiques (Belgian Football Association; UBSSA) in 1912 and later registered with the
Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) in June 1913. In 1914, the club adopted the name
Olympic Club de Charleroi. The same year, the club celebrated its 25th anniversary and received royal patronage, becoming
Royal Olympic Club de Charleroi.
Fall from first division (1947–1981) From 1947 onward, Olympic faced local competition from
Sporting Charleroi in the first division. The club rebounded quickly, finishing second in the 1956 second division campaign and regaining its top-tier status. However, Olympic struggled to maintain consistency and was relegated again in 1963. Over the next two decades, the club became a second-division staple, with brief promotions in 1968 and 1975, each lasting only one season. The 2007–08 season began promisingly, but the club faltered and finished mid-table, narrowly avoiding relegation. Olympic secured its licence for the 2008–09 season but struggled again, ultimately finishing 15th. After losing in the relegation playoffs, the club returned to the third division.
Return to third division and decline (2009–2019) Olympic remained competitive in the third division, achieving a second-place finish in 2009. However, financial problems began to mount, with €200,000 in debt and unpaid wages reported by 2011. On 10 October 2011, the club was declared bankrupt, though its youth teams were permitted to complete their seasons. An investment group led by Adem Sahin revived Olympic in 2012. The club navigated the
Belgian Provincial Leagues, fluctuating between the fourth and first divisions in the provincial tiers, before returning to the third division in 2016. During this period, it restored its historical name,
Royal Olympic Club de Charleroi.
New merger and return to roots (2019–present) In 2019, Olympic merged with
Châtelet-Farciennes SC (
matricule 725) to form
R. Olympic Charleroi Châtelet Farciennes. The merged entity retained Olympic’s matricule and competed in the
Belgian Division 1, the highest level of the Belgian amateur league system. In 2020, the club reverted to its historic name,
Royal Olympic Club Charleroi. On 4 May 2025, Olympic Charleroi secured the ACFF championship title in the
2024–25 Belgian Division 1 following a 4–2 victory against
Royal Stockay. The result confirmed the club's promotion to the
Challenger Pro League for the following season, marking its return to the Belgian second tier after a 17-year absence. They were immediately relegated back to Division 1 in their first year back in the Pro League. ==Current squad==