Who are OH Leuven? Belgian history-makers and UWCL surprise packages | OneFootball

Belgian powerhouses Oud-Heverlee Leuven (OH Leuven) have emerged as the surprise package of this season’s UEFA Women’s Champions League.

The reigning Belgian Super League champions are currently fighting for a place in the UWCL knockouts, in their first-ever appearance, no less. Heading into their fifth clash of the tournament, OH Leuven sit in the play-off bracket. Should they qualify for the next round, it will mark an incredible maiden voyage in Europe’s top division.

But who are these impressive dark horses who have beaten FC Twente and held both Paris FC and Roma to draws?

Who are OH Leuven?

OH Leuven were founded on 1st January 2002, following a merger of three Leuven-based women’s clubs — Stade Leuven, Daring Club Leuven and Zwarte Duivels Oud-Heverlee. The club have since progressed through the Belgian leagues, earning promotion to the top division. Leuven is in the east of the country, near Brussels.

OH Leuven Women take to the field in the same style kit as the men’s team. A white shirt and shorts edged with a green collar and sleeve trim, three red shoulder stripes on the shirt, and three green stripes on the shorts.

OH Leuven league history

After starting in the third division in 2005/06, the team earned promotion to the second division by winning the promotion play-off. It was in the 2013/14 season that OH Leuven were promoted to the top tier of Belgian football — the BeNe League — a joint league for Belgium and the Netherlands.

The BeNe League folded after the 2014/15 season, and the Belgian Women’s Super League was born. In 2024, Leuven finished top but fell short in the title play-off. That’s when Anderlecht came from behind to take their seventh Belgium Super League crown.

OH Leuven went on to win the title during the 2024/25 season. They competed against well-known league rivals like Anderlecht and Club Brugge.

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Who is the OH Leuven manager?

Arno van den Abbeel became assistant coach at OH Leuven in 2020 and was promoted to head coach in 2024. He took on the challenge of managing a squad in the Champions League in his first year as a professional football manager.

Abbeel previously managed the Belgium U15s men’s team. He has been in and around a football coaching setup since 2010, learning the ropes in multiple roles before taking the main job at OH Leuven Women.

OH Leuven make Women’s Champions League history

Belgium boasts delicious chocolate, sweet and savory waffles, and locally brewed beer. Now, the country also features its first football team in the Women’s Champions League. OH Leuven qualified to represent Belgium for the first time this season.

The team achieved a historic run of results in 2025, after a 1-1 draw with Paris FC and then a 2-1 victory against Twente. This marked their first-ever group stage win.

Their home stadium, Gemeentelijk Sportstadion, welcomed superstar players including Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmati in their recent Champions League defeat to Barcelona. The result didn’t go the way of the home side. But more than 3,350 local fans attended, creating an amazing atmosphere.

Linde Veefkind of OH Leuven shakes hands with Kika Nazareth of FC Barcelona after the UEFA Women’s Champions League 2025/26 league phase match on November 12, 2025. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

The team’s star players have helped them challenge and sustain their rise. Sara Pusztai scored a historic and dramatic late winner in the recent match against Twente. The Hungarian international midfielder scored three goals last season as the reigning Belgian Women’s Super League champions celebrated success again.

Zenia Mertens is the engine within the team. The Belgian international has made the most appearances for the club and offers stability while pushing the team forward.

Fans could have been forgiven for thinking goals would be tricky to come by in losing striker Hannah Eurlings, who had scored 13 goals last season. However, 22-year-old forward Jada Conijnenberg is stepping right up and quickly becoming a fan favourite.

It was Conijnenberg who equalised for the Belgian side in their Champions League fixture against the legendary women’s team AS Roma. OH Leuven weathered multiple attacks, and the goalkeeper Lowiese Seynhaeve ran out as player of the match, making some world-class saves.

The team moves back to their league priorities with a blockbuster fixture against Anderlecht scheduled for 13th December.

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