IN BRUGES It’s perhaps more famous for the Colin Farrell movie … but picturesque city is becoming  dominant force in Belgian football thanks to Club Brugge and neighbours Cercle

The pecking order of Belgian football has long been established. With 34 league titles, Anderlecht stand head and shoulders above the rest as the country’s biggest and most successful club.

From their base on the outskirts of capital Brussels, they have often looked down on their rivals from a position of total supremacy.

And yet, over the past 10 years or so, new forces have emerged. In Bruges, the emergence of a genuine rival has grown stronger.

Despite a fairly modest population of around 120,000, Bruges has grown to essentially become the second city of Belgian football.

Key to that have been the exploits of Club Brugge, who have been the most dominant force in the land over the past decade.

Brugge have won the league six times in the past nine years and are the reigning champions.

John McGinn of Aston Villa tries to dispossess Vanaken during Champions League clash

Club Brugge made Champions League last 16 two seasons ago, beating Atletico on the way

All in all, they now have 19 titles, putting them comfortably out on their own as the country’s second most successful club behind Anderlecht.

One of the best-preserved medieval cities in Europe, Bruges is now very modern and forward-thinking in terms of its football.

Amid a backdrop of winding canals and cobbled streets, as featured on the big screen in Colin Farrell film In Bruges, the city has emerged as a new powerhouse in Belgian football.

It’s a two-club town, with Cercle Brugge being the less-celebrated cousins of their more illustrious rivals Club Brugge.

The wonderfully traditional and atmospheric Jan Breydel Stadion is the home of both clubs, with Cercle Brugge set to host Hearts on Thursday night in a Scottish-Belgian double-header this week.

The Tynecastle side will look to build on their positive start to the Europa Conference League, having won two of their first three matches.

In Glasgow, meanwhile, Celtic will host Club Brugge in the Champions League on Wednesday as Brendan Rodgers’ side look to build on victory over RB Leipzig in their last outing.

On the domestic front, Club Brugge are currently six points behind league leaders Gent, whilst Cercle are having a more disappointing season and sit third from bottom.

Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell in a scene from the film In Bruges

Scotland defender Jack Hendry and Philippe Clement during their spells at Club Brugge

Former Celtic manager Ronny Deila had a one-season stay in charge of Club Brugge

Cercle knocked Kilmarnock out of the Europa League qualifiers in the summer, with manager Miron Muslic having plenty to say about the state of the pitch at Rugby Park.

Yet, even though they are a club of more modest resources compared to their neighbours, Cercle Brugge are no less interesting.

Back in 2017, when the club were playing in the second tier, it was announced that French club Monaco were to become the new majority shareholders in the club.

Cercle were mired in financial trouble and, at that point, it was unclear what benefit was to be gained from the new link-up.

Their facilities were awful, with one report in Belgium claiming at the time that players didn’t even have basics such as a clean water supply at their training ground.

The partnership with Monaco would eventually start to pay dividends. Young players were loaned and developed. Results improved.

A certain Rabbi Matondo was key for Cercle Brugge, finishing as their top scorer as they secured a tenth-placed finish.

The foundations were laid and the club have continued to build under the guidance of Muslic, their 42-year-old Austrian head coach who is already attracting admirers from further afield.

Cercle Brugge knocked Kilmarnock out of the Europa League qualifiers in the summer

Killie boss Derek McInnes in the Jan Breydel Stadium which Club Brugge and Cercle share

The Cercle Brugge players celebrate their 2-1 aggregate victory over visitors Kilmarnock

Hearts fans will see a beautiful city when they visit Bruges this week

The appointment of this young manager, as well as the partnership with Monaco, shows a willingness at Cercle to think outside the box.

Across the city, Club Brugge also took a gamble two years ago when they appointed Englishman Scott Parker as their new boss.

That proved to be a disastrous move, with Parker sacked on the back of a Champions League thrashing against Benfica after less than three months in charge.

Another left-field move came when Brugge appointed Ronny Deila as Parker’s successor. However, the former Celtic boss was relieved of his duties shortly before the end of his one and only season in charge.

Nicky Hayen is now the man in charge, but results have been a bit patchy since the 44-year-old Belgian stepped up from the youth team and took the job in the summer.

After his team had blown a two-goal lead against bottom-of-the-table Beerschot earlier this month, Hayen gave his players both barrels.

‘We clearly have an attitude problem,’ he said. ‘We were two goals up and it seemed like it was too easy. We woke up again when they made it 2-2, but it was too late. We shot ourselves in the foot.

‘It’s not the first time this season we have taken our foot off the gas pedal. I made it very clear at the break not to take it easy, but that’s exactly what they did. There’s a problem with the players’ attitude.’

That setback aside, Club Brugge have been the dominant force domestically in Belgium over the past decade, and there are signs they are now beginning to find their feet in Europe as well.

They reached the last 16 of the Champions League two years ago and also reached the semi-finals of the Europa Conference League last season.

They are now the benchmark in Belgian football, winning two league titles under Philippe Clement a few years ago.

Cercle still have some way to go before they can begin to dream of winning league titles. In Bruges, they are still relative paupers compared to the aristocrats with whom they share their stadium.

For Celtic and Hearts, however, these next few days will see them pit their wits against two teams from a city which has emerged at the forefront of Belgian football.

Two tough tests. But ones which are by no means insurmountable. Beating the men from Bruges could hold the key to European progression.