Anderlecht became the first Belgian team to lift the Premier League Christmas Truce Tournament trophy on home soil when they won the Under-12 competition in Ypres this month.
They completed an unbeaten campaign by coming from behind to win 2-1 against Manchester City in the final.
The nature of the weekend, which involved the academy players learning about the First World War and swapping gifts and stories with each other, meant that for Anderlecht the joy of victory was tinged with sadness.
"It's a pity we beat Man City because they have become our friends," said Anderlecht coach Christian Agneessens. "All of our team got a Manchester City T-shirt at the gift exchange and they know each other's first name, it's very special.
"To participate is very important because it is a very high level and for the development of the footballers it's important that we can play at this level with us also being friends."
It was City's first defeat of the weekend, after two wins and a draw from their group matches before beating Blackburn Rovers on penalties in the semi-final.
"The tournament has been a success for the club and we played some really good football," said Man City U12 assistant coach James Brackenridge.
See: Premier League Christmas Truce photo gallery
"Playing teams from the Continent is a great experience for the players as these competitions offer us the chance to face different types of challenges.
"This experience will stay in the memory for a long time. I know our players came to this competition two years ago and they have enjoyed participating in it as much as any other tournament we’ve competed in."
Coupled with the action on the pitch, the Truce tournament is a memorable educational and cultural experience which features teams from England, France, Germany and Belgium.
"Outside the pitch is maybe even more important that on the pitch," Agneessens said. "If you don't have the good mindset, you can't be a good player on the field."
Participating teams
Under-12 Crystal Palace, Anderlecht, Schalke 04, Manchester City; Blackburn Rovers, Brugge, Paris Saint-Germain, West Ham United
Christmas Truce Roll of Honour
2011 Manchester United
2012 Borussia Monchengladbach
2013 Borussia Monchengladbach
2014 Chelsea
2016 Anderlecht (U13: West Bromwich Albion)
