Belgian Pro League

Belgian Pro League

Founded	1895; 129 years ago (1895)
Country	UEFA Conference League
Current champions	Antwerp (5th title) (2022–23)
Most championships	Anderlecht (34 titles)
Most appearances	Jan Ceulemans (517)
Top goalscorer	Albert De Cleyn (377)
TV partners	List of broadcasters
Website	www.proleague.be (in Dutch)
Current: 2023–24 Belgian Pro League

The Belgian Pro League,^[1] officially the Jupiler Pro League^[a], due to sponsorship reasons with Jupiler, is the top league competition for association football clubs in Belgium. Contested by 16 clubs from the 2023–24 season onwards, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Challenger Pro League.

Seasons run from early August to late March, with teams playing 30 matches each in the regular season, and then entering Play-offs I (also known as the Championship Playoff, title playoffs or Champions' play-offs^[2]) or Play-offs II (also known as the Europa League playoff or Europe play-offs^[2]) according to their position in the regular season. Play-offs I are contested by the top-six clubs in the regular season, with each club playing each other twice. The teams finishing in 15th and 16th place are relegated directly, however, the 14th place team plays a promotion-relegation play-off against the 3rd place team of the Challenger Pro League.

The competition was created in 1895 by the Royal Belgian Football Association and was first won by FC Liégeois. Of the 74 clubs to have competed in the first division since its creation, 16 have been crowned champions of Belgium. Anderlecht is the most successful league club with 34 titles, followed by Club Brugge (18), Union Saint-Gilloise (11) and Standard Liège (10). It is currently ranked 8th in the UEFA rankings of leagues based on performances in European competitions over the last five-years.^[3] The competition was ranked 3rd when the UEFA first published their ranking in 1979 and also the next year in 1980, which is the best ranking the Belgian First Division has ever achieved.

History

Origins (1895–1914)

The first league in Belgian football was held in

]

In

After World War I (1919–1945)

During World War I, the football championship was suspended. It resumed in

]

On 10 May 1940 German troops invaded Belgium and the seasons 1939–40 and 1940–41 were suspended. The competition resumed in September 1941 and Liersche SK won their second title. At the end of the season, no club was relegated and the number of clubs was increased from 14 to 16. The

After World War II (1945–1980)

The league resumed play in

]

In the late 1950s Standard lifted the trophy for the first time in

]

Recent years (1980–present)

In the 1980s, the European successes continued for Belgian clubs with Standard reaching the

]

In the 1990s, Belgium's teams performances were diminished in European competitions, with only RSC Anderlecht and Royal Antwerp FC reaching the

Competition format and naming

Starting with the 2009–10 season, the format of the Pro League has been drastically changed. Playoffs were introduced after the regular season, the number of teams was decreased from 18 to 16 and the calendar has also been modified, with matches being played during the

Belgian Pro League 2009-10

, which was their 30th Belgian championship.

Matches are usually played on Saturdays at 20.00; however, some matchdays are played on Wednesdays. Furthermore, in recent years, some games are played on Fridays or during the weekend at different times (e.g., Saturday at 18.00 or Sunday at 13.00 or 20.00), as decided by the owner of television rights. Each team playing the Pro League must have been granted the Belgian professional football license guaranteeing the club has no excessive debts, has a secure stadium, etc. This was introduced in the 2001–02 season to decrease the number of teams in the division and ensure a higher level of professionalism in the clubs playing in the top flight of Belgian football. Originally, clubs that could not get the license were supposed not to be replaced (and sent to the

RWD Molenbeek

(10th) were refused their license.

Following the 2015–16 season, the number of professional teams in Belgium was brought down to 24, which mostly affected the teams playing at the second level of the Belgian football pyramid as the

Belgian First Division B

and the number of teams dropped to eight.

Regular season

Each of the 16 competitors in the Pro League plays every other team twice in the regular season, for a total of 30 matches between August and April. A win earns three points and a draw earns one point. Teams are ranked by total points, then by total wins and finally by goal difference, number of scored goals, number of away goals, and number of away wins. If teams are still level, a test-match is played in two legs to determine the final order in the standings. A playoff phase is then played from May.

Championship Play-off

The point system in the championship playoff is the same as during the regular season, except that each team starts with half of the points they won in the regular season, rounded up to the nearest integer. The points gained by rounding are deducted in the case of a tie.

The top six teams from the regular season enter the championship playoff, with the first-placed team winning the championship of Belgium. Each team plays their opponents twice and the teams are ranked by points, points from rounding, wins, etc. as in the regular season.

All time ranking in the Championship Play-off

Since the introduction of the playoff system in 2009

Last updated following the

2022–23 season

Rank	Club	Seasons	Played	Won	Drew	Lost	Points	Avg. Points per Match	GF	GA	GD	Titles	Last participation
1	Club Brugge	13	118	56	25	37	193	1.64	197	147	+50	4	2022–23
2	Anderlecht	12	112	50	27	35	177	1.58	171	137	+34	5	2021–22
3	Genk	9	82	39	17	26	134	1.63	133	112	+21	2	2022–23
4	Standard Liège	7	70	33	15	22	114	1.63	115	92	+23		2018–19
5	Gent	8	80	28	20	23	104	1.3	107	111	-4	1	2018–19
6	Zulte Waregem	5	50	12	11	27	47	0.94	66	102	−36		2016–17
7	Antwerp	4	28	9	7	12	34	1.21	31	45	−14	1	2022–23
8	Charleroi	3	30	7	8	15	29	0.97	32	50	−18		2017–18
9	Kortrijk	3	30	8	5	17	29	0.97	36	55	−19		2014–15
10	Oostende	2	20	6	5	9	23	1.15	28	36	−8		2016–17
11	Lokeren	3	30	4	7	19	19	0.63	38	66	−28		2013–14
12	Union SG	2	12	4	3	5	15	1.25	13	13	0		2022–23
13	Sint-Truiden	1	10	3	4	3	13	1.3	9	10	−1		2009–10

Comprehensive team results by season

Legend

• 1st — Champions
• 2nd — Runners-up
• 3rd — Third place
•  •  — Did not qualify
•  NH  — Not held due to COVID-19
•  ×  — Playing in a lower division
•  D  — Defunct

Team	2009–10	2010–11	2011–12	2012–13	2013–14	2014–15	2015–16	2016–17	2017–18	2018–19	2019–20	2020–21	2021–22	2022–23	2023–24	2024–25
Anderlecht	1st	3rd	1st	1st	1st	3rd	2nd	1st	3rd	6th	NH	4th	3rd	•	q
Antwerp	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	•	4th		3rd	4th	1st	q
Cercle Brugge	•	•	•	•	•	•	×	×	×	•		•	•	•	q
Charleroi	•	•	×	•	•	5th	•	5th	6th	•		•	•	•	•
Club Brugge	3rd	4th	2nd	3rd	3rd	2nd	1st	2nd	1st	2nd		1st	1st	4th	q
Genk	•	1st	3rd	5th	6th	•	4th	•	5th	1st		2nd	•	2nd	q
Gent	2nd	5th	4th	•	•	1st	3rd	3rd	4th	5th		•	•	•	•
Kortrijk	5th	•	6th	•	•	6th	•	•	•	•		•	•	•	•
Lokeren	•	6th	•	6th	5th	•	•	•	•	•	×	D	D	D	D	D
Oostende	×	×	×	×	•	•	5th	4th	•	•	NH	•	•	•	×	×
Sint-Truiden	4th	•	•	×	×	×	•	•	•	•		•	•	•	•
Standard Liège	•	2nd	5th	4th	2nd	4th	•	•	2nd	3rd		•	•	•	•
Union SG	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	2nd	3rd	q
Zulte Waregem	6th	•	•	2nd	4th	•	6th	6th	•	•	NH	•	•	•	×

Europa League Playoff

Until 2016, the teams ranked 7 to 14 after the regular season enter the playoffs 2, with teams ranked 7th, 9th, 12th, and 14th entering group A and teams ranked 8th, 10th, 11th, and 13th entering group B. In each group, each team plays each of its 3 opponents twice. The winner of each group played the final game in two legs to determine the winner of the playoffs 2. The winner of the playoffs 2 then plays a home and away game against either the fourth-place or fifth-place team from the playoffs 1 for the final Europa League ticket, with the opponent depending on whether the Belgian Cup winner ended in the top four of the playoff 1 or not.

From 2016, the system was changed as now the teams ranked 7 to 16 are joined by six teams from the

and divided into four groups of four teams. The winners of each groups now play a single match to determine the overall playoff winner, with the winner playing the fifth-placed team from playoff 1 in a single match for the final Europa League ticket.

Relegation playoff

Until 2015, a relegation playoff was played between the teams ranked 15th and 16th after the regular season. It consisted of five games between the two teams. The 15th-placed team started the playoffs with 3 points whereas the 16th-placed team started from zero. The loser of the relegation playoff was relegated to the second division. The winner of that playoff had to enter the

with 3 teams from the second division. The winner of this Final Round played in the First Division the season thereafter.

From 2015 to 2023, the relegation playoff ceased to exist, as now the 16th-place team relegates directly, whereas the 15th placed team takes part in the Europa League playoff. The 2015–16 Belgian Pro League was an exception as during that season the 15th placed team did not take part in any playoff, with the season for that team ending after the regular season.

From 2023 onwards, the relegation play-off was played between the teams ranked 13th and 16th after the regular season. After the relegation play-off battle, two teams are relegated directly to the Challenger Pro League and one team will play against 3rd place of Challenger Pro League due to avoid relegation.

Qualification for European competitions

For the 2010–11 season, the Belgian champion and the runner-up qualify for the 3rd UEFA Champions League qualifying round (of 4).^[7] The Belgian Cup winner (or the Cup finalist if the Cup winner finished first or second in the league) qualifies for the play-off of the UEFA Europa League. The third-placed team (or the fourth-placed team if the Cup winner finished third in the league) qualifies for the 3rd and last qualifying round and the winner of the game between the play-offs 2 winner and the fourth-placed team (or the fifth-placed team if the Cup winner finished fourth) qualifies for the 2nd qualifying round.^[8]

Naming

• 1895–1904: Championship Cup
• 1904–1926: First Division
• 1926–1952: Division of Honour
• 1952–2016: First Division
• 2016–2022: First Division A
• 2022–present: Belgian Pro League

Media coverage

The Belgian Football Association sells the television rights for the Belgian First Division every three years. In 2005, the newly created Belgian TV channel Proximus TV bought the TV rights for a record amount of €36 million per season until 2019–20.

In May 2008, the rights were again sold to Belgacom TV in association with both public broadcasters

RTBF and VRT thus received the rights to show summaries of first division games, as well as rights to a weekly magazine on the competition. Belgacom TV received the rights to show each game in the competition.

On 12 June 2020 Aser's Eleven Sports and the Pro League reached an agreement on the new domestic and international media contract for the coming five years. As exclusive global rights holder, Eleven Sports will air the rights of all Pro League competitions for the next five seasons from 2020–21 until 2024–25, with both public broadcasters VRT (Dutch) and RTBF (French) lands the rights for highlights again.^[10][11]

Clubs

Champions

Club	Winners	Runners-up	Winning Years
RSC Anderlecht	34	21	2009–10, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2016–17
Club Brugge KV	18	23	1919–20, 1972–73, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1977–78, 1979–80, 1987–88, 1989–90, 1991–92, 1995–96, 1997–98, 2002–03, 2004–05, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22
R Union Saint-Gilloise	11	9	1903–04, 1904–05, 1905–06, 1906–07, 1908–09, 1909–10, 1912–13, 1922–23, 1932–33, 1933–34, 1934–35
Standard Liège	10	13	1957–58, 1960–61, 1962–63, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1970–71, 1981–82, 1982–83, 2007–08, 2008–09
K Beerschot VAC	7	7	1921–22, 1923–24, 1924–25, 1925–26, 1927–28, 1937–38, 1938–39
Racing de Bruxelles	6	4	1896–97, 1899–1900, 1900–01, 1901–02, 1902–03, 1907–08
R Antwerp FC	5	11	1928–29, 1930–31, 1943–44, 1956–57, 2022–23
RFC Liège	5	3	1895–96, 1897–98, 1898–99, 1951–52, 1952–53
Daring de Bruxelles	5	4	1911–12, 1913–14, 1920–21, 1935–36, 1936–37
KV Mechelen	4	5	1942–43, 1945–46, 1947–48, 1988–89
KRC Genk	4	4	1998–99, 2001–02, 2010–11, 2018–19
K Lierse SK	4	2	1931–32, 1941–42, 1959–60, 1996–97
Cercle Brugge KSV	3	0	1910–11, 1926–27, 1929–30
KSK Beveren	2	0	1978–79, 1983–84
KAA Gent	1	3	2014–15
RWD Molenbeek	1	0	1974–75
K Berchem Sport	0	3
R Charleroi SC	0	1
KSC Lokeren	0	1
SV Zulte Waregem	0	1
K Sint-Truiden VV	0	1
R Léopold Club	0	1
ROC de Charleroi	0	1
KRC Mechelen	0	1
K Beringen FC	0	1

• bold clubs play in top flight
• italic clubs dissolved or merged

Most seasons in First Division A

Only clubs with more than 50 seasons in first division listed:

Matri­culate	Club	№ of seasons: (119 total)[12]	Period
16	Standard Liège	103	1909–1914, 1921–
1	Antwerp FC	101	1895–1900, 1901–1968, 1970–1998, 2000–2004, 2017–
3	Club Brugge KV	100	1895–1896, 1898–1928, 1929–1933, 1935–1939, 1946–1947, 1949–1951, 1959–
35	RSC Anderlecht	91	1921–1923, 1924–1926, 1927–1928, 1929–1931, 1935–
7	KAA Gent	83	1913–1929, 1936–1967, 1968–1971, 1980–1988, 1989–
12	Cercle Brugge	83	1899–1936, 1938–1946, 1961–1966, 1971–1978, 1979–1997, 2003–2015, 2018–
13	Beerschot VAC	81[13]	1900–1906, 1907–1981, 1982–1991
30	K Lierse SK	74	1927–1948, 1953–1986, 1988–2007, 2010–2015
25	KV Mechelen	71	1921–1922, 1924–1925, 1926–1927, 1928–1956, 1963–1964, 1965–1969, 1971–1977, 1981–1982, 1983–1997, 1999–2001, 2002–2003, 2007–2018, 2019–
4	RFC Liège	67	1895–1910, 1912–1913, 1923–1924, 1945–1995
10	Union SG	59	1901–1949, 1951–1963, 1964–1965, 1968–1973, 2021–
22	Charleroi SC	57	1947–1957, 1966–1971, 1974–1980, 1985–2011, 2012–

• bold clubs play in First Division
• italic clubs dissolved or merged

Clubs that played in First Division

A total of 75 clubs have played in the first division since its creation in 1895. Among those 75 clubs, 44 still exist and the 30 other clubs either went into liquidation or merged with another club.

Members for 2024–25

For the 2024–25 season 13 out of 16 clubs are already certain of taking part:

Locations of the 2024–25 Belgian Pro League teams