March 2 – The Belgian second division will expand to 12 teams with the introduction of both four U-23 teams and a playoff system from next season, the Pro League has confirmed.
Earlier this year the league decided to change the competition format fundamentally, but the official confirmation only followed on Tuesday.
The double home-and-away format will be scrapped and replaced with 22 match days, with the top six playing for promotion and the bottom six engaged in a relegation playoff after the regular season.
The four U-23 teams will be selected based on the final ranking of the current U-23 season, but those teams won’t be allowed to gain promotion to the top flight if they do participate in the top-six playoff, whereas they can face relegation in the bottom-six playoff if they finish last.
“We urgently need to work towards a model that can last for five years,” said Lierse CEO Yorik Torreele.
Last season, Club Brugge Nxt was the first U-23 team to feature in the second division but they finished bottom of the table. The introduction of the four youth teams might also lend the league a more Belgian character with seven out of the eight competing clubs at present owned by foreign investors, with John Textor acquiring RWD Molenebeek and Singapore-based ACA Football Partners taking control of KMSK Deinze earlier this year.
The new format will also see just one club promoted to the top flight. “Not a good thing,” said Torreele. “In a normal league, there should be at least two opportunities to go up or down. You need movement between the first and second divisions. That way, relegated clubs are not doomed and you prevent some clubs from staying in 1A for too long.”
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