The Belgian first division is still looking for the best formula. Genk president Peter Croonen calls for a new format.
A D1A with 16 or 18 clubs, Playoffs 1 with four or six, the reinstatement of Playdowns with four, and Playoffs 2 for all the teams classified between the two ‘extremes’: the D1A has experienced quite a few upheavals in recent times years. And it’s not over: our clubs are not very satisfied with the current situation.
In Het Laatste Nieuws, Genk president Peter Croonen explains that our football would be better off with fewer clubs in the first division: “We believe that a small country like Belgium would benefit the most from a 14-team format with a play-off 1 with six clubs”.
For and against
“The reason is very simple: the calendar is increasingly busy with international competitions, both at club and national level,” he continues.
The Playoffs were established with the idea of encouraging our clubs on the European scene, the new proposal goes in the same direction: “With our 40 days, our championship is extensive, and it is not always easy for the big players clubs to combine it with Europe. All the big Belgian clubs want fewer matches.
The formula is therefore on the table but it is still far from being adopted. The more modest clubs, the most likely to leave the D1A in the event of reform, risk not hearing it that way. Sometimes accused of protectionist, Belgian football has continued to provoke internal debates.
