The RBFA crisis cell contains representatives of the Pro League, Voetbal Vlaanderen and its Walloon counterpart. “The decision that was taken was quite unanimous”, says Marc Van Craen of Voetbal Vlaanderen. “There is a lot of support for it.”
Not only was a new start date agreed, but it was also decided to only complete the first round. “If we had stuck to a full competition, midweek matches would have had to be played and that is not feasible for amateurs.”
“The rules of risers and descenders still apply. Because the final rounds were canceled earlier, additional risers across the different heats are assigned. For example, if 5 risers from 2 heats are promoted, the first two of each series will pass and the number 3 with the most points. “
A complete cancellation of the competition was also on the table. “But then we would have stopped football until August or we would have had to look for alternative formats with friendly matches. At least now we offer our clubs still perspective.”
“It is also a feasible schedule, even if there were to be a 3rd wave. The competitions will end in early May, so we have a month of buffer to catch up with any extra canceled matches.”
“At the end of the season, for clubs from the 2nd and 3rd amateur, the control by the License Commission will also be removed once, in order to give the clubs more financial breathing space.”
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To give the clubs time to prepare properly, the new start date has been chosen in mid-February. “The youth competitions start a week earlier. As always, the clubs have to re-register after New Year. To limit the distances between the clubs, there will be strings with 6 instead of 8 clubs. There are also only 2 level codes instead of 5. . “
And what about the 9 amateur clubs that in principle have to play in the Belgian Cup on the weekend of 9 and 10 January? “Many clubs have informed me that this is not feasible for them, because the corona protocol sets the bar too high.”
“Tomorrow the 9 clubs will meet with representatives of the Pro League to find a solution. Most amateur clubs are still hoping for a postponement.”
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