The top clubs have secretly put their heads together to discuss how to proceed with our football. A new competition format from 2025-2026 was also discussed.
After the meeting in Bever Castle – owned by Club Brugge chairman Bart Verhaeghe – those present were expressly reminded that the meeting should not be leaked. The fact that it did happen disappoints several club leaders: “This endangers serenity.”
It would not be surprising that football board members are not satisfied with the action of the top clubs: why are their voices not listened to in this exploratory phase? But last Friday only representatives of Union, Anderlecht, Club Brugge, AA Gent, Antwerp, RC Genk, Standard and Charleroi were welcome. Wouter Vandenhaute from Anderlecht and Sven Jaecques from Antwerp had taken the initiative for this secret date. That makes sense: both gentlemen sit on the board of directors of the Pro League and the Football Association – it is their job to know what is going on.
There are exciting months ahead for Belgian football. The TV contract expires after next season. In order to start these negotiations properly, it is crucial that the clubs find a compromise on the product they want to offer. In other words: which format will be played in from the 2025-2026 season? In an ideal world, this should be clear before the start of the coming season – so there is a rush.
Fewer matches
Inquiries show us that several top clubs mainly want fewer matches on the calendar. There is increasing belief that our Belgian clubs can play a significant role in the Europa or Conference League, but it is difficult to optimally combine these competitions with the Jupiler Pro League. That is why last week there were club leaders who thought out loud about a format with only fourteen first division teams. There are also those who opt for play-offs with four instead of six. Or are there still a need for play-offs, one person asked. You understand: people are not on the same page, but what is certain is that the current format – sixteen clubs with six teams in the Champions’ Play-offs and four teams in the playdowns – is being questioned out loud.
To effectively arrive at a new format, a two-thirds majority is required at the general meeting of the Pro League. Another AGM is planned for March, but it seems like a utopia at the moment to reach an agreement at that time.
What was also on the table in Bever Castle: aren’t there too many professional clubs in Belgium? The top clubs are considering making a more explicit distinction in terms of status between the first and second division. This would mean that there are less stringent requirements for the clubs in the Challenger Pro League, but that would also have consequences for, for example, voting rights within the Pro League. To be clear, these are all just ideas.
What is remarkable: Pro League CEO Lorin Parys was not there last week. Some see this as a form of distrust, but this is formally denied at our top clubs. They are already planning a second meeting in the coming weeks. The intention was to also keep it top secret.
