Belgium Teams Vote In Favour Of Merger With Eredivisie
Published
| Last updated
Professional clubs in Belgium have voted in favour of merging with the Dutch Eredivisie, in a move that could happen in 2025.
Loading…
25 Belgian clubs have taken the remarkable step of 'establishing Beneliga,' which would see clubs in Belgium and Netherlands merge in one football pyramid.
The idea has been floated in the past but previously there has not been unanimous support from the Belgian Pro League as there is now.
Television deals in the two countries run until 2025 which would be the opportunity for a league restructure from both parties and allow the possibility.
Big moment in Belgian football, as 25 professional clubs vote in favour of establishing Beneliga = a merger with Dutch Eredivisie. @ProLeagueBE to play 'active role' in the project. Domestic TV deals end in 2025 in both :flag_be: and :flag_nl:
- Jon Rest (@jonrest) March 16, 2021
this has been talked about for years but seems first time there's been unanimous support for it. Comes in first year of Eleven Sports' five-year rights deal worth €103m per season. Fox 12-year deal with Eredivisie worth average €80m per year.
- Jon Rest (@jonrest) March 16, 2021
Now this is interesting, and perhaps a precedent for what may follow in Ireland - Belgian clubs vote in favour of further exploring a merger with the Dutch Eredivisie https://t.co/cpLpLxOOM4
- Gavin Cooney (@gcooney93) March 16, 2021
The move would obviously make both country's 'league' more competitive, with the likes of Anderlecht, Club Brugge and Genk challenging for the title with Ajax, Feyenoord and PSV.
Standard Liege were the last team outside the big three to win the Belgian league, winning in 2007/08 and 2008/09, and before that it was Lierse SK in 1996/97.
AZ and FC Twente won Eredivisie in 2008/09 and 2009/10 respectively and before that the last side outside the big three to win the league title was AZ in 1980/81, though they were level on points with Ajax when the season ended prematurely last season.
Football fans in England and Scotland will be all too aware of the constant conversations about how Rangers and Celtic would do well if they played in the Premier League.
Former Spurs midfielder Jamie O'Hara recently claimed the two Glasgow clubs would struggle to stay up initially, until they got any investment.
O'Hara also said that Fulham would win the Scottish Premiership if they went north of the border!
One Football Manager fan tried to find out what would actually happen if they two teams were added to the Premier League, with some interesting results.
Topics: PSV, Football, Club Brugge, Eredivisie, Anderlecht, Feyenoord
