Belgian Pro League
Belgian football league.
The Belgian Pro League, officially known as the Jupiler Pro League for sponsorship reasons, is the top professional football league in Belgium and the highest level of the Belgian football league system. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Challenger Pro League. Seasons typically run from late July to early May, with each team playing 30 matches in the regular season: two against each other team, one home and one away.
The competition was founded in 1895 by the Royal Belgian Football Association and has undergone several format changes throughout its history. In 2016, it was rebranded as the Belgian First Division A. The league features a unique playoff system, where after the regular season, the top six teams enter Championship playoffs, playing an additional 10 matches to determine the league champion and European qualification spots.
The Belgian Pro League is managed by the Pro League, an organization representing the professional football clubs in Belgium. The league has secured significant television rights deals, with Eleven Sports Network holding the domestic broadcasting rights. While not as lucrative as some of Europe's top leagues, these deals provide substantial revenue for the clubs.
Despite its relatively small size, the Belgian Pro League has gained recognition for producing talented players who often move on to larger European leagues. The league is known for its strong youth development programs and has seen several of its clubs perform well in European competitions.
As of 2023, the Belgian Pro League is ranked 8th in the UEFA coefficient rankings, reflecting the performance of Belgian clubs in European competitions over the past five seasons. This ranking determines the number of places allocated to Belgian clubs in UEFA competitions.
RSC Anderlecht is the most successful club in the league's history, having won 34 titles, followed by Club Brugge KV with 18 titles. Other notable clubs include Standard Liège and Royal Antwerp FC. The league has seen a total of 74 clubs compete since its inception, with 16 different clubs having been crowned champions of Belgium.