Belgium League Fixtures 2019-20 Announced
Planning a football trip to Belgium next season? Fixtures for the 19-20 Season have now been released.
The Belgian First Division A is the top league competition for association football clubs in Belgium. Following the 2015–16 season it was renamed from the Belgian Pro League (officially known as Jupiler Pro League (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈʒypilɛr ˈproː ˈlik]). Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Belgian First Division B. Seasons run from late July to early May, with teams playing 30 matches each in the regular season, and then entering play-offs 1 or play-offs 2 according to their position in the regular season. Play-offs 1 (also known as the title playoffs) are contested by the top 6 clubs in the regular season, with each club playing each other twice. Play-offs 2 (also known as the Europa League playoff) are contested by teams ranked 7 to 15 in the regular season, divided in two groups of 6 teams playing each other twice (three teams from the Belgian First Division B also take part in playoff 2). The team finishing in 16th place is relegated. As of 2014 the league was sponsored by AB InBev, brewers of Jupiler beer, and officially known as Jupiler Pro League.
The season starts on the weekend of the 26th to 28th July and runs for 30 weeks finishing mid May. There will be a winter break with the last fixtures of the first half of the season taking place after the Christmas fixtures on the 26th and 27nd December and the season starting again three weeks later on the weekend of the 16th January
Team changes
2018–19 Belgian First Division B champions Mechelen will replace relegated Lokeren in this season of Belgium’s top division. As part of the 2017–18 Belgian football fraud investigation, Mechelen were at first not allowed to take part in the First Division A, but execution of that penalty has been suspended until the Belgian Court of Arbitration for Sports either reverses or confirms that decision on 25 June. In case of confirmation of the verdict, runners up Beerschot, will take the extra place in the First Division A.
Stadiums and locations
| Matricule | Club | Location | Venue | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Antwerp | Antwerp | Bosuilstadion | 12,975 |
| 3 | Club Brugge | Bruges | Jan Breydel Stadium | 29,042 |
| 7 | Gent | Ghent | Ghelamco Arena | 20,000 |
| 12 | Cercle Brugge | Bruges | Jan Breydel Stadium | 29,042 |
| 16 | Standard Liège | Liège | Stade Maurice Dufrasne | 30,023 |
| 19 | Kortrijk | Kortrijk | Guldensporen Stadion | 9,399 |
| 22 | Charleroi | Charleroi | Stade du Pays de Charleroi | 14,000 |
| 25 | Mechelen | Mechelen | AFAS-stadion Achter de Kazerne | 16,700 |
| 31 | Oostende | Ostend | Versluys Arena | 8,432 |
| 35 | Anderlecht | Anderlecht | Constant Vanden Stock Stadium | 21,500 |
| 216 | Mouscron | Mouscron | Stade Le Canonnier | 10,571 |
| 322 | Genk | Genk | Luminus Arena | 24,956 |
| 373 | Sint-Truiden | Sint-Truiden | Stayen | 14,600 |
| 4068 | Waasland-Beveren | Beveren | Freethiel Stadion | 8,190 |
| 4276 | Eupen | Eupen | Kehrweg Stadion | 8,363 |
| 5381 | Zulte Waregem | Waregem | Regenboogstadion | 12,500 |
Top Games
-
National derbies
- Derby of Belgium:
- Anderlecht vs. Standard Liège – 1/9/19
- Standard Liège vs. Anderlecht – 12/12/19
- Flemish derby:
- Club Brugge vs. Anderlecht – 19/9/19
- Anderlecht vs. Club Brugge – 16/1/20
- Wallonian derby:
- Standard Liège vs. Royal Charleroi – 26/9/19
- Royal Charleroi vs. Standard Liège – 27/2/20
City derbies
- Bruges derby:
- Cercle Brugge vs. Club Brugge – 14/9/19
- Club Brugge vs. Cercle Brugge – 5/3/20
Provincial derbies
- Limburg Derby:
- Sint-Truiden vs. KRC Genk – 26/9/19
- KRC Genk vs. Sint-Truiden – 28/11/19
- West Flanders Derby:
- KV Kortrijk vs. SV Zulte-Waregem – 17/10/19
- SV Zulte-Waregem vs. KV Kortrijk – 27/2/20
- Battle of Flanders:
- Club Brugge vs. KAA Gent – 3/10/19
- KAA Gent vs. Club Brugge – 19/12/19
- Derby of Belgium: