After the group complaint of several clubs, including the Boraine Francs and the Union Saint-Gilloise, the Belgian competition authority issued a first opinion … and it is not positive.
It is a first small earthquake for the Pro League. Following the complaint of several clubs (the Francs Borains, Seraing and Lokeren initially, followed by the Union Saint-Gilloise), the Belgian competition authority (ABC) issued a first negative opinion concerning the format of the championship, which could call into question the start of the season.
On July 22, barely three days before the resumption, the ABC will decide definitively on the complaint of the cited clubs, which believe that the reform of the competition, approved in February by a majority of two thirds, constitutes a distortion of the competition.
The listener seems to be fully agree with the complainants. He thus claims that it is not justifiable that four of the sixteen clubs of D1B (the U23 teams) are virtually free from relegation. Depending on the preliminary opinion, this undermines the sporting value of the competition and could even compromise its commercial appeal.
If the Belgian competition authority confirms its negative opinion on July 22, the entire championship would be questioned. But the Pro League and the Belgian Union would already have alternatives in mind, even if Racing Genk had notably posed as a condition of support for the reform the fact that the U23 are assured of 4 places in Challenger Pro League.
An unfavorable decision would open Pandora’s box. Three days before the start of the new season, the whole format of the competition could be shaken, with major consequences for clubs, the calendar … and the credibility of Belgian football.
