2016–17 Belgian First Division B

Belgian First Division B
Season 2016–17

The 2016–17 season of the Belgian First Division B began in August 2016 and will end in April 2017. It is the inaugural season of the First Division B following a change in league format from the old Belgian Second Division. The fixtures were announced on 23 June 2016.[1]

Structural changes

This season is the first under the name First Division B as a result of reforms in the Belgian football league system. The format of the league has been completely overhauled, with the season now consisting of two separate tournaments. The first tournament will be held from August to December, the second from January until April. The two tournament winners will play a two legged playoff to determine who is promoted to the 2017–18 Belgian First Division A. The top three teams in the aggregate table besides the promoted team will take part in the Europa League playoffs together with the teams in the 2016–17 Belgian First Division A finishing in positions 7 through 15. The remaining four teams will play a relegation playoff to determine the one team that will drop into the 2017–18 Belgian First Amateur Division.

Team changes

Due to the reformation, only 7 teams of the previous season remained in the league, with 1 other being replaced. As a result the league moved from 17 to 8 teams.

Out

In

Team information

Stadiums and locations

Locations of the 2016–17 Belgian First Division B teams
Club City First season of
current spell at
second level		 Coming from 2015-16 result Stadium Capacity
Royal Antwerp F.C. Antwerp 2004–05 Belgian Pro League 2033rd (D2) Bosuilstadion 16,649
Cercle Brugge K.S.V. Brugge 2015–16 Belgian Pro League 2055th (D2) Jan Breydel Stadium 29,945
Oud-Heverlee Leuven Leuven 2016–17 Belgian Pro League 11616th (D1) Den Dreef 10,000
Lierse S.K. Lier 2015–16 Belgian Pro League 2077th (D2) Herman Vanderpoortenstadion 14,538
Lommel United Lommel 2005–06 Belgian Third Division 2088th (D2) Soevereinstadion 12,500
K.S.V. Roeselare Roeselare 2010–11 Belgian Pro League 2099th (D2) Schiervelde Stadion 9,075
A.F.C. Tubize Tubize 2009–10 Belgian Pro League 2044th (D2) Stade Leburton 9,000
R. Union Saint-Gilloise Saint-Gilles, Brussels 2015–16 Belgian Third Division 2066th (D2) King Baudouin Stadium[nb 1] 50,122

Personnel and kits

Club Manager Captain Kit Manufacturer Sponsors
Antwerp Belgium Frederik Vanderbiest Kappa ONE Antwerp
Cercle Brugge Belgium Vincent Euvrard Masita ADMB
OH Leuven Belgium Emilio Ferrera Vermarc Just Eat
Lierse Belgium Eric Van Meir Jako Wadi Degla
Lommel United Belgium Karel Fraeye Legea Belien Auto
Derdaele+
Roeselare France Arnauld Mercier Joma Euro Shop
Tubize France Thierry Goudet Kappa No sponsor
Union SG Belgium Marc Grosjean Patrick Culture et Formation

Managerial changes

Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Date of vacancy Position Replaced by Date of appointment
Antwerp Belgium David Gevaert Sacked End of 2015–16 season[2] Pre-season Belgium Frederik Vanderbiest 19 May 2016[3]
Cercle Brugge Belgium Frederik Vanderbiest Mutual Consent 18 May 2016[4] Belgium Vincent Euvrard 25 May 2016[5]
Roeselare Belgium Franky Van der Elst Mutual Consent 18 May 2016[6] France Arnauld Mercier 25 May 2016[5]
Tubize France Colbert Marlot Mutual Consent 8 June 2016[7] France Thierry Goudet 8 June 2016
Tubize France Thierry Goudet Sacked 17 August 2016[8] 8th France Régis Brouard 28 August 2016[9]
Lommel United Belgium Karel Fraeye Sacked 8 October 2016[10] 8th Belgium Walter Meeuws 20 October 2016[11]
Antwerp Belgium Frederik Vanderbiest Sacked 11 October 2016[12] 4th Belgium David Gevaert 15 October 2016[13]
Cercle Brugge Belgium Vincent Euvrard Sacked 29 October 2016[14] 7th Belgium José Riga 1 November 2016[15]
Antwerp Belgium David Gevaert Resigned 10 November 2016[16] 3rd Belgium Wim De Decker 17 November 2016[17]
Lommel United Belgium Walter Meeuws Sacked 23 November 2016[18] Closing tournament: 6th
Overall: 8th		 Belgium Tom Van Imschoot 23 November 2016[18]

League table

Opening tournament

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification ROE LIE ANT USG TUB OHL LOM CER
1 Roeselare 14 9 3 2 24 15 +9 30 Qualification to Promotion play-offs — 2–2 2–1 2–1 1–0 2–2 2–0 2–1
2 Lierse 14 8 4 2 26 14 +12 28 0–2 — 2–0 2–1 5–1 2–2 0–2 2–0
3 Antwerp 14 5 5 4 19 15 +4 20 1–0 1–2 — 4–0 2–0 2–1 0–1 2–1
4 Union SG 14 5 3 6 22 22 0 18 1–2 2–2 1–1 — 0–1 2–0 3–1 3–2
5 Tubize 14 5 2 7 23 29 −6 17 4–1 1–3 2–2 2–2 — 0–1 0–4 4–1
6 OH Leuven 14 3 6 5 18 21 −3 15 1–1 0–1 1–1 0–3 0–1 — 2–2 2–0
7 Lommel United 14 3 4 7 20 27 −7 13 1–2 0–3 1–1 1–2 3–6 2–2 — 1–1
8 Cercle Brugge 14 3 3 8 18 27 −9 12 0–3 0–0 1–1 2–1 4–1 2–4 3–1 —
Source: Belgian First Division B (French) (Dutch)
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Matches won; 3) Goal difference; 4) Goals scored; 5) Away goals scored; 6) Away matches won; 7) Play-off.[19]

Closing tournament

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification LIE ANT OHL ROE CER TUB LOM USG
1 Lierse 4 2 1 1 7 4 +3 7 Qualification to Promotion play-offs — 2–2 1–0
2 Antwerp 4 1 3 0 4 2 +2 6 — 0–0 2–0
3 OH Leuven 3 1 2 0 3 2 +1 5 0–0 — 1–0
4 Roeselare 3 1 2 0 3 2 +1 5 2–1 — 1–1
5 Cercle Brugge 3 1 1 1 1 1 0 4 — 1–0
6 Tubize 3 1 1 1 3 5 −2 4 0–3 —
7 Lommel United 3 0 1 2 3 5 −2 1 2–2 1–2 —
8 Union SG 3 0 1 2 0 3 −3 1 0–0 —
Updated to match(es) played on 27 November 2016. Source:
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Matches won; 3) Goal difference; 4) Goals scored; 5) Away goals scored; 6) Away matches won; 7) Play-off.[19]

Aggregate table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Lierse 18 10 5 3 33 18 +15 35 Qualification to Europa League play-offs [1]
2 Roeselare 17 10 5 2 27 17 +10 35
3 Antwerp 18 6 8 4 23 17 +6 26
4 Tubize 17 6 3 8 26 34 −8 21
5 OH Leuven 17 4 8 5 21 23 −2 20 Qualification to Relegation play-offs [2]
6 Union SG 17 5 4 8 22 25 −3 19
7 Cercle Brugge 17 4 4 9 19 28 −9 16
8 Lommel United 17 3 5 9 23 32 −9 14
Updated to match(es) played on 27 November 2016. Source: Belgian First Division B (French) (Dutch)
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Matches won; 3) Goal difference; 4) Goals scored; 5) Away goals scored; 6) Away matches won; 7) Play-off.[19]
Notes
  1. ^ The team that promotes to the 2017–18 Belgian First Division A, either by winning the Promotion playoff or by winning both the opening and the closing tournament, will not take part in the Europa League play-offs. The next team in the league will take its spot.
  2. ^ In case the team that wins the Promotion playoff finishes in the bottom four, the 4th placed team will play the relegation playoff instead.

Promotion play-offs

The winners of the opening tournament and the closing tournament meet in a two-legged match to determine the division champion, who will promote to the 2017–18 Belgian First Division A. The team finishing highest in the aggregate table will play the second leg at home. In case one team wins both the opening and the closing tournament, these matches will not be played and the team is promoted automatically.

On 6 November 2016, Roeselare won the opening tournament and will therefore play the promotion play-offs unless they also win the closing tournament in which case the promotion play-offs will not be held and Roeselare will be promoted directly.

Relegation play-offs

The four bottom teams in the aggregate table will take part in the relegation play-offs in which they keep half of their points during the overall regular season (rounded up). The team finishing in last position will relegate to the 2017–18 Belgian First Amateur Division.

Season statistics

Top scorers

As of matches played on 25 November 2016.[20]
Rank Player Club Goals
1 Belgium Dylan De Belder Lierse 12
2 Slovenia Nicolas Rajsel Union SG 8
Belgium Ivan Yagan Cercle Brugge 8
4 Belgium Christophe Bertjens Lommel United 7
5 Croatia Tomislav Kiš Cercle Brugge 6
France Kevin Lefaix Tubize 6
7 Luxembourg Aurélien Joachim Lierse 5
8 Tunisia Fabien Camus Antwerp 4
Belgium Alexandre De Bruyn Lommel United 4
Mali Mamadou Diallo Tubize 4
Belgium Kevin Kis Roeselare 4
Republic of Macedonia Jovan Kostovski OH Leuven 4
Republic of the Congo Maël Lépicier Roeselare 4
Belgium Björn Vleminckx Antwerp 4

Notes

  1. ↑ As part of the reform the rules for obtaining a licence were changed, with clubs now required to have a stadium with a capacity of at least 8,000. As the Stade Joseph Marien has only a capacity of six thousand, Union will play one season in the King Baudouin Stadium while their home stadium is being expanded.

References

  1. ↑ "Ontdek hier de kalender van Proximus League 2016–2017" [Discover the calendar of Promixus League 2016–2017]. Belgian First Division B. 23 June 2016. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  2. ↑ "Antwerp schuift hoofdcoach Gevaert aan de kant" [Antwerp sacks manager Gevaert] (in Dutch). sporza.be. 2016-05-06.
  3. ↑ "Antwerp stelt Fred Vanderbiest voor als nieuwe coach" [Antwerp presents Fred Vanderbiest as new manager] (in Dutch). sporza.be. 2016-05-19.
  4. ↑ "Vanderbiest verlaat Cercle (en lijkt op weg naar Antwerp)" [Vanderbiest leaves Cercle (and seems to be on his way to Antwerp)] (in Dutch). sporza.be. 2016-05-18.
  5. 1 2 "Cercle kiest voor Euvrard als trainer, Roeselare voor Mercier" [Cercle chooses Euvrard as manager, Roeselare picks Mercier] (in Dutch). sporza.be. 2016-05-25.
  6. ↑ "Van der Elst verlaat Roeselare: "Jammer"" [Van der Elst leaves Roeselare: "Pity"] (in Dutch). sporza.be. 2016-05-18.
  7. ↑ "Le Français Thierry Goudet nouvel entraîneur de Tubize" [Frenchman Thierry Goudet is the new trainer of Tubize] (in French). rtbf.be. 2016-06-08.
  8. ↑ "Tubeke stuurt coach Goudet de laan uit" [Tubeke sacks coach Goudet] (in Dutch). sporza.be. 2016-08-17.
  9. ↑ "Tubeke vindt nieuwe oefenmeester in de Franse tweede klasse" [Tubeke finds new trainer in French second division] (in Dutch). sporza.be. 2016-08-28.
  10. ↑ "Pak rammel van Tubeke kost Lommel-trainer de kop" [Beating by Tubize causes sacking of Lommel manager] (in Dutch). sporza.be. 2016-10-08.
  11. ↑ "Lommel haalt Walter Meeuws terug naar Gestelsedijk" [Lommel brings Walter Meeuws back to the Gestelsedijk] (in Dutch). sporza.be. 2016-10-20.
  12. ↑ "Antwerp zet coach Fred Vanderbiest op de keien" [Antwerp places manager Fred Vanderbiest without a job] (in Dutch). sporza.be. 2016-10-11.
  13. ↑ "Antwerp gaat weer in zee met Gevaert, Bico wordt sportief manager" [Antwerp recommences cooperation with Gevaert, Bico becomes sports manager] (in Dutch). sporza.be. 2016-10-11.
  14. ↑ "Cercle-coach Euvrard moet opstappen door tegenvallende resultaten" [Cercle-coach Euvrard sacked following disappointing results] (in Dutch). sporza.be. 2016-10-29.
  15. ↑ "José Riga is de nieuwe coach van Cercle Brugge" [José Riga new head coach at Cercle Brugge] (in Dutch). sporza.be. 2016-05-25.
  16. ↑ "Antwerp-coach Gevaert stapt al na een maand zelf op" [Antwerp-coach Gevaert resigns already after one month] (in Dutch). sporza.be. 2016-11-10.
  17. ↑ "Wim De Decker traint Antwerp tegen OHL (en misschien langer)" [Wim De Decker leading Antwerp against OHL (and maybe longer)] (in Dutch). sporza.be. 2016-11-17.
  18. 1 2 "Lommel neemt na een maand al afscheid van Meeuws, Tom Van Imschoot neemt over" [After just one month, Lommel already says goodbye to Meeuws, Tom Van Imschoot takes over] (in Dutch). sporza.be. 2016-11-23.
  19. 1 2 3 "General terms Belgian competition" (PDF). kbvb.be. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  20. ↑ "Summary - First Division B - Belgium - Results, fixtures, tables and news - Soccerway". Retrieved 20 November 2016.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 12/3/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.