OneTrueLegend
Player Valuation: £35m
Discussions have been underway for sometime between Belgian teams and Dutch teams to create a combined 18 team league called "The BeNeLiga" (taking the first two letters of Belgium and Netherlands and combining them with "Liga")
It is thought that the Dutch 'big six', namely Ajax, PSV Eindhoven, Feyenoord, AZ Alkmaar, Utrecht and Vitesse Arnhem, would be afforded a place in the league.
Belgium's biggest five clubs: Anderlecht, Club Bruges, Standard de Liege, Ghent and Genk, would also be placed into the proposed BeNeliga. The remaining seven places in the division would then be determined by results over the previous five seasons, with a split of 10 Dutch and eight Belgian sides. We are sure that is going to cause absolutely zero controversy.
It is not yet clear how relegation would work. The second tiers could potentially remain regionalised either by country or even across borders to minimise travel costs for less wealthy clubs.
The number of European places afforded to teams in the Netherlands and Belgium are also likely to be affected. Each nation currently has five spots each, but those are likely to reduce to at most seven, depending on how the BeNeliga is ranked by UEFA's coefficients.
The 25 professional clubs in Belgium have voted in favour of the new league. Below is a link to an article with more information about it and a youtube video
I think it could be good for some of these teams, there is an estimation that TV revenue would more than double from what it is now allowing for these teams to compete more readily with the big teams from the top 5 leagues. I think the biggest drawbacks would be for the fans, they would have no natural rivalry with the teams from the other country, aside from national pride and although the travel distances are not that far, compared to other european countries (4.5 hours would be the biggest journey), the fans in these 2 countries are not used to doing it.
www.90min.com
It is thought that the Dutch 'big six', namely Ajax, PSV Eindhoven, Feyenoord, AZ Alkmaar, Utrecht and Vitesse Arnhem, would be afforded a place in the league.
Belgium's biggest five clubs: Anderlecht, Club Bruges, Standard de Liege, Ghent and Genk, would also be placed into the proposed BeNeliga. The remaining seven places in the division would then be determined by results over the previous five seasons, with a split of 10 Dutch and eight Belgian sides. We are sure that is going to cause absolutely zero controversy.
It is not yet clear how relegation would work. The second tiers could potentially remain regionalised either by country or even across borders to minimise travel costs for less wealthy clubs.
The number of European places afforded to teams in the Netherlands and Belgium are also likely to be affected. Each nation currently has five spots each, but those are likely to reduce to at most seven, depending on how the BeNeliga is ranked by UEFA's coefficients.
The 25 professional clubs in Belgium have voted in favour of the new league. Below is a link to an article with more information about it and a youtube video
I think it could be good for some of these teams, there is an estimation that TV revenue would more than double from what it is now allowing for these teams to compete more readily with the big teams from the top 5 leagues. I think the biggest drawbacks would be for the fans, they would have no natural rivalry with the teams from the other country, aside from national pride and although the travel distances are not that far, compared to other european countries (4.5 hours would be the biggest journey), the fans in these 2 countries are not used to doing it.
How a merged Dutch-Belgian Beneliga could look and what it means for Scotland
10 years from now, European club football will look very different. Changes to the Champions League from 2024 are in the works, as are plans to introduce the U
