Belgian First Division B


The Belgian First Division B is the second-highest division in the Belgian football league system, one level below the Belgian First Division A. It was created by the Royal Belgian Football Association in 2016, replacing the Belgian Second Division.

History

The Belgian First Division B was created in 2016 as the successor of the Belgian Second Division following an overhaul of the Belgian football league system which saw the number of professional clubs reduced to 24 and the number of teams at the second level of the football pyramid to 8.

Competition format

The season comprises two separate competitions in which all 8 teams play each other twice. The winners of both competitions face each other in a two-legged playoff with the winner promoted to the Belgian First Division A.
Until 2019, the top three teams excluding the promoted team, played together with the teams finishing in the positions 7 through 15 of the Belgian First Division A in a playoff for a ticket into the UEFA Europa League. The remaining four teams played a relegation playoff, with the last team relegating into the Belgian First Amateur Division. From 2019, the top six teams all took part in the Europa League playoffs, with only the bottom two teams playing the relegation playoff in which they play each other five times.

Past results overview

Footnotes