Descent into chaos 3: making a bad situation far worse!

When I started writing these piece a few days ago, I thought that the Belgian Pro League clubs would meet and that the end result would be no change; except for a few minor touches at the edges. How wrong can you be: they have achieved the impossible – they have made things far worse.

Not satisfied with a “Playoff” system that involves no less than 62 matches, including two clubs meeting five times for the right to be involved in another six matches with three second division clubs, the wise men of the Pro League have voted to add an additional twist. It will not be the two clubs finishing in the bottom two places that will play each other five times; no, it will be the two clubs with the worst results over the last three seasons. And if your first reaction is to ask what about newly promoted clubs, the answer is they will need a miracle to stay up.

At the end of Friday’s meeting, Anderlecht’s Herman Van Holsbeeck said it was a typical Belgian compromise. Words fail me! League Pro President Ivan De Witte, who is standing down from his post, said that the result was not the most beautiful of babies, but, he added, even the most awful babies can grow up to be beautiful, as well as charming and well-balanced. For the record, the G4 (Anderlecht, Genk, Ghent and Club Brugge) agreed to pay a couple of million euros shared between the clubs not finishing in the top six (the “Playoffs 1”) and the club dropping to the second division. In return, the G4 get to keep the system as it is now – which no one else likes, certainly not the fans and the players. But shamelessly, the G11 also got what they wanted in the shape of the ridiculous spectacle of a league where relegation is decided based on performances over three years.

Five clubs voted against the proposal: Standard Liege, Lierse, Germinal Beerschot, Charleroi and Sint Trond. Lierse have now said they will talk to their lawyers about taking legal action against the new proposals on relegation. Charleroi, Germinal Beerschot and Standard Liege have said that although they accept the vote (and the two-thirds majority needed to get the proposal through), they will not accept the principle of the financial rewards that will be offered to clubs not finishing in the top six or being relegated. This is a risky position to take for Charleroi, given their recent form. However, President Abbas Bayat is typically bullish, saying Charleroi will not be relegated and will be in the top 6 next season!

And that, my good friends is that. The G4 think that the new relegation system is stupid but are not too bothered, the G11 (or at least the majority of them) don’t want the playoff system but are willing to keep quiet now they have some money and that leaves Standard Liege. Like Greta Garbo, some years ago, they want to be left alone. And who can blame them!