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2016–17 Belgian First Division B

The 2016–17 season of the Belgian First Division B began in August 2016 and ended on 28 April 2017. It was 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]

Belgian First Division B
Season2016–17
ChampionsAntwerp
PromotedAntwerp
RelegatedLommel United

Although scoring most points overall, Lierse missed out on promotion as they came second in both the opening and closing tournament, leaving K.S.V. Roeselare and Antwerp to battle it out for promotion. Following thirteen years at the second level of Belgian football, Antwerp secured promotion on 11 March 2017. At the bottom end of the table, Lommel United suffered relegation as they could not overcome their deficit from the regular season during the relegation playoff.

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. If a team wins both tournaments, it automatically clinches promotion. 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

class=notpageimage|
Locations of the 2016–17 Belgian First Division B teams
MatriculeClubCityFirst season of
current spell at
second level		Coming from2015–16 resultStadiumCapacity
1Royal Antwerp F.C.Antwerp2004–05Belgian Pro League3rd (D2)Bosuilstadion16,649
12Cercle Brugge K.S.V.Bruges2015–16Belgian Pro League5th (D2)Jan Breydel Stadium29,945
6142Oud-Heverlee LeuvenLeuven2016–17Belgian Pro League16th (D1)Den Dreef10,000
30Lierse S.K.Lier2015–16Belgian Pro League7th (D2)Herman Vanderpoortenstadion14,538
2554Lommel UnitedLommel2005–06Belgian Third Division8th (D2)Soevereinstadion12,500
134K.S.V. RoeselareRoeselare2010–11Belgian Pro League9th (D2)Schiervelde Stadion9,075
5632A.F.C. TubizeTubize2009–10Belgian Pro League4th (D2)Stade Leburton9,000
10R. Union Saint-GilloiseSaint-Gilles, Brussels2015–16Belgian Third Division6th (D2)King Baudouin Stadium[nb 1]50,122

Personnel and kits

ClubManagerCaptainKit ManufacturerSponsors
Antwerp Frederik VanderbiestKappaONE Antwerp
Cercle Brugge Vincent EuvrardAcerbisADMB
OH Leuven Emilio FerreraVermarcJust Eat
Lierse Eric Van MeirJakoWadi Degla
Lommel United Karel FraeyeLegeaBelien Auto
Derdaele+
Roeselare Arnauld MercierJomaEuro Shop
Tubize Thierry GoudetKappaNo sponsor
Union SG Marc GrosjeanPatrickCulture et Formation

Managerial changes

TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPositionReplaced byDate of appointment
Antwerp David GevaertSackedEnd of 2015–16 season[2]Pre-season Frederik Vanderbiest19 May 2016[3]
Cercle Brugge Frederik VanderbiestMutual Consent18 May 2016[4] Vincent Euvrard25 May 2016[5]
Roeselare Franky Van der ElstMutual Consent18 May 2016[6] Arnauld Mercier25 May 2016[5]
Tubize Colbert MarlotMutual Consent8 June 2016[7] Thierry Goudet8 June 2016
Tubize Thierry GoudetSacked17 August 2016[8]8th Régis Brouard28 August 2016[9]
Lommel United Karel FraeyeSacked8 October 2016[10]8th Walter Meeuws20 October 2016[11]
Antwerp Frederik VanderbiestSacked11 October 2016[12]4th David Gevaert15 October 2016[13]
Cercle Brugge Vincent EuvrardSacked29 October 2016[14]7th José Riga1 November 2016[15]
Antwerp David GevaertResigned10 November 2016[16]3rd Wim De Decker17 November 2016[17]
Lommel United Walter MeeuwsSacked23 November 2016[18]Closing tournament: 6th
Overall: 8th		 Tom Van Imschoot23 November 2016[18]
OH Leuven Emilio FerreraSacked15 January 2017[19]Closing tournament: 6th
Overall: 5th		 Dennis van Wijk19 January 2017[20]
Lierse Eric Van MeirSacked15 March 2017[21]Closing tournament: 2nd
Overall: 1st		 Frederik Vanderbiest17 March 2017[22]
Tubize Régis BrouardSacked21 April 2017[23]Relegation play-offs: 2nd Sadio Demba3 May 2017[24]

League table

Opening tournament

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualificationROELIEANTUSGTUBOHLLOMCER
1Roeselare149322415+930Qualification to Promotion play-offs—2–22–12–11–02–22–02–1
2Lierse148422614+12280–2—2–02–15–12–20–22–0
3Antwerp145541915+4201–01–2—4–02–02–10–12–1
4Union SG1453622220181–22–21–1—0–12–03–13–2
5Tubize145272329−6174–11–32–22–2—0–10–44–1
6OH Leuven143651821−3151–10–11–10–30–1—2–22–0
7Lommel United143472027−7131–20–31–11–23–62–2—1–1
8Cercle Brugge143381827−9120–30–01–12–14–12–43–1—
Source: Belgian First Division B (in French and 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.[25]

Closing tournament

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualificationANTLIECERROETUBUSGOHLLOM
1Antwerp148512111+1029Qualification to Promotion play-offs—0–20–01–01–12–02–01–0
2Lierse147612511+14272–2—1–11–13–01–01–15–1
3Cercle Brugge146351413+1210–10–1—2–22–10–11–01–0
4Roeselare145541817+1201–22–13–1—1–10–12–12–1
5Tubize145271924−5172–40–31–33–1—3–00–22–0
6Union SG144551112−1171–10–01–20–02–0—4–01–1
7OH Leuven144371521−6150–02–31–01–21–32–0—2–1
8Lommel United140591125−1452–41–10–11–11–20–02–2—
Source: [citation needed]
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.[25]

Aggregate table

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1Lierse28151035125+2655Qualification to Europa League play-offs
2Roeselare2814864232+1050Qualification to Promotion play-offs[a]
3Antwerp28131054026+1449
4Union SG2898113334−135Qualification to Europa League play-offs
5Tubize28104144253−1134Qualification to Relegation play-offs[b]
6Cercle Brugge2896133240−833
7OH Leuven2879123342−930
8Lommel United2839163152−2118
Source: Belgian First Division B (in French and 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.[25]
Notes:

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 was therefore assured of playing at least the promotion play-offs. Following a loss against Antwerp on the penultimate day of the closing tournament, Roeselare could no longer win the closing tournament (and direct promotion) and as a result the promotion play-offs would be held. On the final day of the closing tournament, Roeselare then held Lierse to a draw, denying them the play-offs and setting Roeselare up with Antwerp to decide promotion. Antwerp twice beat Roeselare and thereby allowed the club to return to the highest level of professional football in Belgium following thirteen seasons at the second level. Initially, they did not receive a license to compete in professional football the following season, but the decision was overturned.[26] Roeselare got to play the Europa League play-offs.

Antwerp3–1Roeselare
Dequevy 35'
Damman 57' (o.g.)
Hairemans 73' (pen.)		ReportSchmisser 64'
Referee: Ken Vermeiren
Roeselare1–2Antwerp
Schmisser 35'ReportDierckx 30'
Limbombe 78'
Referee: Erik Lambrechts

Antwerp won 5–2 on aggregate.

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 the points they collected during the overall regular season (rounded up). As a result, the teams started with the following points before the playoff: Tubize 17 points, Cercle Brugge 17, OH Leuven 15 and Lommel United 9. The points of Cercle Brugge were rounded up, therefore in case of any ties on points at the end of the playoffs, their half point would be deducted. The team finishing in last position relegated to the 2017–18 Belgian First Amateur Division.

Despite starting with a huge deficit, Lommel United managed to close the gap between them and the other teams by obtaining 10 points out of their first four matches, overtaking Cercle Brugge and virtually being saved from relegation. At that point, neither team was saved as OH Leuven and Tubize had 20 points and Cercle Brugge and Lommel United were only one point behind. On matchday five, Lommel United first lost against Cercle Brugge and one day later on 22 April 2017, Tubize beat OH Leuven resulting in both Tubize and Cercle Brugge to be saved. On 28 April 2017, the final match, OH Leuven and Lommel United played each other in a direct confrontation to avoid relegation, with OH Leuven needing only a draw. The match ended 1–0 resulting in the relegation of Lommel United.

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualificationTUBOHLCERLOM
1Tubize614166024—1–02–20–0
2OH Leuven6222440231–1—1–01–0
3Cercle Brugge613249−5231–10–0—0–5
4Lommel United (R)631294+519Relegation to the 2017–18 Belgian First Amateur Division2–12–10–1—
Source: Belgian First Division B, Soccerway
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Points without (possible) half points added due to rounding; 3) Matches won; 4) Goal difference; 5) Goals scored; 6) Away goals scored; 7) Away matches won; 8) Play-off.[27]
(R) Relegated

Season statistics

Number of teams by provinces

Number of teamsProvinceTeam(s)
2  AntwerpAntwerp and Lierse
 West FlandersCercle Brugge and Roeselare
1  Brussels (not a province)Union SG
 Flemish BrabantOH Leuven
 LimburgLommel United
 Walloon BrabantTubize
0  East Flanders,  Hainaut,  Liège,  Luxembourg and  Namur/

Notes

References

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