[Football] 2025 BeNeLiga (Belgium and Netherlands Top Flights Merge)

[Beanstalk]

Surprising news coming out of Belgium after all 25 professional teams unanimously vote in favour of pursuing a merger of the Jupiler Pro League and the Eredivisie.

The first European Super League? Presumably TB has (by instructing his chairman) voted. Could mean a change in the working permit band of the league in the long run and an easy way for us to get any player to the Albion.

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[AmexRuislip]

Beneliga - a joint Belgian & Dutch league.

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Should the plans be pushed through, it would see the Dutch Eredivisie and the Belgian Pro League merge to create one league called the Beneliga.

While the details and formatting of the plans have yet to be disclosed, the vote represents a huge step forward in a move which is hoped will provide financial stability for the clubs competing in the league and offer a platform for them to compete on the European stage.

“This ambition is based both on the respect of the big clubs’ sporting ambitions, and on the need for economic stability for the other professional clubs," the Blegian Pero League said as reported by the Washington Post. "The 25 clubs are unanimous in their desire to give the Beneliga a fair chance.”

Those opposed to the suggestion have voiced concerns that the move would only favour the bigger teams and that sides in the lower leagues would ultimately lose out in terms of revenue from broadcasting deals.

It was recently forecast by consulting company Deloitte that a merger between the two leagues could generate up to €400m (£343m) per year in marketing and TV revenue.

Seems a good idea for the bigger clubs, but not for the lower leagues I guess.
The Champions league qualification would interesting.
Couldn't see this happening for English PL & the Scottish PL

 

[Live by the sea]

The Belgium league currently get approx £100 m a year but 80% is split between the big 6 clubs , in Holland it’s a bit less about £80m so a merger probably makes sense financially.

Although Belgium are still in year 1 of their 5 year deal .

So a long long way behind PL money .

 

[AmexRuislip]

Apologies missed your earlier effort

 

[Dave Fishwick]

Sounds good - anything that potentially gives some "smaller" teams more money and able to compete at the top level is fine by me

the football in the CL latter stages is fantastic but the same teams every year gets a bit boring

 

[beorhthelm]

cant really see how merged leagues could generate £340m worth of additional interest.

 

[Gwylan]

Couldn't see this happening for English PL & the Scottish PL

Interestingly, when it's been proposed that Scottish clubs join the FL in the past, the UEFA objection has been that there can't be clubs from one UEFA country playing in another (even though there's a precedent with Cardiff, Swansea, Wrexham, Newport and Berwick). I wonder whether the two national bodies will also merge - which would be a way round that issue.

The obvious countries that could merge are ROI and Northern Ireland. TBH, I'm surprised that that's not happened yet. Ireland is treated as one country for rugby, cricket and, obviously, gaelic games.

 

[Mr Banana]

Erm. This has been mooted for decades but usually forgotten due to lack of interest from clubs.

The Eredivisie is okay in terms of competition. Not sure how much excitement Brugge would add to that. I guess Belgium adds another million fans. I imagine Amsterdam with a bunch of Belgians would be a lorra fun.

I'm a bit torn because the team in NL I support is a yo-yo club. There again, the Jupiler is a bit like football in the 80s/90s, and if this meant it stayed like that then it's hard to think it would be a bad thing.

Don't think distances would be a problem. There are probably teams in every major league travelling further than games between Belgian and Dutch clubs. The fans tend to be pretty devoted...

 

[amexer]

The Belgium league currently get approx £100 m a year but 80% is split between the big 6 clubs , in Holland it’s a bit less about £80m so a merger probably makes sense financially.

Although Belgium are still in year 1 of their 5 year deal .

So a long long way behind PL money .

With 180m TV money between them now why would TV now pay a joint league 340m
How does this leave Blooms club

 

[studio150]

Will be interesting to see if UEFA/FIFA decide that if the leagues merge, that the national teams must merge also.

 

[vagabond]

Tony’s investment looks even smarter now.

 

[stewart12]

The obvious countries that could merge are ROI and Northern Ireland. TBH, I'm surprised that that's not happened yet. Ireland is treated as one country for rugby, cricket and, obviously, gaelic games.

I guess one obstacle with them is that the ROI league runs in the summer and the NI league runs in the winter. Believe in ROI it's mainly to avoid clashing with the more popular sports?

Also, and forgive me if I'm wrong here and I'm sure there will be people more clued up on this than me, but football in NI is more of a unionist/protestant sport, so maybe there isn't much desire in NI to merge with ROI?

 

[stewart12]

this is a smart move for Netherlands and Belgium and I can see more leagues outside the so called "big 5" doing the same especially with plans to make the CL more exclusive for the "top" teams

merging resources can help (hopefully) attract better TV deals

 

[Change at Barnham]

If they merged the top ten sides from Belgium and Netherlands today:

Ajax
PSV
AZ
Vitesse
Feyenoord
Groningen
Utrecht
Twente
Heracles
Fortuna Sittard
Club Brugge
Antwerp
Genk
KV Oostende
Anderlecht
Beerschot
OH Leuven
Zulte-Waregem
Sporting Charleroi
Mechelen

(but obviously Union Saint-Gilloise will be an established top ten side by 2025 and will be crowned inaugural champions at the end of the 2025/26 season))

 

[BNthree]

Don't think distances would be a problem. There are probably teams in every major league travelling further than games between Belgian and Dutch clubs. The fans tend to be pretty devoted...

From top of Holland to bottom corner of Belgium is less than 5hr30min drive. Add in trains and public transport is decent too and the distances are better than a lot of countries. North of France to south of France is 9 hour+ drive with a favourable wind and similar sort of time from top of Spain to bottom.

 

[Swansman]

Erm. This has been mooted for decades but usually forgotten due to lack of interest from clubs.

The Eredivisie is okay in terms of competition. Not sure how much excitement Brugge would add to that. I guess Belgium adds another million fans. I imagine Amsterdam with a bunch of Belgians would be a lorra fun.

I'm a bit torn because the team in NL I support is a yo-yo club. There again, the Jupiler is a bit like football in the 80s/90s, and if this meant it stayed like that then it's hard to think it would be a bad thing.

Don't think distances would be a problem. There are probably teams in every major league travelling further than games between Belgian and Dutch clubs. The fans tend to be pretty devoted...

Which one?

 

[amexer]

Dont understand why this is good for smaller clubs like Blooms. Have just read Belgium have already named 7 of the teams that would go into new league

 

[portlock seagull]

Could see the Scottish Premier merged with Faroe's Smokey Herring League?

 

[Mr Banana]

Which one?

Go Ahead Eagles. Best football club in the world. Should have won the relegation playoff in 2019. Took the lead in the 89th minute at home, then conceded in the 95th and 98th minutes to lose 5-4 on aggregate.

There again, last time we were in the Eredivisie we ended up with Elvis Manu.

 

[Gwylan]

Also, and forgive me if I'm wrong here and I'm sure there will be people more clued up on this than me, but football in NI is more of a unionist/protestant sport, so maybe there isn't much desire in NI to merge with ROI?

Indeed: which is why Derry City play in the League of Ireland. I believe that Cliftonville are the only Catholic club in the Northern Ireland premier league but there are some clubs who have more cross-community support. Linfield is a hard core proddy club though, not sure they'd be welcome in the LOI. Like you, I'm not an expert on Irish football so there could be a few more Catholic clubs.