The Pro League is a non-profit association founded in 1974 which brings together the Belgian professional association football teams participating in the two top national championships.[1] It is a member of European Leagues.
League edit
The League aims to develop and promote professional football in Belgium and to ensure the quality of the product. It was founded under the leadership of the three most influential leaders of Belgian football, namely Constant Vanden Stock, Fernand De Clerck and Roger Petit who became its first president. In 1997 she was one of the founders of the Association of the main professional football leagues of the European Union. The Pro League was previously called Ligue du Football Professionelle (Liga Beroepsvoetbal in Dutch). The name change was voted on at the general meeting on 6 October 2008.
To obtain membership, the association's statute provides that a club must in particular: enjoy legal personality, be recognized by the URBSFA as a professional club, be the holder of the ad hoc license for the first division of the Belgian championship, be sportingly qualified for the first division of the Belgian championship, at the beginning of the season, have a main pitch with grass in good condition, accessible throughout the season and in all weather conditions and equipped with compliant drainage, irrigation and heating systems.[2]
As part of the reorganization of Belgian football following COVID-19, the Federation delegated all national football to it, therefore in addition to the Belgian Pro League also the Belgian Supercup, the renewed tournament cadet of the Challenger Pro League, the youth championship, the Belgian Cup following the Italian example and, a unique case, the women's Super League.
League staff edit
The League's staff corresponds to the 28 clubs registered in the Belgian Pro League and the Challenger Pro League (16 and 12 clubs respectively, given that the reserves of the former also participate in the latter) .
Presidents edit
- 1974 - 1981 Roger Petit
- 1981 - 1986 Michel D'Hooghe
- 1986 - 1996 Roger Vanden Stock
- 1996 - 1999 Eddy Wauters
- 2001 - 2007 Jean-Marie Philips
- 2007 - 2012 Ivan De Witte
- 2012 - 2013 Ronny Verhelst
- 2013 - 2014 Michel Dupont
- 2014 - 2015 Peter Quaghebeur
- 2015 - 2018 Roger Vanden Stock
- 2018 - 2019 Marc Coucke
- 2019 - now Peter Croonen
