The Belgian First Division, also known as Jupiler League (for sponsorship reasons), is the top competition in Belgian football. It was created in 1895. R.S.C. Anderlecht is the most successful league club with 27 titles, followed by Club Brugge K.V. (12), R. Union Saint-Gilloise (11) and R. Standard de Liège (8).

The competition

Each of the annual 18 competitors play against each of its 17 opponents twice. At the end of the season the two lowest-placed teams go to Belgian Second Division, while the champion of that division plus the winner of a mini-championship (called Belgian Second Division Final Round) with 4 Second Division teams are promoted to First Division. Currently, the Belgian champion is directly qualified for UEFA Champions League, the runner-up must play the preliminary round.

A win earns three points since season 1995-96. A draw earns one point. If two teams have the same number of points, the number of wins is the first criterium, before the goalaverage.

Matches are usually played on saturday at 20.00 or sunday at 15.00 depending on the venues. Though, some matchdays are played on wednesday. Furthermore, in recent years, televised games are played either on friday or during the weekend at different times (e.g. saturday at 18.00 or sunday at 13.00 or 20.00). The main reason is the new law that forbids televised matches to be played at the same time that other Jupiler League matches (to avoid stadium emptying for those matches).

Each team playing the Jupiler League (and second division) must have been granted the Belgian Football Association license guaranteeing the club has no excessive debts, has a secure stadium, etc. It was introduced in season 2001-02 to decrease the number of teams in the division. Originally, clubs that could not get the license were supposed not to be replaced (and are sent to third division). However, it is still not effective as, for example, K.S.K. Beveren finished 18th in 2001-2002 but were saved as K.S.C. Eendracht Aalst (17th) and R.W.D. Molenbeek (10th) were refused a license.

The 2004-2005 clubs

This year, the 18 participating clubs are the following :

& : Last season position

History

The first league in Belgian football (called Championship Cup) was held in 1895-1896 with 7 teams. Those teams were Antwerp F.C., Club Brugge, F.C. Liégeois and 4 teams from Brussels : Racing Club de Bruxelles, Léopold Club de Bruxelles, Sporting Club de Bruxelles and Union d'Ixelles. The last two clubs (Brugge and Union d'Ixelles) were withdrawn and a new club entered the competition (Atheltic & Running Club de Bruxelles). Since season 1898-99, there were two leagues at the top level. In 1900-01, the two leagues were reunited with 9 clubs. However, the next year, first division split again, with a playoff (4 teams) instead of a final game to decide the champion. The season 1904-05 the two leagues merged and championship was played between 11 teams (but was unfinished). One year later, the promotion to new second division was created and only 10 teams played first division until 1908 when two more clubs were admitted. The number of teams grew in 1921 (14 teams), 1942 (16 teams), 1945 (19 teams), then decreased to 16 clubs two years later. Again, in 1974-75 the number of teams increased to 20 teams then decreased to 19 the next season and to 18 in 1976-77.

Top scorers

Season	Player	Land	Club	Goals
1970-1971	Erwin Kostedde		R. Standard de Liège	26
1971-1972	Raoul Lambert		Club Brugge K.V.	17
1972-1973	Robbie Rensenbrink and Alfred Riedl	and	R.S.C. Anderlecht and K. Sint-Truidense V.V.	16
1973-1974	Atilla Ladynszki		R.S.C. Anderlecht	22
1974-1975	Alfred Riedl		R. Antwerp F.C.	28
1975-1976	Hans Posthumus		K. Lierse S.K.	26
1976-1977	François Vander Elst		R.S.C. Anderlecht	21
1977-1978	Harald Nickel		R. Standard de Liège	22
1978-1979	Erwin Albert		K.S.K. Beveren	28
1979-1980	Erwin Vandenbergh		K. Lierse S.K.	39
1980-1981	Erwin Vandenbergh		K. Lierse S.K.	24
1981-1982	Erwin Vandenbergh		K. Lierse S.K.	25
1982-1983	Erwin Vandenbergh		R.S.C. Anderlecht	20
1983-1984	Nico Claesen		R.F.C. Seraing	27
1984-1985	Ronny Martens		K.A.A. Gent	23
1985-1986	Erwin Vandenbergh		R.S.C. Anderlecht	27
1986-1987	Arnor Gudjohnsen		R.S.C. Anderlecht	19
1987-1988	Francis Severyns		R. Antwerp F.C.	24
1988-1989	Edi Krncevic		R.S.C. Anderlecht	23
1989-1990	Frank Farina		Club Brugge K.V.	24
1990-1991	Erwin Vandenbergh		K.A.A. Gent	23
1991-1992	Josip Weber		Cercle Brugge K.S.V.	26
1992-1993	Josip Weber		Cercle Brugge K.S.V.	31
1993-1994	Josip Weber	°	Cercle Brugge K.S.V.	31
1994-1995	Aurelio Vidmar		R. Standard de Liège	22
1995-1996	Mario Stanic		Club Brugge K.V.	20
1996-1997	Robert Spehar		Club Brugge K.V.	26
1997-1998	Branko Strupar		K.R.C. Genk	22
1998-1999	Jan Koller		K.S.C. Lokeren Oost-Vlaanderen	24
1999-2000	Ole Martin Aarst and Toni Brogno	and	K.A.A. Gent and K.V.C. Westerlo	30
2000-2001	Tomasz Radzinski		R.S.C. Anderlecht	23
2001-2002	Wesley Sonck		K.R.C. Genk	30
2002-2003	Cédric Roussel and Wesley Sonck	and	R.A.E.C. Mons and K.R.C. Genk	22
2003-2004	Luigi Pieroni		R.E. Mouscron	28

° Josip Weber changed nationality during the 1993-94 season.

Past winners

Past clubs

Clubs that have played in Jupiler League since 1960 are :

• R. Antwerp F.C.
• K. Heusden-Zolder
• K.V. Mechelen
• K.F.C. Lommelse S.K.
• K.S.C. Eendracht Aalst
• R.W.D. Molenbeek
• K.R.C. Harelbeke
• K.F.C. Verbroedering Geel
• K.V. Kortrijk
• K.S.V. Waregem
• R.F.C. Liège
• F.C. Boom
• K. Beerschot V.A.C.
• K.R.C. Mechelen
• R.C. Jet de Bruxelles
• K. Berchem Sport
• R.F.C. Sérésien
• K.S.V. Waterschei Thor
• K. Sint-Niklase S.K.
• R. Beringen F.C.
• F.C. Winterslag
• K.S.K. Tongeren
• S.C. Hasselt
• A.S. Oostende
• R.O.C. Charleroi
• R. Union Saint-Gilloise
• R. Crossing Club de Schaerbeek
• R. Daring Club de Bruxelles
• R. Tilleur F.C.
• K.F.C. Diest
• R.C.S. Verviétois
• Patro Eisden

External links

• The Belgian Football Association Official Site
• A Jupiler League site
• Belgian football history