2021–22 Belgian First Division B
Football league season
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The 2021–22 season of the Belgian First Division B began in August 2021 and ended in April 2022, with Westerlo winning the title by a considerable margin over RWDM, the latter losing the promotion play-off and hence not promoted together with Westerlo. Virton ended in last place and would have been relegated, were it not for the fact that after the season Excel Mouscron was not awarded a licence, causing them to be relegated instead.
| Season | 2021–22 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Westerlo |
| Promoted | Westerlo |
| Relegated | Excel Mouscron |
| Matches | 112 |
| Goals | 322 (2.88 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Daniel Maderner (13 goals) |
| Biggest home win | Lierse Kempenzonen 4–1 RWDM (12 September 2021) Lommel 3–0 Excel Mouscron (17 October 2021) Deinze 3–0 Virton (3 December 2021) Waasland-Beveren 4–1 Deinze (12 December 2021) Excel Mouscron 3–0 Waasland-Beveren (5 February 2022) Westerlo 3–0 Lommel (6 February 2022) Lommel 3–0 Virton (13 February 2022) RWDM 3–0 Virton (20 March 2022) Deinze 3–0 RWDM (3 April 2022) |
| Biggest away win | Excel Mouscron 0–4 Waasland-Beveren (28 August 2021) Lierse Kempenzonen 1–5 Westerlo (20 November 2021) Virton 0–4 Waasland-Beveren (23 January 2022) Excel Mouscron 2–6 Westerlo (8 April 2022) |
| Highest scoring | Excel Mouscron 2–6 Westerlo (8 April 2022) |
| Longest winning run | 4 matches Excel Mouscron and Westerlo |
| Longest unbeaten run | 9 matches Lommel and Westerlo |
← 2020–21 2022–23 → | |
Team changes
In
- Royal Excel Mouscron were directly relegated from the 2020–21 Belgian First Division A after finishing last.
- Waasland-Beveren were also relegated from the 2020–21 Belgian First Division A, after losing the promotion/relegation play-offs against Seraing.
- Virton, who were denied both a professional and remunerated license at the end of the 2019–20 season and forced to relegate two levels as a result, successfully appealed this decision and were forced to be reinstated at this level.
Out
- Union SG were promoted from the 2020–21 Belgian First Division B as champions.
- Seraing were promoted to the 2021–22 Belgian First Division A after winning the promotion/relegation play-offs against Waasland-Beveren.
- Club NXT was removed as it was decided no longer to include U23 teams for the 2021–22 season.
Format changes
Initially, the plan was to change the format of the Belgian First Division B only for the 2020–21 season,[1] with the league no longer consisting of two separate competitions but instead, one single league in which all teams play each other four times, without playoffs. This was however extended with at least one season, meaning the 2021–22 Belgian First Division B continues with the same format as the previous season.[citation needed]
Team information
Stadiums and locations
| Matricule | Club | City | First season of current spell at second level |
Coming from | 2020-21 result | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 818 | K.M.S.K. Deinze | Deinze | 2020–21 | Belgian First Amateur Division | 5th (D1B) | Burgemeester Van de Wiele Stadion | 7,515 |
| 216 | Royal Excel Mouscron | Mouscron | 2021–22 | Belgian First Division A | 18th (D1A)  |
Stade Le Canonnier | 10,800 |
| 3970 | Lierse Kempenzonen | Lier | 2020–21 | Belgian First Amateur Division | 7th (D1B) | Herman Vanderpoortenstadion | 14,538 |
| 2554 | Lommel SK | Lommel | 2018–19 | Belgian First Amateur Division | 3rd (D1B) | Soevereinstadion | 8,000 |
| 5479 | RWD Molenbeek | Molenbeek | 2020–21 | Belgian First Amateur Division | 6th (D1B) | Edmond Machtens Stadium | 12,266 |
| 200 | R.E. Virton | Virton | 2021–22 | Belgian Division 2 | Unranked (D2)  |
Stade Yvan Georges | 4,015 |
| 4068 | Waasland-Beveren | Beveren | 2021–22 | Belgian First Division A | 17th (D1A) |
Freethiel Stadion | 8,190 |
| 2024 | K.V.C. Westerlo | Westerlo | 2017–18 | Belgian First Division A | 4th (D1B) | Het Kuipje | 8,035 |
Personnel and kits
| Club | Manager | Kit Manufacturer | Sponsors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deinze |  Wim De Decker |
Legea | Dakota Vastgoed & Declercq Stortbeton |
| Excel Mouscron | José Jeunechamps [n 1] |
Uhlsport | Star Casino |
| Lierse Kempenzonen | Tom Van Imschoot |
Jako | Keukens Van Lommel |
| Lommel |  Brian Eastick [n 2] |
Masita | United Telecom |
| RWD Molenbeek | Vincent Euvrard |
Joma | Symbio |
| Virton |  Pablo Correa [n 3] |
||
| Waasland-Beveren |  Jordi Condom [n 4] |
Uhlsport | Star Casino |
| Westerlo | Jonas De Roeck |
Saller | Soudal |
Managerial changes
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position | Replaced by | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deinze | Cédric Vlaeminck (caretaker) |
Caretaker replaced [2] | End of 2020–21 season | Pre-season | Wim De Decker |
4 March 2020[a] |
| Westerlo | Bob Peeters |
Sacked [3] | Jonas De Roeck |
27 May 2021 [4] | ||
| Excel Mouscron |  Jorge Simão |
Hired by Paços Ferreira[5] |
Enzo Scifo |
22 June 2021 [6] | ||
| Waasland-Beveren | Nicky Hayen |
Sacked [7] |  Marc Schneider |
18 May 2021 [8] | ||
| Virton | No manager since end of 2019–20 season | Christophe Grégoire |
27 July 2021 [9] | |||
| Lommel | Liam Manning |
Hired by Milton Keynes Dons[10] |
11 August 2021 |  Peter van der Veen |
11 August 2021 [11][12][b] | |
| Excel Mouscron | Enzo Scifo |
Sacked[13] | 14 October 2021 | 8th | Philippe Saint-Jean (caretaker) |
14 October 2021[13] |
| Philippe Saint-Jean |
Caretaker replaced[14] | 19 October 2021 | 8th | José Jeunechamps |
19 October 2021[14] | |
| Virton | Christophe Grégoire |
Sacked[15] | 13 December 2021 | 8th |  Emmanuel Coquelet (caretaker) |
13 December 2021 |
| Lommel | Peter van der Veen |
Resigned[16] | 14 December 2021 | 7th |  Luíz Felipe |
14 December 2021[16][c] |
| Virton | Emmanuel Coquelet |
Caretaker replaced[17] | 22 December 2021 | 8th | Pablo Correa |
22 December 2021 |
| Lommel | Luíz Felipe |
Mutual Consent[18] | 7 February 2022 | 7th | Patrick Greveraars (caretaker) |
7 February 2022[18] |
| Patrick Greveraars |
Caretaker replaced[19] | 16 February 2022 | 7th | Brian Eastick |
16 February 2022[19] | |
| Waasland-Beveren | Marc Schneider |
Sacked [20] | 28 February 2022 | 3rd | Jordi Condom |
28 February 2022[20] |
- Wim De Decker was appointed the new manager of Deinze already on 4 March 2020, but would only be observing and analyzing the players for the remainder of the season. Assistant-manager Cédric Vlaeminck will take up the role of manager until the end of the season, leading the training sessions and being on the sideline during matches.
- Peter van der Veen was initially appointed caretaker manager at Lommel following the departure of Liam Manning, but took over permanently just one week later.
- Luíz Felipe was initially appointed caretaker manager at Lommel following the departure of Peter van der Veen, but was appointed permanent manager one month later.
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | WES | RWD | WAA | DEI | LIE | LOM | EXC | VIR | WES | RWD | WAA | DEI | LIE | LOM | EXC | VIR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Westerlo (C, P) | 28 | 17 | 5 | 6 | 52 | 29 | +23 | 56 | Promotion to the 2022–23 Belgian First Division A | — | 0–0 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 4–3 | 2–0 | — | 2–2 | 2–1 | 0–3 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | |
| 2 | RWDM47 | 28 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 41 | 33 | +8 | 49 | Qualification to Promotion play-off | 1–2 | — | 1–3 | 2–2 | 3–3 | 1–2 | 3–1 | 0–0 | 0–2[a] | — | 2–1 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 3–0 | |
| 3 | Waasland-Beveren | 28 | 12 | 5 | 11 | 47 | 40 | +7 | 41 | 0–2 | 2–3 | — | 0–2 | 1–3 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 4–3 | 2–1 | 1–0 | — | 4–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–1 | ||
| 4 | Deinze | 28 | 9 | 12 | 7 | 47 | 39 | +8 | 39 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 0–0 | — | 1–1 | 3–3 | 3–1 | 3–0 | 1–2 | 3–0 | 3–3 | — | 1–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 2–1 | ||
| 5 | Lierse Kempenzonen | 28 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 39 | 42 | −3 | 36 | 1–5 | 4–1 | 2–1 | 2–2 | — | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | — | 0–2 | 0–1 | 1–1 | ||
| 6 | Lommel | 28 | 9 | 8 | 11 | 39 | 40 | −1 | 35 | 0–1 | 2–3 | 2–3 | 2–2 | 3–1 | — | 3–0 | 1–3 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 0–1 | — | 0–0 | 3–0 | ||
| 7 | Excel Mouscron[b] (R) | 28 | 8 | 6 | 14 | 31 | 45 | −14 | 30 | Folded as a team | 1–2 | 1–1 | 0–4 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 0–1 | — | 1–1 | 2–6 | 0–1 | 3–0 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 2–1 | — | 2–1 | |
| 8 | Virton | 28 | 5 | 6 | 17 | 24 | 52 | −28 | 21 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–3 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 0–2 | — | 1–0 | 0–1 | 0–4 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 2–3 | 2–0 | — |
Updated to match(es) played on completed. Source: Belgian First Division B
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.[26]
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Notes:
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.[26]
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Notes:
- On 13 April 2022, the Belgian FA announced that Excel Mouscron had not been awarded a Belgian professional football license for the coming season, meaning that the club will not be allowed to play in the top two divisions of Belgian football and thus be relegated to the 2022–23 Belgian National Division 1 instead of Virton.[22] One day later, the committee awarding the licenses announced that the club had also not obtained a Belgian remunerated football license, which meant it will be relegated to the 2022–23 Belgian Division 2, where it will start with a three points handicap. The club has announced that it will appeal the decision, as it has done so successfully already no less than six times during the previous seven years.[23] On 10 May 2022, their appeal was rejected and the club's relegation was confirmed.[24] On 31 May 2022, the club announced it would be filing for bankruptcy, as no party was found willing to take over the club. It is in discussion with the ACFF to possibly continue with a team in the provincial leagues (5th level).[25]
Positions by round
The table lists the positions of teams after the completion of each round. In the overview below, not all teams had played the same number of matches:
- The match between RWDM and Westerlo on matchday 15 was postponed and instead played between matchdays 17 and 18.
- The match between Westerlo and Deinze on matchday 17 was postponed and instead played between matchdays 19 and 20.
- The match between Lierse and Westerlo on matchday 21 was postponed and instead played between matchdays 24 and 25.
Updated to match(es) played on completed. Source: worldfootball.net
Season statistics
Top scorers
- As of 17 April 2022[27]
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Daniel Maderner |
Waasland-Beveren | 13 |
| 2 | Lennart Mertens |
Deinze | 12 |
| 3 |  Erdon Daci |
Westerlo | 10 |
| 4 |  Souleymane Anne |
Virton | 9 |
| Dylan De Belder |
Deinze | ||
| Kévin Hoggas |
Waasland-Beveren | ||
| 7 |  Ján Bernát |
Westerlo | 8 |
 Bafodé Dansoko |
Deinze | ||
| Arthur Sales |
Lommel | ||
| 10 |  Hakim Abdallah |
Lierse Kempenzonen | 7 |
| Kévin Nzuzi Mata |
RWDM | ||
| Lucas Ribeiro Costa |
Waasland-Beveren (includes 5 goals for Excel Mouscron) |
6 goals (4 players)
5 goals (6 players)
4 goals (10 players)
3 goals (7 players)
2 goals (21 players)
Frédéric Duplus (Excel Mouscron)- Clément Tainmont (Excel Mouscron)
Jonathan Hendrickx (Lierse Kempenzonen)- Alexander Maes (Lierse Kempenzonen)
- Jens Naessens (Lierse Kempenzonen)
- Nils Schouterden (Lierse Kempenzonen)
- Kevin Kis (Lommel)
Diego Rosa (Lommel)
Kolbeinn Þórðarson (Lommel)
Abdoul Karim Danté (RWDM)- Igor de Camargo (RWDM)
- Kylian Hazard (RWDM)
Yan Vorogovsky (RWDM)- Marc-Olivier Doué (Virton)
Din Sula (Virton)
Jóan Símun Edmundsson (Waasland-Beveren)
Joseph Efford (Waasland-Beveren)- Brendan Schoonbaert (Waasland-Beveren)
Léo Seydoux (Westerlo)- Thomas Van den Keybus (Westerlo)
1 goal (42 players)
Kurt Abrahams (Deinze)- Siebe Blondelle (Deinze)
- Viktor Boone (Deinze)
- Christophe Janssens (Deinze)
Denis Prychynenko (Deinze)- Robbe Quirynen (Deinze)
- Alessio Staelens (Deinze)
Marko Bakić (Excel Mouscron)- Eric Bocat (Excel Mouscron)
Christophe Diandy (Excel Mouscron)- Dimitri Mohamed (Excel Mouscron)
- Guillaume De Schryver (Lierse Kempenzonen)
- Brent Laes (Lierse Kempenzonen)
Jordi Liongola (Lierse Kempenzonen)- Agustin Anello (Lommel)
Daniel Arzani (Lommel)- Rafik Belghali (Lommel)
Ishak Boussouf (Lommel)- Glenn Neven (Lommel)
- Théo Pierrot (Lommel)
Bryan Smeets (Lommel)- Glenn Claes (RWDM)
- Zakaria El Ouahdi (RWDM)
Thomas Ephestion (RWDM)- Jarno Libert (RWDM)
- Jamal Aabbou (Virton)
- Valentin Guillaume (Virton)
Altin Kryeziu (Virton)- Aboubakar Sidibé (Virton)
- Michael Davis (Waasland-Beveren)
- Jordan Faucher (Waasland-Beveren)
- Chris Kablan (Waasland-Beveren)
- Jenthe Mertens (Waasland-Beveren)
- Jacob Montes (Waasland-Beveren)
- Tom Reyners (Waasland-Beveren)
Fernand Gouré (Westerlo)
Edisson Jordanov (Westerlo)- Simon Paulet (Westerlo)
- Pietro Perdichizzi (Westerlo)
- Tibo Persyn (Westerlo)
- Noël Soumah (Westerlo)
Igor Vetokele (Westerlo)
2 own goals (1 player)
- Pietro Perdichizzi (Westerlo, scored for Excel Mouscron and Waasland-Beveren)
1 own goal (9 players)
- William Simba (Excel Mouscron, scored for Waasland-Beveren)
Hakim Abdallah (Lierse Kempenzonen, scored for Excel Mouscron)- Joeri Poelmans (Lierse Kempenzonen, scored for Excel Mouscron)
- Kenneth Schuermans (Lierse Kempenzonen, scored for RWDM)
- Abdoul Karim Danté (RWDM, scored for Waasland-Beveren)
- Jenthe Mertens (Waasland-Beveren, scored for Excel Mouscron)
- Brendan Schoonbaert (Waasland-Beveren, scored for Lommel)
Aleksandar Vukotić (Waasland-Beveren, scored for Deinze)
David Jensen (Westerlo, scored for Excel Mouscron)
Team of the season
Upon completion of the regular season a team of the season award was compiled, based upon the results of the team of the week results throughout the season, constructed based on nominations from managers, assistant-managers, journalists and analysts. The results were announced from 25 April 2022, with one player revealed each day.[citation needed]
Number of teams by provinces
| Number of teams | Province or region | Team(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 2 |  Antwerp | Lierse Kempenzonen and Westerlo |
 East Flanders | Deinze and Waasland-Beveren | |
| 1 |  Brussels | RWD Molenbeek |
 Hainaut | Excel Mouscron | |
 Limburg | Lommel | |
 Luxembourg | Virton |
Notes
- Enzo Scifo was the manager for matchdays 1 through 7, Philippe Saint-Jean was the caretaker manager on matchday 8.
- Peter van der Veen was the manager for matchdays 1 through 14, Luíz Felipe was caretaker manager for matchdays 15 through 19, and Patrick Greveraars was caretaker on matchday 20.
- Christophe Grégoire was the manager for matchdays 1 through 15, while Emmanuel Coquelet was the caretaker manager on matchday 16.
- Marc Schneider was the manager for matchdays 1 through 22.