2022–23 Belgian Pro League

120th season of top-tier football in Belgium From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The 2022–23 Belgian Pro League (officially known as the Jupiler Pro League due to sponsorship reasons) was the 120th season of top-tier football in Belgium. Royal Antwerp were crowned league champions for the first time in 66 years after pipping Genk and Union St-Gilloise on the final day,[1][2] the first occasion since 1999 that three clubs were still contending the title going in the final match. All three Championship chasers were in the virtual lead in the table at different stages across the final five minutes before Toby Alderweireld's title-clinching goal.[3]

Season2022–23
Dates22 July 2022 – 4 June 2023
ChampionsRoyal Antwerp
Quick facts Season, Dates ...
Belgian Pro League
Season2022–23
Dates22 July 2022 – 4 June 2023
ChampionsRoyal Antwerp
RelegatedOostende
Zulte Waregem
Seraing
Champions LeagueRoyal Antwerp
Genk
Europa LeagueUnion SG
Europa Conference LeagueClub Brugge
Gent
Matches330
Goals1,011 (3.06 per match)
Top goalscorerHugo Cuypers
(27 goals)
Biggest home winClub Brugge 7–0 Eupen
(23 April 2023)
Biggest away winOostende 1–6 Union SG
(16 October 2022)
Highest scoringZulte Waregem 5–5 Eupen
(12 November 2022)
Longest winning run10 (Genk)
Longest unbeaten run17 (Union SG)
Longest winless run11 (Oostende)
Longest losing run7 (Seraing)
Highest attendance26,271 (Standard - Anderlecht)
Lowest attendance0 (Anderlecht - Zulte Waregem, behind closed doors)
Total attendance3,154,698
Average attendance9,560
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Genk's title-challenge was helped by a record-breaking 24 assists from Mike Trésor while Hugo Cuypers of Gent became the first Belgian winner of the Golden Bull for top scorer since Romelu Lukaku in 2009–10.[4][5][6]

Zulte Waregem, pipped for the title on the final day ten years earlier and subsequent Cup winners in 2017, were one of three sides relegated.

Format change

At the end of the 2019–20 Belgian First Division A, it was decided to exceptionally cancel any relegations as a result of the league being stopped early due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This caused the league to temporarily expand to 18 as promotions from a lower league did occur as originally planned. It was decided at that point that the goal was to eventually return to 16 teams, and at the end of the 2021–22 Belgian First Division A, the clubs agreed that the 2022–23 season will reduce the number of clubs at the highest level again to 16, as this season only three teams will face direct relegation instead of just one. Furthermore, a new format was also decided from 2023–24 onwards (with 16 teams), returning to a slightly altered version of the playoff structure used prior to the 2019–20 season, but most importantly also increasing the teams relegating each season from 1 to 2 direct plus an additional optional third team through a playoff.[7] A minor change was the renaming of the top two leagues, with the First Division A and First Division B now renamed Jupiler Pro League and Challenger Pro League respectively.

Teams

Eighteen teams competed in the league – the top seventeen teams from the previous season and 2021–22 Belgian First Division B champions Westerlo who returned after spending five seasons at the second tier following their relegation at the end of the 2016–17 season. They replaced Beerschot who had finished last by a very large margin and were relegated after two seasons at the highest level. No other changes happened as Seraing (who finished 17th) won the Relegation play-off against RWDM, and thus stayed in the top division.

Relegations

With three clubs being relegated, there was a major turnover in coaches with most clubs changing coach during the season. Out of the 18 Pro League sides, only seven kept the same coach from the opening day to the last. Seraing became the first club to be relegated, following a 2–0 away loss to Club Brugge on 7 April 2023. One week later, on 15 April 2023, Oostende also dropped as they went down 0–4 at home to OH Leuven. Yet another week later, on the final matchday of the regular season, Zulte Waregem became the third and final team relegated following a 2–3 home loss to Cercle Brugge.

Stadiums and locations

Number of teams by provinces

Personnel and kits

More information Club, Manager ...
Club Manager Kit Manufacturer Sponsors
Anderlecht Denmark Brian Riemer [n 1] Joma DVV Insurance (home) & Candriam (away)
Antwerp Netherlands Mark van Bommel Jako betFIRST
Cercle Brugge Austria Miron Muslic [n 2] Kappa Napoleon Games
Charleroi Belgium Felice Mazzù [n 3] Kappa Unibet
Club Brugge Belgium Rik De Mil (caretaker) [n 4] Macron Unibet
Eupen Belgium Edward Still [n 5] Adidas Aspire Academy
Genk Belgium Wouter Vrancken Nike Beobank
Gent Belgium Hein Vanhaezebrouck Craft VDK Bank
Kortrijk Germany Bernd Storck [n 6] Jako AGO Jobs & HR
Mechelen Belgium Steven Defour [n 7] Erreà Telenet
OH Leuven Belgium Marc Brys Stanno Star Casino
Oostende Austria Dominik Thalhammer [n 8] Kipsta Bwin Casino Ostend
Seraing Belgium Jean-Sébastien Legros [n 9] Kappa Star Casino
Sint-Truiden Germany Bernd Hollerbach Macron Nishitan Clinic
Standard Liège Belgium Geoffrey Valenne (caretaker) [n 10] Adidas VOO
Union SG Belgium Karel Geraerts Union Soixante Loterie Nationale
Westerlo Belgium Jonas De Roeck Nike Soudal
Zulte-Waregem Belgium Frederik D’Hollander & Belgium Davy De fauw [n 11] Patrick Napoleon Games
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Managerial changes

More information Team, Outgoing manager ...
Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Date of vacancy Position Replaced by Date of appointment
Anderlecht Belgium Vincent Kompany Mutual consent End of 2021–22 season[8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17] Pre-season Belgium Felice Mazzù 31 May 2022[16]
Antwerp Denmark Brian Priske Sacked Netherlands Mark van Bommel 26 May 2022[18]
Club Brugge Netherlands Alfred Schreuder Signed for Netherlands Ajax Belgium Carl Hoefkens 25 May 2022[19]
Eupen Australia Michael Valkanis End of contract Germany Bernd Storck 25 May 2022[20]
Genk Germany Bernd Storck Mutual consent Belgium Wouter Vrancken 28 May 2022[21]
Mechelen Belgium Wouter Vrancken Signed for Genk Netherlands Danny Buijs 1 June 2022[22]
Seraing France Jean-Louis Garcia Resigned Belgium José Jeunechamps 20 May 2022[23]
Standard Liège Slovenia Luka Elsner Sacked Norway Ronny Deila 13 June 2022[24]
Union SG Belgium Felice Mazzù Signed for Anderlecht Belgium Karel Geraerts 9 June 2022[25]
Zulte Waregem Belgium Davy De fauw & Belgium Timmy Simons Replaced Senegal Mbaye Leye 17 May 2022[17]
Kortrijk France Karim Belhocine Sacked 29 August 2022[26] 17th Bosnia and Herzegovina Adnan Čustović 1 September 2022[27]
Cercle Brugge Austria Dominik Thalhammer Replaced 19 September 2022[28] Austria Miron Muslic 19 September 2022[28]
Mechelen Netherlands Danny Buijs Sacked 17 October 2022[29] 13th Belgium Steven Defour 17 October 2022[29]
Charleroi Belgium Edward Still 22 October 2022[30] 11th Belgium Frank Defays (caretaker) 28 November 2022 [n 12]
Eupen Germany Bernd Storck 23 October 2022[31] 14th Belgium Kristoffer Andersen and Belgium Mario Kohnen (caretakers) [32]
Anderlecht Belgium Felice Mazzù 24 October 2022[33] 12th Netherlands Robin Veldman (caretaker) 24 October 2022
Oostende Belgium Yves Vanderhaeghe 31 October 2022[34] 14th Austria Dominik Thalhammer
Seraing Belgium José Jeunechamps 31 October 2022[35] 17th Belgium Jean-Sébastien Legros (caretaker)
Kortrijk Bosnia and Herzegovina Adnan Čustović 14 November 2022[36] Germany Bernd Storck 18 November 2022 [37]
Eupen Belgium Kristoffer Andersen and Belgium Mario Kohnen End of caretaker spell 24 November 2022[38] 15th Belgium Edward Still 24 November 2022 [38]
Charleroi Belgium Frank Defays 28 November 2022[39][n 12] 12th Belgium Felice Mazzù 28 November 2022 [39][n 12]
Anderlecht Netherlands Robin Veldman 2 December 2022[40] 11th Denmark Brian Riemer 2 December 2022 [40]
Club Brugge Belgium Carl Hoefkens Sacked 28 December 2022[41] 4th England Scott Parker 31 December 2022[42]
England Scott Parker 8 March 2023[43] Belgium Rik De Mil (caretaker) [n 13] 8 March 2023
Zulte Waregem Senegal Mbaye Leye 15 March 2023[44] 17th Belgium Frederik D’Hollander & Belgium Davy De fauw 15 March 2023[44]
Standard Liège Norway Ronny Deila Signed for Club Brugge 25 May 2023[45] 7th Belgium Geoffrey Valenne (caretaker) 25 May 2023[45]
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Regular season

League table

More information Pos, Team ...
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Genk (J) 34 23 6 5 78 37 +41 75 Qualification for the Europa Conference League and Play-offs I[a]
2 Union SG 34 23 6 5 70 41 +29 75 Qualification for the Play-offs I
3 Antwerp (C) 34 22 6 6 59 26 +33 72
4 Club Brugge 34 16 11 7 61 36 +25 59
5 Gent (U) 34 16 8 10 64 38 +26 56 Qualification for the Play-offs II
6 Standard Liège 34 16 7 11 58 45 +13 55
7 Westerlo 34 14 9 11 61 53 +8 51
8 Cercle Brugge 34 13 11 10 50 46 +4 50
9 Charleroi 34 14 6 14 45 52 7 48
10 OH Leuven 34 13 9 12 56 48 +8 48
11 Anderlecht 34 13 7 14 49 46 +3 46
12 Sint-Truiden 34 11 9 14 37 40 3 42
13 Mechelen 34 11 7 16 49 63 14 40
14 Kortrijk 34 8 7 19 37 61 24 31
15 Eupen 34 7 7 20 40 75 35 28
16 Oostende (R) 34 7 6 21 37 76 39 27 Relegation to Challenger Pro League
17 Zulte Waregem (R) 34 6 9 19 50 78 28 27
18 Seraing (R) 34 5 5 24 28 68 40 20
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Source: Jupiler Pro League (in Dutch), Soccerway
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Matches won; 3) Goal difference; 4) Goals scored; 5) Away matches won; 6) Away goal difference; 7) Away goals scored; 8) Play-off.[46]
(C) Play-off I winner; (J) Regular season winner; (R) Relegated; (U) Play-off II winner
Notes:
  1. The regular season winners will qualify for the 2023–24 UEFA Europa Conference League if they do not qualify for the 2023–24 UEFA Champions League in the playoffs.[citation needed]

Results

More information Home \ Away, GNK ...
Home \ Away GNK USG ANT CLU GNT STA WES CER CHA OHL AND STR MEC KVK EUP OOS ZWA SER
Genk 1–2 0–1 3–1 1–0 3–1 6–1 2–1 4–1 2–1 5–2 0–0 3–1 2–1 4–2 3–0 1–0 2–0
Union SG 1–2 2–0 2–2 2–0 2–4 1–1 2–1 1–0 1–0 2–1 2–1 2–1 2–1 2–1 3–0 4–0 2–1
Antwerp 1–3 4–2 0–0 2–0 4–1 3–0 2–1 0–1 4–2 0–0 2–0 5–0 1–0 2–0 3–0 1–0 2–1
Club Brugge 3–2 1–1 2–2 2–0 2–0 0–2 4–0 2–2 1–1 1–1 3–0 3–0 2–1 7–0 4–2 1–1 2–0
Gent 2–3 1–1 1–2 2–0 0–0 2–1 3–4 0–0 2–0 1–0 1–1 3–0 2–1 3–0 1–2 2–0 2–1
Standard Liège 2–0 2–3 3–0 3–0 2–2 2–0 2–0 3–1 1–3 5–0 FF[a] 1–1 2–0 0–2 3–1 1–0 2–2 0–2
Westerlo 2–3 4–2 3–3 0–0 3–3 4–2 2–0 2–3 1–2 2–1 2–3 2–0 3–1 0–1 6–0 2–0 2–2
Cercle Brugge 1–1 1–1 0–2 2–2 3–2 1–1 0–1 4–1 2–1 1–0 3–1 0–0 2–0 5–1 2–2 1–1 3–1
Charleroi 2–2 0–1 1–0 1–3 2–1 0–1 2–3 2–1 0–1 0–1 1–0 0–5 FF[b] 2–2 3–1 1–3 3–2 3–0
OH Leuven 0–1 0–3 1–1 0–3 1–1 3–2 2–0 0–0 3–2 0–2 1–1 4–1 2–3 1–1 2–1 4–2 5–0
Anderlecht 0–2 1–3 0–0 0–1 0–1 2–2 0–0 2–0 0–1 2–2 3–1 2–3 4–1 4–2 2–0 2–3 3–1
Sint-Truiden 2–2 1–1 0–1 1–1 0–3 1–2 0–1 0–1 2–1 0–0 0–3 3–1 1–0 0–1 5–0 2–0 2–1
Mechelen 2–2 3–0 0–2 0–3 1–1 2–0 5–4 1–1 2–2 0–0 1–3 1–0 3–2 2–1 2–1 2–2 2–3
Kortrijk 1–0 2–4 2–1 1–0 0–4 0–1 0–2 1–1 0–1 0–2 2–2 0–0 1–4 0–0 2–2 1–3 3–2
Eupen 1–1[c] 1–2 0–1 2–1 0–4 2–0 1–1 2–2 1–2 4–2 0–1 0–2 2–1 0–1 4–4 1–5 1–3
Oostende 1–2 1–6 0–3 3–0 1–3 1–3 1–2 1–2 0–0 0–4 0–2 0–1 2–1 3–1 1–0 2–1 1–2
Zulte Waregem 1–4 1–3 0–2 1–2 2–6 0–3 1–1 2–3 1–3 2–5 3–2 0–3 2–0 3–3 5–5 1–1 2–0
Seraing 0–4 1–2 0–2 0–2 0–5 1–1 1–1 0–1 0–1 2–1 0–1 1–2 0–2 0–1 0–1 1–1 1–1
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Source: Kalender eerste klasse A 2022-23
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
Notes:
  1. Match stopped at 3–1 in the second half due to Anderlecht supporters throwing pyrotechnics on the pitch. Standard was awarded a 5–0 forfeit win, but both clubs were penalized for taking insufficient measures to prevent the event. Anderlecht were fined €10.000, forced to play two home matches without supporters, and given two provisional home matches without supporters. Standard were fined €10.000 and given one provisional home match without supporters.
  2. Match stopped at 1–0 in the second half due to Charleroi supporters throwing pyrotechnics on the pitch. Eleven days after the match, on 23 November 2022, Charleroi was penalized with a fine of €75.000 and three matches behind closed doors, and all media reported that the match would be overturned to a 0–5 forfeit loss to Charleroi. Four months later, on 17 March 2023, the disciplinary commission decided that the match has to be replayed (in full) behind closed doors, as referee Jan Boterberg made procedural errors in filing his report.[47] After an appeal at the Belgian Court For Sports Arbitrage by several impacted clubs, the final ruling was made on 11 April 2023, and Charleroi was given a 0–5 forfeit loss.
  3. Match postponed from 20 January 2023 to 1 February 2023 due to snowfall.

Positions by round

The table lists the positions of teams after the completion of each round.

More information Team ╲ Round, Genk ...
Team ╲ Round12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334
Genk12422222222211111111111111111111111
Union SG103116965764444443222222222222222222
Antwerp2211111111122222333333333333333333
Club Brugge7885433333333334444445444444455554
Gent81464357579866565555554555555544445
Standard Liège91691214119656655656766666666676776666
Westerlo4914710121312117788777677787777767667777
Cercle Brugge16131615161618181717171212912109910101010898888810101098
Charleroi151386868108101110131112121412111113131312111091199889
OH Leuven2149744445577889889999101111121311101111111110
Anderlecht46335789810999121011111111131312111010991098891011
Sint-Truiden111517171291011911111011119810108878989101112131212121212
Mechelen1417121181011101212121313101313131213121211121213131213121313131313
Kortrijk14121014131712141414151616171616171615151414141515141414151414141414
Eupen13101516181415151515161714151515151314141515151414151515141515151515
Oostende1611510111314131313131517141414141516161717171817171716161616161716
Zulte Waregem46713151517171818181818181817161717171616161616161617171717171617
Seraing16181818171816161616141415161718181818181818181718181818181818181818
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Play-offs

Play-off I

Points obtained during the regular season were halved (and rounded up in the event of half-points) before the start of the playoff. Genk and Union SG, therefore, started on 38 points, Antwerp on 36, and Club Brugge on 30. Only Antwerp did not see their points rounded up, hence in case of ties they were always ranked above the other teams. Any other ties were broken by regular season finishing order (Genk, then Union SG, then Club Brugge).

More information Pos, Team ...
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation ANT GNK USG CLU
1 Antwerp (C) 6 3 2 1 10 8 +2 47 Qualification for the Champions League play-off round 2–1 1–1 3–2
2 Genk (K) 6 2 2 2 10 10 0 46[a] Qualification for the Champions League second qualifying round 2–2 1–1 3–1
3 Union SG 6 2 2 2 8 8 0 46[a] Qualification for the Europa League play-off round 0–2 3–0 1–3
4 Club Brugge 6 2 0 4 10 12 2 36 Qualification for the Europa Conference League second qualifying round 2–0 1–3 1–2
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Source: Jupiler Pro League (in Dutch), Soccerway
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Points without (possible) half points added due to rounding; 3) Regular season finishing position.[48]
(C) Champions; (K) Regular season winner
Notes:
  1. Tied on Points and Points without half points added due to rounding. Regular Season finishing position: Genk 1, Union SG 2.

Play-off II

Points obtained during the regular season will be halved (and rounded up) before the start of the playoff. Gent and Standard started on 28 points, Westerlo on 26, and Cercle Brugge on 25. As the points of Standard and Westerlo were rounded up, in case of ties they would always be ranked below the team (or teams) they are tied with. The deciding factor after that would be finishing position in the regular season.

More information Pos, Team ...
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation GNT CER STA WES
1 Gent (F) 6 5 1 0 17 6 +11 44 Qualification for the Europa Conference League second qualifying round 2–2 3–1 3–1
2 Cercle Brugge 6 3 2 1 13 9 +4 36 0–4 0–0 2–0
3 Standard Liège 6 0 2 4 4 14 10 30[a] 1–2 0–4 2–2
4 Westerlo 6 1 1 4 10 15 5 30[a] 1–3 3–5 3–0
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Source: Jupiler Pro League (in Dutch), Soccerway
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Points without (possible) half points added due to rounding; 3) Regular season finishing position.[49]
(F) Play-off II winner
Notes:
  1. Tied on Points and Points without half points added due to rounding. Regular Season finishing position: Standard Liège 6 , Westerlo 7

Season statistics

As of 4 June 2023

Prizes awarded cover all 40 rounds of the season, i.e. the 34 rounds of regular season football plus the six weeks of Champions Play-Offs and Europe Play-Offs.

Top goalscorers

Clean sheets

Top assists

  • Trésor's tally of 24 was a new single-season Pro League assists record.

Hat-tricks

  • 4 Player scored four goals.

Attendances

Source:[53]

More information No., Club ...
No.ClubAverageHighest
1Club Brugge20,76329,000
2Standard de Liège19,24927,670
3Genk17,63822,004
4Anderlecht16,55321,500
5Royal Antwerp13,95716,144
6Gent13,09218,418
7Mechelen11,98316,125
8Zulte Waregem7,28512,209
9Charleroi6,88212,288
10OH Leuven6,4079,000
11RUSG6,4048,200
12Kortrijk6,2829,007
13Westerlo5,4218,035
14STVV5,3089,783
15Cercle Brugge4,42912,488
16Oostende3,6905,842
17Eupen2,8767,101
18Seraing2,0834,930
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Notes

  1. Belgium Felice Mazzù was the manager for matchdays 1 through 11, Netherlands Robin Veldman took up the role of caretaker manager on matchdays 11 through 17.
  2. Austria Dominik Thalhammer was the manager for matchdays 1 through 9.
  3. Belgium Edward Still was the manager for matchdays 1 through 14, Belgium Frank Defays took up the role of caretaker manager on matchdays 15 through 17.
  4. Belgium Carl Hoefkens was the manager for matchdays 1 through 18, England Scott Parker was in charge from matchday 19 through 28.
  5. Germany Bernd Storck was the manager for matchdays 1 through 14, Belgium Kristoffer Andersen and Belgium Mario Kohnen took up the role of caretaker manager on matchdays 15 through 17.
  6. France Karim Belhocine was the manager for matchdays 1 through 6, Bosnia and Herzegovina Adnan Čustović for matchdays 7 through 17.
  7. Netherlands Danny Buijs was the manager for matchdays 1 through 12.
  8. Belgium Yves Vanderhaeghe was the manager for matchdays 1 through 15.
  9. Belgium José Jeunechamps was the manager for matchdays 1 through 15.
  10. Norway Ronny Deila was the manager during the regular season and for matchdays 1 through 4 of Play-off II.
  11. Senegal Mbaye Leye was the manager for matchdays 1 through 29.
  12. The announcement of Felice Mazzù returning to Charleroi was already made on 12 November 2022, but Mazzù would only officially take up the role during the 2022 FIFA World Cup-break, on 28 November 2022.
  13. On 25 May 2023, Ronny Deila signed for Club Brugge as new manager. While he left Standard Liège immediately, caretaker Rik De Mil remained in charge at Club Brugge for the remainder of the season.

References

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