2016–17 Belgian First Division A

Belgian First Division A 2016–17
Season information
Winners	Anderlecht
Relegated	Westerlo
Continental cup qualifiers
Champions League	Anderlecht & Club Brugge
Europa League	Zulte Waregem, Gent & Oostende
Season statistics
Matches played	191
Goals scored	525
← 2015–16	2017–18 →

The 2016–17 season of the Belgian First Division A was the 114th season of top-tier football in Belgium and the first following the structural changes in the Belgian football pyramid, reducing the number of professional teams to 24. It is scheduled to start on the 29 July 2016 and will finish in May 2017. The fixtures were announced on 8 June 2016. Club Brugge are the defending champions.

Team changes

• OH Leuven was relegated after finishing last in the 2015–16 Belgian Pro League.
• Due to the fact that 2015–16 Belgian Second Division champions WS Brussels were refused a Belgian professional football license, Eupen was promoted as runner-up instead.

Teams

Stadiums and locations

Club	Location	Venue	Capacity
Anderlecht !Anderlecht	Anderlecht	Constant Vanden Stock Stadium	21,000
Charleroi !Charleroi	Charleroi	Stade du Pays de Charleroi	14,000
Club !Club Brugge	Brugge	Jan Breydel Stadium	29,042
Eupen !Eupen	Eupen	Kehrweg Stadion	8,363
Genk !Genk	Genk	Cristal Arena	24,956
Gent !Gent	Ghent	Ghelamco Arena	19,999
Kortrijk !Kortrijk	Kortrijk	Guldensporen Stadion	9,399
Lokeren !Lokeren	Lokeren	Daknamstadion	9,560
Mechelen !Mechelen	Mechelen	AFAS-stadion Achter de Kazerne	13,213
Mouscron !Mouscron-Péruwelz	Mouscron	Stade Le Canonnier	10,571
Beerschot !Oostende	Ostend	Albertpark	8,000
Sint-Truiden !Sint-Truiden	Sint-Truiden	Stayen	14,600
Standard !Standard Liège	Liège	Stade Maurice Dufrasne	28,278
Waasland !Waasland-Beveren	Beveren	Freethiel Stadion	8,190
Westerlo !Westerlo	Westerlo	Het Kuipje	8,035
Zulte !Zulte Waregem	Waregem	Regenboogstadion	9,540

Personnel and kits

Club	Manager	Captain	Kit Manufacturer	Sponsors
Anderlecht	René Weiler	Sofiane Hanni	Adidas	BNP Paribas Fortis
Charleroi	Felice Mazzu	Francisco Martos	Hungaria	Proximus
Club Brugge	Michel Preud'homme	Timmy Simons	Nike	Daikin
Eupen	Jordi Condom Aulí	Luis García Fernández	BURRDA	Aspire Academy
Excel Mouscron	Mircea Rednic	David Hubert	Patrick	Star Casino
Genk	Albert Stuivenberg	Thomas Buffel	Nike	Beobank
Gent	Hein Vanhaezebrouck	Danijel Milićević	Jartazi	VDK Spaarbank
Kortrijk	Bart Van Lancker	Nebojša Pavlović	Jako	AGO Jobs & HR
Lokeren	Rúnar Kristinsson	Killian Overmeire	Jartazi	QTeam
Mechelen	Yannick Ferrera	Seth De Witte	Kappa	Telenet
Oostende	Yves Vanderhaeghe	Franck Berrier	Joma	Willems Veranda's
Sint-Truiden	Ivan Leko	Steven De Petter	Kappa	Golden Palace
Standard Liège	Aleksandar Janković	Alexander Scholz	Kappa	BASE
Waasland-Beveren	Čedomir Janevski	Ibrahima Seck	Kappa	Circus
Westerlo	Jacky Mathijssen	Koen Van Langendonck	Saller	Soudal
Zulte-Waregem	Francky Dury	Mbaye Leye	Patrick	Record Bank

Managerial changes

Team	Outgoing manager	Manner of departure	Date of vacancy	Position	Replaced by	Date of appointment
Sint-Truiden	Chris O'Loughlin	Sacked	End of 2015–16 season	Pre-season	Ivan Leko	14 April 2016
Anderlecht	Besnik Hasi	Mutual Consent	End of 2015–16 season		René Weiler	21 June 2016
Kortrijk	Patrick De Wilde	Mutual consent	End of 2015–16 season		Karim Belhocine	1 July 2016
Kortrijk	Karim Belhocine	Did not possess Pro-licence diploma	29 August 2016	8th	Bart Van Lancker	29 August 2016
Standard Liège	Yannick Ferrera	Sacked	6 September 2016	10th	Aleksandar Janković	6 September 2016
Mechelen	Aleksandar Janković	Signed by Standard Liège	6 September 2016	7th	Yannick Ferrera	12 September 2016
Westerlo	Bob Peeters	Sacked	13 September 2016	16th	Jacky Mathijssen	14 September 2016
Lokeren	Georges Leekens	Sacked	26 October 2016	12th	Rúnar Kristinsson	28 October 2016
Waasland-Beveren	Stijn Vreven	Sacked	28 October 2016	14th	Čedomir Janevski	7 November 2016
Excel Mouscron	Glen De Boeck	Sacked	5 December 2016	15th	Mircea Rednic	6 December 2016
Genk	Peter Maes	Sacked	26 December 2016	9th	Albert Stuivenberg	27 December 2016
Kortrijk	Bart Van Lancker	Belhocine obtained Pro-licence diploma	8 March 2017	10th	Karim Belhocine	8 March 2017
Standard Liège	Aleksandar Janković	Sacked	17 April 2017	Regular season: 9th Europa League POs: 5th	José Jeunechamps (caretaker)	17 April 2017

Regular season

League table

Template:2016–17 Belgian First Division A Regular Season table

Championship play-offs

The points obtained during the regular season were halved (and rounded up) before the start of the playoff. As a result, the teams started with the following points before the playoff: Anderlecht 31 points, Club Brugge 30, Zulte Waregem 27, Gent 25, Oostende 25 and Charleroi 25. The points of Anderlecht, Club Brugge and Charleroi were rounded up, therefore in case of any ties on points at the end of the playoffs, the half point will be deducted for these teams.

League table

Template:2016–17 Belgian First Division A Championship play-offs table

Europa League play-offs

Group A of the play-offs will consist of the teams finishing in positions 7, 9, 12 and 14 during the regular season and the first and third placed team in the qualifying positions in the 2016–17 Belgian First Division B. The teams finishing in positions 8, 10, 11, 13 and 15 will join the second placed qualifier from the 2016–17 Belgian First Division B in group B.

Group A

Template:2016–17 Belgian First Division A Europa League play-offs Group A table

Group B

Template:2016–17 Belgian First Division A Europa League play-offs Group B table

Semi-final

The winners of both play-off groups compete in one match to play the fourth-placed or fifth-placed team of the championship play-offs for a spot in the final. This match will be played on the field of the highest ranked team in the regular competition. The winner of the semi-final will advance to the final to play for a spot in the third qualifying round of the 2016–17 UEFA Europa League.

27 May 2017 (2017-05-27) 20:30 CEST	Genk	3–0	Sint-Truiden	Luminus Arena, Genk Referee: Nicolas Laforge
	Buffel  32' Boëtius  43' Samatta  55'	Pro League Soccerway

Final

The winner of the Europa League play-off semi-final and the fourth-placed or fifth-placed team of the championship play-offs (depending on cup winner) will play one match to determine the Europa League play-off winner. The winner qualifies for the third qualifying round of the 2016–17 UEFA Europa League.

31 May 2017 (2017-05-31) 20:30 CEST	Oostende	3–1	Genk	Versluys Arena, Ostend Referee: Lawrence Visser
	Akpala  27' Rozehnal  32' Jali  51'	Sporza	Schrijvers  45' (pen.)

Template:2016–17 in Belgian football