Official: four U23 teams in 1B from 2022

YOUTH The Supreme Council of the KBVB has officially given the green light for the integration of U23  teams in 1B and in the first and second amateurs division. From the 2022-2023 season, fourteen clubs will be allowed to enter their U23 in adult football.


Four teams will end up in 1B, four in the first amateur division and six in the second amateur division. Who will appear in which division depends on the ranking in the U21 competition of the Pro League next season 2021-2022. Initially, this is a pilot project for two seasons.

Strict rules on players' eligibility to play will be applied, on the one hand to ensure the smooth running of the competitions and, on the other hand, to achieve the objective so that the talents of the professional clubs can benefit from a high-quality post-formation, it sounds in the announcement.

Last season, Club Brugge was the only team who was allowed to let its U23 play in 1B. This was met with a lot of criticism from Anderlecht and Genk, among others. There will be no U23 team in 1B the upcoming season.