Livida Sport: A Global Guide to Football Transfers - Second Edition - Manual / Resource - Page 49
Belgium
Belgian Pro League
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The Belgian Pro League is the top tier of professional football in Belgium with the winner
automatically qualifying for the UEFA Champions League, whilst the second-placed team
enters the Champions League qualifying round.
It is renowned for its strong record of youth development, with Romelu Lukaku, Kevin De
Bruyne and Jeremy Doku all having begun their careers in the Pro League, which has
been a driving force for the success of the national team.
Belgium9s status as an EU member, combined with its relaxed rules on foreign players in
general, has made the country a popular target for multi-club ownership models. City
Football Group, for example, are the owners of second-tier club Lommel, while Brighton &
Hove Albion FC owner Tony Bloom is the majority owner of Union Saint-Gilloise, one of
the Pro League9s top clubs. K.V. Kortrijk is owned by Vincent Tan, the Malaysian owner of
Cardiff City FC in the England Championship.
What are the foreign player rules?
In a 25-man squad, at least eight players must be home-grown, with six home-grown
players required in the match-day squad. Players from CEMAC countries, which include
the Central African Republic, Gabon, Congo, and Equatorial Guinea, will not be considered
foreign.
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