| Season | 2007–08 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Standard Liège |
| Relegated | Sint-Truidense Brussels |
| Champions League | Standard Liège Anderlecht |
| UEFA Cup | Club Brugge Gent |
| Matches | 306 |
| Goals | 795 (2.6 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Joseph Akpala Elyaniv Barda Milan Jovanović Mbaye Leye Sanharib Malki (16 each) |
2008–09 → | |
The2007–08 season of theBelgianFirst Division began on August 3, 2007, and concluded on May 10, 2008. The championship was decided in the 31st round on April 20, 2008, whenStandard Liège beatAnderlecht 2–0 at home. For Standard it was their 9th League Championship, but just their first in the last 25 years. At the other end of the table,Brussels andSint-Truiden were relegated on matchdays 31 and 32 respectively. Behind Standard,Anderlecht andClub Brugge fought until the end for the second place which gives right to a place in the qualifying rounds of the2008–09 UEFA Champions League. On the penultimate matchday, Anderlecht won against Club Brugge with 2–0 which proved decisive in the end for them to become second.
Eighteen teams played in theBelgian First Division season 2007–08. Twelve teams were fromFlanders, four clubs fromWallonia and two clubs from theBrussels-Capital Region.
K.S.K. Beveren had been relegated at the end of the previous season withF. C. Verbroedering Dender E.H. replacing them as they won theBelgian Second Division.Lierse lost their spot during thepromotion playoff and were replaced byY.R. K.V. Mechelen.
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Replaced by | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sint-Truiden | Quit | 18 September 2007[1] | 18 September 2007 | ||
| Anderlecht | Mutual consent | 12 November 2007[2] | 12 November 2007 | ||
| Dender EH | Mutual consent | 19 November 2007[3] | 27 November 2007 | ||
| Charleroi | Quit | 10 December 2007[4] | 10 December 2007 | ||
| Sint-Truiden | Caretaker replaced | 10 December 2007[5] | 10 December 2007 | ||
| Mouscron | Fired | 17 December 2007[6] | 17 December 2007 | ||
| Brussels | Fired | 22 December 2007[7] | 22 December 2007 | ||
| Mouscron | Caretaker replaced | 27 December 2007 | 27 December 2007[8] | ||
| Brussels | Caretaker replaced | 24 January 2008 | 24 January 2008 | ||
| Mons | Fired | 27 January 2008[9] | 28 January 2008[10] | ||
| Genk | Fired | 23 February 2008 | 23 February 2008 |
| Team | Kit maker | Shirt sponsor | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anderlecht | Adidas | Fortis | |
| Genk | Airness | Euphony, Carglass and Vasco | Other sponsor: Asap.be |
| Standard | Umbro | BASE,TNT | |
| Gent | Jako | VDK | |
| Charleroi | Errea | VOO, Champion | |
| Club Brugge | Puma | Dexia | |
| Germinal Beerschot | Legea | Quick | |
| Westerlo | Saller | Willy Naessens Industriebouw | Side sponsors: Sika, Veralu, Gouden Gids, ING, Netex |
| Mons | Jako | Holcim | Side sponsors: SGI, Foruminvest |
| Mouscron | Errea | Frinver | Side sponsors: O2XA, Renault Mouscron |
| Roeselare | Joma | Deceuninck | Side sponsors: Alheembouw, Molecule, Vanheede |
| Cercle Brugge | Masita | Vacansoleil | Side sponsors: Vaillant, Renault Denoyel, Soncotra, Oud Brugge, The city of Bruges |
| Brussels | Jartazi | Vermeersch Construct and Kia Motors | Side sponsors: Crefibel, Tonissteiner, Verabel, Alno |
| Zulte-Waregem | Lotto | BIK Woningen NV | Side sponsors: Nollens Poultry, Stortbeton Declerq, Euphony, Mink, Giks Mode |
| Sint-Truiden | Umbro | Belisol | Side sponsors: Radson, Start People |
| Lokeren | Jartazi | Edialux | Side sponsors: DCM, Q-Team-VP-Lambrecht, Start People, vitrine.be, Garage Van Winckel, Van De Walle Industriebouw, Pingy |
| Dender | Nike | De Doncker, Van Roy | |
| Mechelen | Nike | Telenet | Side sponsors: Veolia Environnement, Krefima, Gybels, United Brands |
| Team | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | Stade Maurice Dufrasne | 30,000 |
| Cercle Brugge | Jan Breydel Stadium | 29,415 |
| Club Brugge | Jan Breydel Stadium | 29,415 |
| Anderlecht | Constant Vanden Stock Stadium | 28,063 |
| Charleroi | Stade du Pays de Charleroi | 25,000 |
| Genk | Cristal Arena | 24,900 |
| Mechelen | Veolia-Stadion | 14,145 |
| Gent | Jules Ottenstadion | 12,919 |
| Sint-Truiden | Staaienveld | 12,491 |
| Brussels | Edmond Machtens Stadium | 12,340 |
| Germinal Beerschot | Olympisch Stadion | 12,148 |
| Mouscron | Stade Le Canonnier | 11,500 |
| Lokeren | Daknamstadion | 10,000 |
| Mons | Stade Charles Tondreau | 9,504 |
| Roeselare | Schiervelde Stadion | 9,036 |
| Zulte-Waregem | Regenboogstadion | 8,500 |
| Westerlo | Het Kuipje | 8,200 |
| Dender | Florent Beeckmanstadion | 6,800 |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Standard Liège(C) | 34 | 22 | 11 | 1 | 61 | 19 | +42 | 77 | Qualification toChampions League third qualifying round |
| 2 | Anderlecht | 34 | 21 | 7 | 6 | 59 | 31 | +28 | 70 | Qualification toChampions League second qualifying round |
| 3 | Club Brugge | 34 | 20 | 7 | 7 | 45 | 30 | +15 | 67 | Qualification toUEFA Cup first round |
| 4 | Cercle Brugge | 34 | 17 | 9 | 8 | 62 | 33 | +29 | 60 | |
| 5 | Germinal Beerschot | 34 | 16 | 7 | 11 | 46 | 34 | +12 | 55 | Qualification toIntertoto Cup second round[11] |
| 6 | Gent | 34 | 14 | 10 | 10 | 57 | 46 | +11 | 52 | Qualification toUEFA Cup second qualifying round |
| 7 | Zulte Waregem | 34 | 13 | 8 | 13 | 47 | 54 | −7 | 47 | |
| 8 | Charleroi | 34 | 13 | 7 | 14 | 41 | 45 | −4 | 46 | |
| 9 | Westerlo | 34 | 12 | 9 | 13 | 43 | 37 | +6 | 45 | |
| 10 | Genk | 34 | 12 | 9 | 13 | 54 | 55 | −1 | 45 | |
| 11 | Mouscron | 34 | 12 | 6 | 16 | 38 | 43 | −5 | 42 | |
| 12 | Lokeren | 34 | 9 | 15 | 10 | 32 | 33 | −1 | 42 | |
| 13 | Mechelen | 34 | 10 | 10 | 14 | 45 | 52 | −7 | 40 | |
| 14 | Roeselare | 34 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 36 | 55 | −19 | 38 | |
| 15 | Dender | 34 | 9 | 6 | 19 | 33 | 59 | −26 | 33 | |
| 16 | Mons | 34 | 7 | 12 | 15 | 37 | 45 | −8 | 33 | |
| 17 | Sint-Truiden(R) | 34 | 6 | 9 | 19 | 32 | 58 | −26 | 27 | Relegation to2008–09 Belgian Second Division |
| 18 | Brussels(R) | 34 | 4 | 7 | 23 | 27 | 66 | −39 | 19 |
| Home \ Away | AND | GBA | CER | BRU | CHA | DEN | GNK | GNT | LOK | KVM | FCB | MON | MOU | ROE | STA | STV | WES | ZWA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anderlecht | 2–0 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 3–2 | 2–1 | 5–0 | 0–0 | 4–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | |
| Germinal Beerschot | 2–0 | 3–0 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 4–3 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 0–0 | |
| Cercle Brugge | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 3–1 | 3–0 | 5–1 | 4–1 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 3–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 5–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | |
| Club Brugge | 1–0 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–6 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 3–2 | 4–0 | 1–0 | |
| Charleroi | 0–2 | 0–0 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–3 | |
| Dender | 2–2 | 1–2 | 2–4 | 1–0 | 2–4 | 2–0 | 0–3 | 0–1 | 0–3 | 1–1 | 0–3 | 0–3 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2–1 | |
| Genk | 1–1 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 3–3 | 2–3 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 3–1 | 0–0 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 5–2 | |
| Gent | 2–3 | 2–1 | 3–2 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 2–4 | 5–0 | 4–2 | 4–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | |
| Lokeren | 0–0 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 3–0 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 0–0 | |
| Mechelen | 0–1 | 1–2 | 0–4 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 4–3 | 0–1 | 2–3 | 1–0 | 2–1 | |
| Brussels | 2–4 | 1–2 | 1–4 | 1–3 | 1–2 | 4–1 | 0–5 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 1–2 | |
| Mons | 1–2 | 0–0 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 1–3 | 3–0 | |
| Mouscron | 1–2 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 1–4 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 0–2 | |
| Roeselare | 2–2 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 3–1 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 4–3 | 2–1 | 0–4 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 3–2 | |
| Standard Liège | 2–0 | 3–1 | 4–1 | 2–1 | 5–1 | 3–0 | 3–1 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 3–1 | |
| Sint-Truiden | 4–3 | 0–3 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 0–2 | 2–1 | |
| Westerlo | 0–2 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 7–2 | 0–0 | 0–2 | 6–0 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | |
| Zulte Waregem | 1–0 | 2–1 | 0–3 | 2–3 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 1–4 | 3–2 | 1–0 |
As of May 6, 2008:
| Player | Team | Goals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charleroi | 16 | |
| = | Genk | 16 | |
| = | Standard Liège | 16 | |
| = | Zulte Waregem | 16 | |
| = | Germinal Beerschot | 16 | |
| 6 | Standard Liège | 15 | |
| 7 | Roeselare | 14 | |
| 8 | YR KV Mechelen | 13 | |
| 9 | Gent | 11 | |
| = | Gent | 11 | |
| = | Club Brugge | 11 | |
| = | Mouscron | 11 |
† François Sterchele died on May 8, 2008, in a car crash and thus did not complete the full season.[12]