| Season | 2022–23 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 22 July 2022 – 4 June 2023 |
| Champions | Royal Antwerp |
| Relegated | Oostende Zulte Waregem Seraing |
| Champions League | Royal Antwerp Genk |
| Europa League | Union SG |
| Europa Conference League | Club Brugge Gent |
| Matches | 330 |
| Goals | 1,011 (3.06 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Hugo Cuypers (27 goals) |
| Biggest home win | Club Brugge 7–0Eupen (23 April 2023) |
| Biggest away win | Oostende 1–6Union SG (16 October 2022) |
| Highest scoring | Zulte Waregem 5–5 Eupen (12 November 2022) |
| Longest winning run | 10 (Genk) |
| Longest unbeaten run | 17 (Union SG) |
| Longest winless run | 11 (Oostende) |
| Longest losing run | 7 (Seraing) |
| Highest attendance | 26,271 (Standard -Anderlecht) |
| Lowest attendance | 0 (Anderlecht - Zulte Waregem, behind closed doors) |
| Total attendance | 3,154,698 |
| Average attendance | 9,560 |
2023–24 → | |
The2022–23 Belgian Pro League (officially known as theJupiler Pro League due to sponsorship reasons) was the 120th season of top-tier football inBelgium.Royal Antwerp were crowned league champions for the first time in 66 years after pippingGenk andUnion 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 beforeToby Alderweireld's title-clinching goal.[3]
Genk's title-challenge was helped by a record-breaking 24 assists fromMike Trésor whileHugo Cuypers ofGent became the first Belgian winner of the Golden Bull for top scorer sinceRomelu 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.
At the end of the2019–20 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 the2021–22 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.
Eighteen teams competed in the league – the top seventeen teams from the previous season and2021–22 Belgian First Division B championsWesterlo who returned after spending five seasons at the second tier following their relegation at the end of the2016–17 season. They replacedBeerschot who had finished last by a very large margin and were relegated after two seasons at the highest level. No other changes happened asSeraing (who finished 17th) won theRelegation play-off againstRWDM, and thus stayed in the top division.
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 toClub Brugge on 7 April 2023. One week later, on 15 April 2023,Oostende also dropped as they went down 0–4 at home toOH 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 toCercle Brugge.
| Matricule | Club | Location | Venue | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | Anderlecht | Anderlecht,Brussels | Constant Vanden Stock Stadium | 21,500 |
| 1 | Antwerp | Antwerp | Bosuilstadion | 16,144 |
| 12 | Cercle Brugge | Bruges | Jan Breydel Stadium | 29,042 |
| 22 | Charleroi | Charleroi | Stade du Pays de Charleroi | 14,000 |
| 3 | Club Brugge | Bruges | Jan Breydel Stadium | 29,042 |
| 4276 | Eupen | Eupen | Kehrwegstadion | 8,363 |
| 322 | Genk | Genk | Cegeka Arena | 24,956 |
| 7 | Gent | Ghent | Ghelamco Arena | 20,000 |
| 19 | Kortrijk | Kortrijk | Guldensporen Stadion | 9,399 |
| 25 | Mechelen | Mechelen | AFAS-stadion Achter de Kazerne | 16,700 |
| 31 | Oostende | Ostend | Versluys Arena | 8,432 |
| 18 | OH Leuven | Leuven | Den Dreef | 10,000 |
| 167 | Seraing | Seraing | Stade du Pairay | 8,207 |
| 373 | Sint-Truiden | Sint-Truiden | Stayen | 14,600 |
| 16 | Standard Liège | Liège | Stade Maurice Dufrasne | 30,023 |
| 10 | Union SG | Saint-Gilles,Brussels | Stade Joseph Marien | 8,000 |
| 2024 | Westerlo | Westerlo | Het Kuipje | 8,035 |
| 5381 | Zulte Waregem | Waregem | Regenboogstadion | 12,500 |
| Club | Manager | Kit Manufacturer | Sponsors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anderlecht | Joma | DVV Insurance (home) &Candriam (away) | |
| Antwerp | Jako | betFIRST | |
| Cercle Brugge | Kappa | Napoleon Games | |
| Charleroi | Kappa | Unibet | |
| Club Brugge | Macron | Unibet | |
| Eupen | Adidas | Aspire Academy | |
| Genk | Nike | Beobank | |
| Gent | Craft | VDK Bank | |
| Kortrijk | Jako | AGO Jobs & HR | |
| Mechelen | Erreà | Telenet | |
| OH Leuven | Stanno | Star Casino | |
| Oostende | Kipsta | Bwin Casino Ostend | |
| Seraing | Kappa | Star Casino | |
| Sint-Truiden | Macron | Nishitan Clinic | |
| Standard Liège | Adidas | VOO | |
| Union SG | Union Soixante | Loterie Nationale | |
| Westerlo | Nike | Soudal | |
| Zulte-Waregem | Patrick | Napoleon Games |
| 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 theEuropa Conference League andPlay-offs I[a] |
| 2 | Union SG | 34 | 23 | 6 | 5 | 70 | 41 | +29 | 75 | Qualification for thePlay-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 thePlay-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 toChallenger 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 |
| 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 |
The table lists the positions of teams after the completion of each round.
| Team ╲ Round | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genk | 12 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Union SG | 10 | 3 | 11 | 6 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Antwerp | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Club Brugge | 7 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
| Gent | 8 | 14 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 |
| Standard Liège | 9 | 16 | 9 | 12 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Westerlo | 4 | 9 | 14 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Cercle Brugge | 16 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Charleroi | 1 | 5 | 13 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 9 |
| OH Leuven | 2 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 |
| Anderlecht | 4 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| Sint-Truiden | 11 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| Mechelen | 14 | 17 | 12 | 11 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
| Kortrijk | 14 | 12 | 10 | 14 | 13 | 17 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 |
| Eupen | 13 | 10 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 |
| Oostende | 16 | 11 | 5 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 |
| Zulte Waregem | 4 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 17 |
| Seraing | 16 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 |
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).
| 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 theChampions League play-off round | — | 2–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 | |
| 2 | Genk(K) | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 46[a] | Qualification for theChampions League second qualifying round | 2–2 | — | 1–1 | 3–1 | |
| 3 | Union SG | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 46[a] | Qualification for theEuropa League play-off round | 0–2 | 3–0 | — | 1–3 | |
| 4 | Club Brugge | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 12 | −2 | 36 | Qualification for theEuropa Conference League second qualifying round | 2–0 | 1–3 | 1–2 | — |
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.
| 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 theEuropa 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 | — |
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.
| Player | Club | Against | Result | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cercle Brugge | Gent | 4–3 (A) | 2 October 2022 | |
| OH Leuven | Zulte Waregem | 5–2 (A) | 8 October 2022 | |
| Cercle Brugge | Eupen | 5–1 (H) | 15 October 2022 | |
| Genk | Charleroi | 4–1 (H) | 4 November 2022 | |
| Gent | Zulte Waregem | 6–2 (A) | 12 March 2023 | |
| Zulte Waregem | Eupen | 5–1 (A) | 15 April 2023 | |
| Club Brugge | Eupen | 7–0 (H) | 23 April 2023 | |
| Westerlo | Cercle Brugge | 3–5 (H) | 7 May 2023 | |
| Gent | Cercle Brugge | 4–0 (A) | 13 May 2023 | |
| Gent | Standard Liege | 3–1 (H) | 3 June 2023 |