TheEredivisie (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈeː.rə.di.ˌvi.zi];"Honor Diveesion") is the heichest echelon o profeesionalfitbaw in the Netherlands. The league wis foondit in 1956, twa years efter the stairt o profeesional fitbaw in the Netherlands. At the end o the 2012–2013 saison it wisrankit the aicht best league in Europe biUEFA.[1]
The top division consists o 18 clubs. Ilka club meets ivery ither club twice durin the saison, ance at hame an ance awa. At the end o ilka saison, the club at the bottom is automaticallyrelegatit tae the seicont level o the Dutch league seestem, theEerste Divisie (First Diveesion). At the same time, the champion o theEerste Divisie will be automaticallypromotit tae the Eredivisie. The next twa clubs frae the bottom o the Eredivisie go tae separate promotion/relegation play-affs. The play-affs are played in twa groups. Ilka group haes ane Eredivisie club an three heich-placit clubs frae theEerste Divisie. In baith promotion/relegation play-aff groups, ilka club plays a hame-an-awa series wi the ither clubs. The winner o ilka play-aff group plays in the follaein saison's Eredivisie, wi the ither teams goin tae theEerste Divisie.
The winner o the Eredivisie claims theDutch naitional championship.AFC Ajax haes wan maist titles, 24 (33 naitional titles).PSV Eindhoven are next wi 18 (21), anFeyenoord follae wi 9 (14). Syne 1965, these three clubs hae wan aw except for three titles (the 1981 an 2009 titles went taeAZ anFC Twente wan the 2010 title).
