Thanks to the victories of Club Brugge, Union and AA Gent, we already know the end of our competition on one match day from the end. Who can participate in which European cup next season? And when will the club be in action?
Club Brugge: champion -> straight to Champions League
Club Brugge is champion for the 3rd time in a row and can also enter the group stage of the Champions League for the 3rd time in a row. This not only means that Club is assured of another good amount of money, but also that it does not have to worry about preliminary round matches at the start of the competition.
Club Brugge starts its European adventure on 6 of 7 september, when the first day of the Champions League is scheduled. Club will know his opponents in the draw on 25 August.
Union: vice champion -> 3rd qualifying round Champions League
As the winner of the regular competition, Union was already certain that European football would play next season, for the first time since 1964. Perhaps they had hoped for more in Sint-Gillis, but thanks to the title of vice champion, Union still has a view of the Champions League .
Union starts its European story in the 3rd preliminary round of the most attractive European cup. The draw for this is on July 18, the first leg on 2 of 3 augustus and the return leg a week later.
If Union lose this match, it ends up anyway in the group stage of the Europa League† Should Union win, only a double play-off match will keep them from the CL group stage. If defeated in that phase, it simply ends up in the EL group phase again.
AA Gent: cup winner -> last preliminary round Europa League
AA Gent has won the Europe Play-offs, but as a cup winner it is entitled to an even more attractive European ticket, namely that of the last preliminary round of the Europa League.
The draw for that phase will take place on August 1, the matches themselves will be played on August 18 and 25. With a win, Ghent can go to the group stage of the Europe Play-offs, with a loss, the group stage of the Conference League awaits.
Anderlecht: 3rd place -> 3rd preliminary round Conference League
With its 3rd place Anderlecht is 1 place better than last year. Still, just like then, it has to start in the 3rd preliminary round of the Conference League, so it is 2 rounds away from the group stage.
Op August 4 and 11 Anderlecht can already start, from 18 July it can scout its first opponent. Anderlecht does not have a safety net, such as Union and Gent. It has to fight through both rounds to get to the group stage of the Conference League.
Antwerp: 4th place -> 2nd preliminary round Conference League
Antwerp finished the regular competition in 4th place and that’s where it ends after the play-offs. It’s lucky that it doesn’t have to play jump-offs, because cup winner Ghent was also able to win the Europe Play-offs.
Yet it will be a tough job for Antwerp to reach the group stage of the Conference League, because it still has 6 matches to play. On 15 June, in exactly one month’s time, the draw for the 2nd preliminary round will already take place. Antwerp plays its first duels July 21 and 28.
