Eredivisie

Eredivisie
Organising body KNVB
Founded 1956 (1956)
Country Netherlands
Confederation UEFA
Number of teams 18
Level on pyramid 1
Relegation to Eerste Divisie
Domestic cup(s)
International cup(s)
Current champions PSV Eindhoven (24th title)
(2017–18)
Most championships Ajax (33 titles)
TV partners
Website Eredivisie.nl
2018–19 Eredivisie

The Eredivisie (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈeːrədivizi]; "Honour Division" or "Premier Division") is the highest echelon of professional football in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956, two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. At the end of the 2015–2016 season it was ranked the 13th best league in Europe by UEFA.[1]

The top division consists of 18 clubs. Each club meets every other club twice during the season, once at home and once away. At the end of each season, the club at the bottom is automatically relegated to the second level of the Dutch league system, the Eerste Divisie (First Division). At the same time, the champion of the Eerste Divisie will be automatically promoted to the Eredivisie. The next two clubs from the bottom of the Eredivisie go to separate promotion/relegation play-offs with eight high-placed clubs from the Eerste Divisie.

The winner of the Eredivisie claims the Dutch national championship. Ajax has won most titles, 25 (33 national titles). PSV Eindhoven are next with 21 (24), and Feyenoord follow with 10 (15). Since 1965, these three clubs have won all but three Eredivisie titles (the 1981 and 2009 titles went to AZ and FC Twente won the 2010 title). Ajax, PSV and Feyenoord are known as the "Big Three" of Dutch football. They are the only ones in their current forms to have appeared in every edition of the Eredivisie since its formation. A fourth club, FC Utrecht, is the product of a 1970 merger between three of that city's clubs, one of which, VV DOS, had also never been relegated out of the Eredivisie.

From 1990 to 1999, the official name of the league was PTT Telecompetitie (after the sponsor, PTT Telecom), which was changed to KPN Telecompetitie (because PTT Telecom changed its name to KPN Telecom in 1999) and to KPN Eredivisie in 2000. From 2002 to 2005, the league was called the Holland Casino Eredivisie. Since the 2005–06 season, the league has been sponsored by the Sponsorloterij (lottery), but for legal reasons its name could not be attached to the league (the Dutch government was against the name, because the Eredivisie would, after Holland Casino's sponsorship, yet again be sponsored by a company providing games of chance). On 8 August 2012 it was made public that the Australian tycoon Rupert Murdoch had secured the rights to the Eredivisie for 12 years at the expense of 1 billion euros, beginning in the 2013/2014 season.[2] Within this deal the five largest Eredivisie clubs should receive 5 million euros per year for the duration of the contract.[3]

History

From the foundation of the Dutch national football championship in 1898 until 1954, the title was decided through play-offs by a handful of clubs who had previously won their regional league.[4] The competition was purely an amateur one; the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) rejected any form of payment and suspended players who were caught receiving salary or transfer fees.[5] The call for professional football grew in the early fifties after many national team members left to play abroad in search for financial benefits.[6] The KNVB would usually suspend these players, preventing them from appearing for the Dutch national team. After the North Sea flood of 1953, the Dutch players abroad (mainly playing in the French league) organised a charity match against the French national team in Paris. The match was boycotted by the KNVB, but after the assembled Dutch players defeated the French (2–1), the Dutch public witnessed the heights that could be achieved through professional football.[7] To serve the growing interest, a dissident professional football association (the NBVB) and league were founded for the 1954–55 season.[8] On 3 July 1954, the KNVB met with a group of concerned amateur club chairmen, who feared the best players would join the professional teams. The meeting, dubbed the slaapkamerconferentie ('bedroom conference'), led to the Association reluctantly accepting semi-professionalism.[5]

Meanwhile, both the KNVB and the NBVB started their separate competition. The first professional football match was contested between Alkmaar and Venlo.[5] The leagues went on for eleven rounds, before a merger was negotiated between the two federations in November. Both leagues were cancelled and a new, combined competition emerged immediately. De Graafschap, Amsterdam, Alkmaar and Fortuna '54 from the NBVB were accepted to the new league. Other clubs merged, which led to new names like Rapid J.C., Holland Sport and Roda Sport. The first (semi-)professional league was won by Willem II.[9] For the 1956–57 season, the KNVB abandoned the regional league system. The Eredivisie was founded, in which the eighteen best clubs nationwide directly played for the league title without play-offs. The inaugural members of the Eredivisie in 1956 were Ajax, BVC, BVV, DOS, EVV, Elinkwijk, SC Enschede, Feijenoord, Fortuna '54, GVAV, MVV, NAC, NOAD, PSV, Rapid J.C., Sparta, VVV '03 and Willem II.[10] Ajax was the first team to claim the title that season.[10]

Current teams (2018–19)

Club
 City Capacity Position
in 2017-18		 1st season
in Eredivisie		 No. of seasons
in Eredivisie		 1st season of
current spell		 No. of seasons
of current spell		 Eredivisie titles National titles Last title
Ajaxa bAmsterdam54,9902nd1956–57631956–576325332014
AZAlkmaar17,2503rd1968–69411998–9921222009
ADO Den HaagThe Hague15,0007th1957–58452008–0911021943
FC EmmenEmmen8,600promoted*2018-1912018-19100-
ExcelsiorRotterdam4,40011th1970–71222014–15500-
Feyenoorda bRotterdam51,1374th1956–57631956–576310152017
Fortuna SittardSittard12,500promoted*1968-69202018-19100-
de GraafschapDoetinchem12,600promoted*1973-74212018-19100-
FC GroningenGroningen22,57912th1971–72402000–011900-
SC HeerenveenHeerenveen27,2248th1990–91271993–942600-
Heracles AlmeloAlmelo12,08010th1962–63192005–0614021941
PSVa bEindhoven36,5001st1956–57631956–576321242018
NAC BredaaBreda19,00014th1956–57502017–182011921
FC UtrechtbUtrecht23,7505th1970–71491970–714900-
VitesseArnhem21,2486th1971–72341989–903000-
VVV-VenloaVenlo8,00015th1956–57222017–18200-
Willem IIaTilburg14,50013th1956–57422014–155031955
PEC ZwolleZwolle14,0009th1978–79192012–13700-

* Fortuna Sittard finished second in the Eerste Divisie. FC Emmen won against Sparta Rotterdam in the playoff final and de Graafschap defeated Almere City.

a Founding member of the Eredivisie
 b Never been relegated from the Eredivisie

Performance by club

Club Winner Runner-up Winning years
Ajax33
231917–18, 1918–19, 1930–31, 1931–32, 1933–34, 1936–37, 1938–39, 1946–47, 1956–57, 1959–60, 1965–66, 1966–67, 1967–68, 1969–70, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1976–77, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1984–85, 1989–90, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1997–98, 2001–02, 2003–04, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14
PSV24
141928–29, 1934–35, 1950–51, 1962–63, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1977–78, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1996–97, 1999–00, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18
Feyenoord15
211923–24, 1927–28, 1935–36, 1937–38, 1939–40, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1964–65, 1968–69, 1970–71, 1973–74, 1983–84, 1992–93, 1998–99, 2016–17
HVV Den Haag10
11890–91, 1895–96, 1899–00, 1900–01, 1901–02, 1902–03, 1904–05, 1906–07, 1909–10, 1913–14
Sparta Rotterdam6–1908–09, 1910–11, 1911–12, 1912–13, 1914–15, 1958–59
RAP531891–92, 1893–94, 1896–97, 1897–98, 1898–99
Go Ahead Eagles451916–17, 1921–22, 1929–30, 1932–33
Koninklijke HFC331889–90, 1892–93, 1894–95
Willem II311915–16, 1951–52, 1954–55
HBS Craeyenhout3–1903–04, 1905–06, 1924–25
AZ221980–81, 2008–09
Heracles Almelo211926–27, 1940–41
ADO Den Haag2–1941–42, 1942–43
RCH2–1922–23, 1952–53
NAC Breda141920–21
FC Twente132009–10
DWS131963–64
Roda JC Kerkrade*121955–56
Be Quick121919–20
FC Eindhoven121953–54
SC Enschede111925–26
DOS111957–58
FC Den Bosch111947–48
De Volewijckers1–1943–44
HFC Haarlem1–1945–46
Limburgia1–1949–50
SVV1–1948–49
Quick Den Haag1–1907–08
VV Concordia1–1888–89

* As Rapid JC.

Playoffs

European competition

Position Playoff Qualification to
1st –Champions League 3rd qualifying round on the Champions Path
2nd –Champions League 2nd qualifying round on the League Path
3rd/4th –Europa League 2nd qualifying round
4th–7th/5th–8thEuropa League4th vs 7th and 5th vs 6th or 5th vs 8th and 6th vs 7th; the two winners play each other to qualify for:
Europa League 2nd qualifying round
KNVB Cup winners –Europa League 3rd qualifying round

Relegation

Position Playoff What happens next
16th–17thNacompetitieTwo Eredivisie teams each play the semi finals against a Eerste Divisie team. Who wins will compete in the poule final for a place in the Eredivisie.

The two Eredivisie teams will never play against each other in the playoffs.

18th–Direct relegation to the Eerste Divisie

Attendance

2015–16 Attendance
Club Attendance
Ajax 50,490
Feyenoord 47,500
PSV 33,354
FC Twente 30,005
SC Heerenveen 22,373
FC Groningen 20,259
FC Utrecht 16,364
AZ 15,409
Roda JC 13,301
Vitesse 13,212
ADO Den Haag 12,709
Heracles Almelo 12,084
PEC Zwolle 11,887
NEC 11,281
Willem II 11,000
Cambuur 9,815
De Graafschap 8,100
Excelsior 3,394
Average 18,467

Since the beginning of the league, there have been three clubs with an attendance much higher than the others: Ajax, PSV and Feyenoord. Clubs like Heerenveen, FC Utrecht and FC Groningen also have fairly large fanbases. The regular season average league attendance was just over 7,000 in 1990, but this figure has risen sharply over the years thanks to the opening of new stadiums and the expansion of existing ones nationwide. Average attendance for the 2015–16 season was 18,467, with Ajax having the largest (48,653) and Excelsior having the smallest (3,394). Ajax's figures however differ from those provided by the Amsterdam ArenA since the club counts all tickets sold instead of the number of people going through the turnstiles.

All-time ranking (since 1956)

Last updated following the 2016–17 season
Playing in the Eredivisie
Playing in the Eerste Divisie
Playing in the amateur leagues
Club has been disestablished or merged into another club
Rank Club Seasons Played Won Drawn Lost Points Avg.
Points		 Goals
for		 Goals
against		 Goal
difference
1.Ajax612058136037532344552,1651782102+3076
2.PSV612058124644336941812,0347272169+2558
3.Feyenoord612058116847841239821,9343892360+2029
4.FC Twente51173076646649827641,6027692184+585
5.Sparta Rotterdam52175261249264823281,3326422726-84
6.FC Utrecht47159858940760221741,3622672401-134
7.Roda JC Kerkrade43146255538552220501,4022182139+79
8.AZ39132655933443320111,5221941836+363
9.NAC Breda48162051542568019701,2221692681-512
10.ADO Den Haag43144647637060017981,2420692370-301
11.FC Groningen38129244335549416841,3018362007-171
12.Willem II41138742031964715791,1419192473-554
13.Vitesse32108841830836215621,4416241507+117
14.N.E.C.40136037938259915191,1215652132-567
15.MVV Maastricht36120835035650214061,1615271992-465
16.sc Heerenveen2585035121228712651,4914341303+131
17.Go Ahead Eagles31104232526844912431,1913991701-302
18.RKC Waalwijk237822401973459171,1710141269-255
19.FC Volendam258422282153998991,079941513-519
20.VVV-Venlo206801891763157431,098861250-364
21.Fortuna Sittard196461791932747301,137561005-249
22.HFC Haarlem186121721782626941,13695978-283
23.PEC Zwolle175781571612606321,097391013-274
24.Heracles Almelo175621671312646321,127491041-292
25.Excelsior206801481733596170,917431264-521
26.De Graafschap206801491703616170,917351298-563
27.DOS144601681091836131,33790848-58
28.AFC DWS134301471171665581,30588644-56
29.Fortuna '5412392141991525221,33635700-65
30.Telstar144681181402104941,06530754-224
31.GVAV133921231151544841,23533595-62
32.FC Den Bosch124421141232054651,05491756-265
33.SC Enschede929412177964401,50565490+75
34.Rapid JC62047347842661,30307350-43
35.USV Elinkwijk723465501192451,05306483-177
36.FC Amsterdam62046156872391,17263321-58
37.Blauw-Wit61966542892371,21334401-67
38.SC Cambuur723849641252110,89258437-179
39.Holland Sport41363734651451,07168279-111
40.FC Dordrecht620431461271390,68208463-255
41.RBC Roosendaal517035261091310,77164358-194
42.NOAD41363330731290,95187311-124
43.Sittardia41323229711250,95148256-108
44.Xerxes/DHC268261725951,409295-3
45.EVV3102232554940,92107209-102
46.BVC Amsterdam268202028801,18103130-27
47.BVV268181040640,94126172-46
48.SC Veendam268122333590,8774127-53
49.FC Wageningen268131837570,8472137-65
50.De Volewijckers264151039550,8699189-90
51.Helmond Sport268121838540,7993162-69
52.SVV268131342520,7662142-80
53.Alkmaar '5413461216300,883961-22

Player records

Appearances

Rank Name Games Playing position First match Last match
1 Netherlands Pim Doesburg687Goalkeeper1962–631986–87
2 Netherlands Jan Jongbloed684Goalkeeper1959–601985–86
3 Netherlands Piet Schrijvers576Goalkeeper1963–641984–85

Goals

Rank Name Goals Games Goals per game Playing position First goal Last goal
1 Netherlands Willy van der Kuijlen3115450.57Forward1964–651981–82
2 Netherlands Ruud Geels2663920.68Forward1964–651983–84
3 Netherlands Johan Cruijff2163090.70Forward1964–651983–84

[11]

Top scorers

Season Topscorer Goals Club
1956–57 Netherlands Coen Dillen 43 PSV
1957–58 Netherlands Leo Canjels 32 NAC
1958–59 Netherlands Leo Canjels 34 NAC
1959–60 Netherlands Henk Groot[12] 37 Ajax
1960–61 Netherlands Henk Groot 41 Ajax
1961–62 Netherlands Dick Tol 27 FC Volendam
1962–63 Netherlands Pierre Kerkhofs 22 PSV
1963–64 Netherlands Frans Geurtsen 28 DWS
1964–65 Netherlands Frans Geurtsen 23 DWS
1965–66 Netherlands Willy van der Kuijlen
Netherlands Piet Kruiver		 23 PSV
Feyenoord
1966–67 Netherlands Johan Cruijff 33 Ajax
1967–68 Sweden Ove Kindvall 28 Feyenoord
1968–69 Netherlands Dick van Dijk
Sweden Ove Kindvall		 30 FC Twente
Feyenoord
1969–70 Netherlands Willy van der Kuijlen 26 PSV
1970–71 Sweden Ove Kindvall 24 Feyenoord
1971–72 Netherlands Johan Cruijff 25 Ajax
1972–73 Netherlands Cas Janssens
Netherlands Willy Brokamp		 18 NEC
MVV
1973–74 Netherlands Willy van der Kuijlen 27 PSV
1974–75 Netherlands Ruud Geels 30 Ajax
1975–76 Netherlands Ruud Geels 29 Ajax
1976–77 Netherlands Ruud Geels 34 Ajax
1977–78 Netherlands Ruud Geels 30 Ajax
1978–79 Netherlands Kees Kist 34 AZ'67
1979–80 Netherlands Kees Kist 27 AZ'67
1980–81 Netherlands Ruud Geels 22 Sparta
1981–82 Netherlands Wim Kieft 32 Ajax
1982–83 Netherlands Peter Houtman 30 Feyenoord
1983–84 Netherlands Marco van Basten 28 Ajax
1984–85 Netherlands Marco van Basten 22 Ajax
1985–86 Netherlands Marco van Basten 37 Ajax
1986–87 Netherlands Marco van Basten 31 Ajax
1987–88 Netherlands Wim Kieft 29 PSV
1988–89 Brazil Romário 19 PSV
1989–90 Brazil Romário 23 PSV
1990–91 Brazil Romário[13]
Netherlands Dennis Bergkamp[13]		 25 PSV
Ajax
1991–92 Netherlands Dennis Bergkamp[14] 24 Ajax
1992–93 Netherlands Dennis Bergkamp[15] 26 Ajax
1993–94 Finland Jari Litmanen 26 Ajax
1994–95 Brazil Ronaldo 30 PSV
1995–96 Belgium Luc Nilis 21 PSV
1996–97 Belgium Luc Nilis 21 PSV
1997–98 Greece Nikos Machlas 34 Vitesse
1998–99 Netherlands Ruud van Nistelrooy 31 PSV
1999-00 Netherlands Ruud van Nistelrooy 29 PSV
2000–01 Serbia Mateja Kežman 24 PSV
2001–02 Netherlands Pierre van Hooijdonk 24 Feyenoord
2002–03 Serbia Mateja Kežman 35 PSV
2003–04 Serbia Mateja Kežman 31 PSV
2004–05 Netherlands Dirk Kuyt 29 Feyenoord
2005–06 Netherlands Klaas-Jan Huntelaar 33 SC Heerenveen/Ajax
2006–07 Brazil Afonso Alves 34 SC Heerenveen
2007–08 Netherlands Klaas-Jan Huntelaar 33 Ajax
2008–09 Morocco Mounir El Hamdaoui 23 AZ
2009–10 Uruguay Luis Suárez 35 Ajax
2010–11 Belgium Björn Vleminckx 23 NEC
2011–12 Netherlands Bas Dost 32 SC Heerenveen
2012–13 Ivory Coast Wilfried Bony 31 Vitesse
2013–14 Iceland Alfreð Finnbogason 29 SC Heerenveen
2014–15 Netherlands Memphis Depay 22 PSV
2015–16 Netherlands Vincent Janssen 27 AZ
2016–17 Denmark Nicolai Jørgensen 21 Feyenoord
2017–18 Iran Alireza Jahanbakhsh 21 AZ

Media coverage

Country Network Details
Netherlands Fox Sports Eredivisie; NOS Fox Sports Eredivisie (a pay-TV channel) airs all matches live and the NOS broadcasts match summaries on the open channels NPO 1 and 3
Azerbaijan CBC Sport Live Eredivisie matches
Belgium Play Sports Two matches per week, since 2015
India NEO Sports Two–three matches per week (Ajax, Feyenoord and PSV matches only)
Albania SuperSport Albania Two matches per week and highlights
Turkey S Sport Live matches every week, two or three times
Russia Telekanal Futbol Live matches every week, two or three times
Croatia Slovenia,Serbia Sport Klub Live matches every week, two or three times
Spain Movistar Fútbol (Movistar+) Three matches every week, and highlights
Portugal Sport TV Two or three live matches every week
Slovakia Arena Sport Two or three live matches every week
Germany Sportdigital.tv, DAZN Up to three matches per week, and highlights (mostly Ajax, PSV and at times Feyenoord matches)
South Korea tvN Live PSV matches
United Kingdom Eleven Sports Live Eredivisie matches
United States ESPN+ Three live matches every week
Norway Viasat Fotball One match live on Sunday 11.30 CET
Lithuania Sport1 Up to two matches per week and highlights
Bulgaria Mtel Sport 1 and Mtel Sport 2 Two or three live matches every week
Pan-Africa Fox Sports Africa Three live matches every week, sometimes four
Latin America ESPN + and ESPN Extra Two matches every week are broadcast live, one only on ESPN Play.
Brazil ESPN + Two live matches every week, one only on Watch ESPN.
Indonesia iNews and Soccer Channel Up to three live matches every week.
Malaysia Astro SuperSport Up to three live matches every week.

Eredivisie teams and major UEFA and FIFA competitions

The following sixteen international tournaments were won by Eredivisie teams:

The UEFA Super Cup was founded by a Dutch reporter named Anton Witkamp and Ajax's 1973 win was the first time the tournament was contested officially.

The following 24 European finals took place at Dutch venues, or are scheduled to take place at them:

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Country coefficients 2015/16". uefa.com. UEFA. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
  2. ↑ van der Kraan, Marcel (8 August 2012). "Murdoch koopt tv-rechten eredivisie". De Telegraaf. TMG Landelijke Media B.V. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
  3. ↑ Seegers, Jules (8 August 2012). "5 vragen over wat de deal Murdoch-Eredivisie betekent voor de kijker". nrc.nl. NRC Media. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
  4. ↑ "Netherlands – Regional Analysis". RSSSF. Retrieved 12 October 2013.
  5. 1 2 3 (in Dutch)"Eredivisie – ontstaan". Vak Q. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
  6. ↑ "Professionalism and European Games". TimeRime. Archived from the original on 21 October 2013. Retrieved 12 October 2013.
  7. ↑ (in Dutch)"De Watersnoodwedstrijd van Cor van der Hart". Sportgeschiedenis. Archived from the original on 21 October 2007. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
  8. ↑ "Netherlands Final Tables 1950–1954". RSSSF. Retrieved 12 October 2013.
  9. ↑ "Netherlands 1954/55". RSSSF. Retrieved 12 October 2013.
  10. 1 2 "Netherlands 1956/57". RSSSF. Retrieved 12 October 2013.
  11. ↑ Zestig jaar Eredivisie: Van der Kuylen, Doesburg en meer - Voetbal International (in Dutch)
  12. ↑ Topscorers Eredivisie 1959–1960, Eredivisielive.nl (Dutch)
  13. 1 2 Topscorers Eredivisie 1990–1991, Eredivisielive.nl (Dutch)
  14. ↑ Topscorers Eredivisie 1991–1992, Eredivisielive.nl (Dutch)
  15. ↑ Topscorers Eredivisie 1992–1993, Eredivisielive.nl (Dutch)
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