If you give the controle to Marco van Basten he would combine the Dutch League and the Belgium League together, to get more quality in the football and better finances, to not fall to much behind on the big European countries like Spain.
It would contain 16 teams, 10 of the Netherlands and 6 of Belgium (since the Netherlands got a higher population and is overall a better league).

I personally like it, it would work for both sides.

Would it look something like this:

Netherlands:

Ajax
PSV
Feyenoord
AZ
FC Utrecht
SC Heereveen
Vitesse
FC Groningen
Roda JC
NEC

Belgium:

AA Gent
Charleroi
Standard Luik
Club Brugge
Anderlecht
RC Genk

Something like this?
And then ofcourse the relegation and promotion.
I would like to see 2 of the Netherlands and 2 of Belgium (so we keep that league seperated), so in the years you will see more balance...

So, I would like it, more top matches like Anderlecht - Ajax or Brugge - AZ, Standard - PSV.

strange idea, do you know any other country that has a similar system?
it's a bit like the european super league as I think it might become a bit elitist (widening the gap between first and second flight even more)

I think it's easier to cut the number of teams in the belgium and dutch league.
Then after the season the 4 best dutch teams play against the 4 best belgian teams in some kind of end round.

I think we should start with mixing up our cups. So that the dutch cup (the gatorade cup =/ ) combinates with the belgian cup. If that works out, than we can start thinking of a Beneliga

I think it is a good idea and ther will be more competion amongst the clubs to fight for a champions league place and uefa cup spot

looks like im the only one against it so far, its not right and fair for the clubs who cant compete with the big clubs financially

I don't like this idea, the Belgians are hilarious ATM. Both their clubs and their NT sucks, so they will only bring the level of our league down.

Isn't combining the league's though nullify the Champions League and UEFA Cup places?

If i vaguely remember, it forfeits European places

Combining cups would be the best way to go though i think

I gues the better results the league teams make in Europe, the higher our rank will be.. so that's the way to earn more tickets. Should still be hard to compete with the other leagues. We've just been lucky in the past that a small country like ours had so much succes in Europe, today it's to hard to get near the level of other leagues due to finances

I still feel the cup combination should work out. Nobody really cares to much about the cup anyway so maybe this would make it more interessting. Plus you see a few other faces play, which I like

Because though each nation is individual, they wouldn't gain any European places from the Beneliga......

The Scandinavian Royal League doesn't have any European places at stake because it is cross-country, so the Beneliga would be the same, they have to be under a single FA as far as i'm aware

Smaller nations though should have combined cups....I still feel Scotland and England should have combined league cup's

The main goal is to improve the top clubs. You can't keep the league weak because it would otherwise be unfair to the small clubs. The biggest clubs have the most fans, the most appeal and contribute the most to the Dutch national team, the economy etc, etc.



I don't see how dropping teams like RBC for teams like Anderlecht would make our league weaker.

Hm I didn't know about that rule before. Makes it even harder for the smaller country's to compete with the big nations. You'd be insane to combinate your leagues when that means no European football.

I agree, what's the use of both having 2 cups. I feel the league cup can be combinated easily it hasn't got such historical greatness anyway, it would only makes it more fun

Anderlecht, Brugge and Standard are good clubs but wasn't the idea 10 Dutch clubs and 6 Belgian? Then Vitesse and RKC would no longer play at the highest level and I think those clubs are better then for example Zulte-Waregem

Well you shouldn't take ZW as an example, they're having a great season this year but they still have to proove that their performances are consistent. ( Mind you, before the fusion Waregem had some successes in Europe)
But I think teams like Gent & Genk aren't that much behind the Dutch subtoppers.

Point is, as both leagues combine, there will be a wider economic base to build upon. The financial gap between the leading european footballnations will be narrowed. And we may be able to keep talented youngsters longer in our own competition.

How I would do it:
Decrease the number of clubs in each league, to 14 for example.
Then at the end of february the 2 teams ranked 1st and 2nd position in each league qualify for the beneliga-endround. The number 3 & 4 of the belgian league play the numbers 3 , 4 & 5 from the dutch league for a place in the endround. ( if the dutch teams are that superior they would have no hard time qualifying )

So then the endround starts with 6 teams playing for the benecup or whaevva.
The european tickets will still be handed out independantly to the best ranked teams of the own nation.

In the meanwhile the other 14 of each league will keep playing.
For example: number 12 - 14 will have to play against team of the 2nd league to remain in the 1st league.
The others will play for the uefa-cup positions. The winners of that league will play the lowest ranked fellow-countryteam for the last uefa-cup tickets.

Well just my 2 cents, it isn't that worked out completly but this is how I would like it

Well I dont like van Basten's plan about it..!!

I think we should just let it how its now..
If they wants Beneliga then only the best 2 clubs of both Leagues..
so for example:
Anderlecht & Standard Liegè, Psv & AZ..

as long as so-called big teams like ajax and feyenoord are still regularly choking themselves in agricultural clubs like rkc and twente, then i see little need to even think about putting this beneliga plan on the table.

You're missing the point. Van Basten didn't put this idea out because the top clubs in Holland are so good but because they aren't. Having a greater number of average to above average teams would force everybody to perform on a higher and more consistant level.

oh i get it, if somebody is struggling, or failing in one class, he should be shifted to a higher, more advanced class, coz in his current class he's not stimulated enough. gimme a f'ing break plz. if ajax lost 2-0 away to NEC, they'll get caned 4-0 away to brugge.

This isn't about the national competition. This isn't a meassure Van Basten advices because Ajax only got a 4th place this year. This is because even the #1 can't compete on the highest European level. Increasing the quality of the competition would improve the quality of every team in it. Playing against teams like RBC, ADO, Heracles, Sparta, etc doesn't teach a topplayer shit. They play a game on 50% with the next important game in the back of their head while in the EPL, Primera Devision and the Serie A players gotta focus every game. Also adding bigger clubs and a larger fanbase would increase the market and would make the league also more financially able to compete with the other leagues.

I'm not a fan of the idea, but that's not out of practical reasons but simply because I believe the Dutch league should just be a league of it's own. I'd rather wish UEFA would take some kind of meassures to protect the less wealthy clubs and leagues. And I'm not going to discuss this with you cause you shown on several occasions that you are an expert when it comes to football, Van Basten got nothin on you.

I have to admit, it would be very interesting to watch, what happens if after 5 years theres only 1 belgian team left?

yes dude, ajax gave 50% at home to ado and heracles this season, and their intention was the draw these games coz it didn't teach them shit

If Van Basten thinks it's a good idea, I'm fully behind it.

Very much a possibility

I think that it's a good idea , it would make a stronger league and would attract more good players .

But i doubt that it will be done because some top Belgian clubs might oppose for understandable financial reasons as they would get less chances to win their league (money loss ) and appear in Europe next to the PSV , Ajax and Feyenoord , AZ , who are better and richer than most of top Belgian clubs , for example Brugges and Anderlecht would have far greater difficulties to rasie funds in order to recruit and form players , because they would struggle a lot more to win a Cup or the league .


And because it would be difficult to organize (you have to put the same rules for everybody , organize a Benelux league 2 as well and lower divsions as well ) , and not sure that the majority of Belgians and Dutch like the idea for various reasons .

After some years it could detrimental to Belgian football because they would get many of their club relegated and thus less money to finance their centre of formation and it could be a prejudice to their football future .

This idea might benefit the Dutch football and top clubs mainly IMO , clubs like PSV , Ajax , Brugges , Anderlecht , Feyenoord , AZ would compete for the title , with maybe a few Belgian clubs surviving around and a majority of Dutch clubs populating the league after some time , so less money for the Belgian medium to small clubs to form players and improve .

In a way , the risk is that the Belgian league get "absorbed" by the Ere Divisie after some time , the Dutch Ere divisie is already of a good level compared to Germany or France league , not very far behind , and with their Top clubs like PSV or Ajax often that are as good as the top German or French clubs , if not better , sometimes weaker , it depends the years and the generations (look these last three years PSV was extremely good and losing player every summer , Ajax is a "great of Europe" if you look at their history , won many time the Europeans Cup , Feyenoord was damn good in early 2000's UEFA cup , AZ did very well in UEFA last year etc..)

This is a revolutionary idea and revolutionary ideas are either great success stories or they crash and burn.

I think it has the possibility of being great..
Personally I would want it..
but I think it would be really hard to setup though..