The 2023–24 season of the Challenger Pro League began in August 2023 and ended in May 2024. It is the second season under its new name after being renamed from First Division B.
Team changes This season, the league was expanded from 12 to 16 teams.
Incoming Francs Borains, Patro Eisden and RFC Liège were promoted from the 2022–23 Belgian National Division 1. Both clubs will play their first-ever season at the second level. Oostende, Seraing and Zulte Waregem were relegated from the 2022–23 Belgian Pro League after 10, 2 and 18 years in top flight, respectively.
Outgoing RWD Molenbeek were promoted to 2023–24 Jupiler Pro League as champions. Virton were relegated to 2023–24 Belgian National Division 1 after finishing last.
Format changes As the league expanded from 12 to 16 teams, this also involved a new format: a regular round-robin tournament of 30 matchdays. After this, the champions and runners-up will both be promoted to the 2024–25 Belgian Pro League and similarly, the two bottom finishers will be relegated to the 2024–25 Belgian National Division 1. Play-offs will be organized between the teams finishing in positions 3 through 6, with the winner of these play-offs facing the runner-up of the relegation playoffs in the 2023–24 Belgian Pro League for the final remaining ticket in the 2024–25 Belgian Pro League.
U23 are in theory eligible for promotion and relegation but always have to play at least one level below their mother club. This means that: The four U23 teams in this division are not eligible for promotion. In case one or more of these teams finish in the top six positions, the promotion and play-offs spots will shift along to the next eligible team in the standings. Should one of the mother clubs of the teams in this division be relegated from the 2023–24 Belgian Pro League, the corresponding U23 team will be forced to relegate as well from the 2023–24 Challenger Pro League, irrespective of its finishing position.
Team information
Stadiums and locations
Matricule Club City First season of current spell at second level</th> Coming from 2022-23 result Stadium Capacity35Anderlecht, Brussels2022–23U23 competition6th (CPL)King Baudouin Stadium38,00013Antwerp2022–23Belgian First Division A3rd (CPL)Olympic Stadium12,7714068Beveren2021–22Belgian First Division B2nd (CPL) Freethiel Stadion8,1903Bruges2022–23U23 competition4th (CPL) Schiervelde Stadion8,340818Deinze2020–21Belgian First Amateur Division8th (CPL) Burgemeester Van de Wiele Stadion7,5153900Denderleeuw2022–23Belgian National Division 19th (CPL) Van Roystadion6,4295192Boussu2023–24Belgian National Division 13rd (NatD1) Stade Robert Urbain6,000322Genk2022–23U23 competition11th (CPL) Luminus Arena24,9563970Lier2020–21Belgian First Amateur Division5th (CPL) Herman Vanderpoortenstadion14,5382554Lommel2018–19Belgian First Amateur Division7th (CPL) Soevereinstadion8,00031Ostend2023–24Belgian Pro League16th (BPL) Diaz Arena8,4323434Maasmechelen2023–24Belgian National Division 11st (NatD1) Gemeentelijk Sportparkstadion5,5004Liège2023–24Belgian National Division 12nd (NatD1) Stade de Rocourt8,000167 Seraing2023–24Belgian Pro League18th (BPL) Stade du Pairay8,20716Liège2022–23U23 competition10th (CPL) Stade Maurice Dufrasne30,0235381 Waregem2023–24Belgian Pro League17th (BPL) Regenboogstadion12,500
Regular season League table
Positions by round The table lists the positions of teams after the completion of each round, with postponed matches and points deductions only included when occurring. Teams that have played fewer matches are shown with their position underlined:
The match between SL16 FC and Beerschot of matchday 3 was postponed due to being prohibited by the mayor of Liège, it was rescheduled to be played between matchdays 14 and 15 and hence its effects will only appear in the table below at the end of matchday 15. The match between Dender EH and Francs Borains on matchday 14 was postponed due to snow. It was played a few days later between matchdays 14 and 15 and hence its effects will only appear in the table below at the end of matchday 15. On 20 December 2023, between matchdays 16 and 17, Oostende was deducted 9 points (3+6) for outstanding debts and breach of Belgian FA regulations. The matches Lommel-Beerschot, Dender EH-Seraing, Francs Borains-Oostende, and RSCA Futures-RFC Liege of matchday 18 were all postponed due to snow. All matches will be played on 7 February, between matchdays 20 and 21, except for Francs Borains-Oostende which was rescheduled to 14 February, between matchdays 21 and 22. On 25 January 2024, between matchdays 18 and 19, the points deduction of Oostende was reduced from 9 to 6 points.
Colored cells refer to being promoted (green), in promotion play-offs (yellow) or relegation play-offs (red). Note that U23 teams are ineligible for promotion and playoffs, and the coloring is adjusted accordingly. Furthermore, if one of the mother clubs of these four teams is relegated, the U23 would automatically take up one of the relegation spots as U23 teams always have to remain at least one level below their mother club, this is not accounted for in the coloring until after the season.
Results
Promotion play-offs
Season statistics Top scorers Note: goals during the playoffs are not included.
Rank Player Club Goals1 Goduine KoyalipouBeveren152 Bruny NsimbaDender EH143 Jelle VossenZulte Waregem134 Victory BeniangbaJong Genk125 Adriano BertacciniRFC Liège11 Zalán VancsaLommel7 Pape Moussa FallSeraing10 Tom ReynersBeerschot Arthur SalesLommel10 Jordan Attah KadiriFrancs Borains9 Lennart MertensDeinze Thibaut Van AckerLierse Kempenzonen
Team of the season Upon completion of the regular season a team of the season award was compiled, based upon the results of the team of the week results, constructed based on nominations from managers, assistant managers, journalists, and analysts. The results were announced on 13 May 2024.
PosPlayerClub GK Deinze RB RFC Liège CB Dender EH CB Beerschot LB Lommel MF Beerschot MF Dender EH MF Deinze LW Beerschot FW Beveren RW Dender EH
Number of teams by provinces Number of teams Province or region Team(s)3 Beveren, Deinze and Dender EH Seraing, SL16 FC and RFC LiègeJong Genk, Lommel and Patro Eisden Maasmechelen Club NXT, Oostende and Zulte Waregem2 Beerschot and Lierse Kempenzonen1 RSCA Futures Francs Borains
Attendances
# Club Average 1 Zulte Waregem 5,737 2 Beerschot 4,869 3 Beveren 2,748 4 Oostende 2,631 5 Lierse 2,462 6 Liège 2,180 7 Patro Eisden 1,518 8 Lommel 1,394 9 Dender 1,235 10 Francs Borains 1,148 11 Seraing 1,119 12 Deinze 1,055 13 Club NXT 568 14 SL16 521 15 Jong Genk 473 16 RSCA Futures 419
Source:https://www.european-football-statistics.co.uk/attn/archive/bel/avebel24.htm
Notes
References