Netherlands - Eredivisie

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Eredivisie

ESPN » Seasons 2018-2021 ESPN+ will broadcast three Eredivisie matches per week. Available on: ESPN+

RBC Roosendaal and the catastrophic journey from the Eredivisie to the tenth tier - These Football Times

It wasn't that long ago that RBC Roosendaal were securing draws against Ajax and PSV. Then came a catastrophic fall.

These Football Times (2 days ago)

Five Young Stars to watch in the second half of the Eredivisie season - Football-Oranje

Who are the youngsters to watch as the second half of the Eredivisie kick's off this weekend? Michael Bell picks his top five talents to keep an eye on.

Football-Oranje (13 hours ago)

Football: Nakayama "pursuing dreams" with move to Dutch 1st division - Kyodo News Plus

Japanese defender Yuta Nakayama says he is "excited for a new challenge" at Dutch first-division side PEC Zwolle.

Kyodo News Plus (13 hours ago)

What can English football learn from the Dutch? League Structures and Youth Progression - Football-Oranje

George Smith looks at what English football can learn from the Netherlands in terms of youth development and league structure.

Football-Oranje (3 days ago)

The Eredivisie (or "Honorary Division" in Dutch) is the top tier of football in the Netherlands. This league was founded in 1956 and is based on a relegation-promotion system, just like most European leagues. Eighteen teams battle through 34 games yearly, with 15 teams securing their spot in the next season. One team is automatically relegated, while two more sides battle for their spot in a relegation playoff against six teams from the Eerste Divisie (First Division).

The process to decide the last two spots is a bit tricky, but it proceeds as follows: first, the bottom-placed side is automatically relegated to the second tier. 

Meanwhile, the next two clubs automatically feature in a two-legged play-off in two groups of four. These two groups are comprised of three Eerste Divisie sides plus one Eredivisie team, and whoever wins each quartet remains in the top flight. 

For the 2018-19 season, Emmen, De Graafschap and Fortuna Sittard are the three promoted clubs, replacing Roda JC, Twente, and Sparta Rotterdam.

PSV was crowned champion of the 2017-18 season, beating bitter rivals Ajax by four points. It was PSV’s third championship in the last four years. 

Did you know…? Ajax, PSV, and Feyenoord are the only clubs that have played in all 63 editions of the Dutch Eredivisie. Ajax has won 25 league titles since the first season of the Eredivisie, with PSV following them closely with 21 championships to their name.