Challenger Pro League adalah divisi tertinggi kedua dalam sistem liga sepak bola Belgia, satu tingkat di bawah Liga Pro Belgia. Itu dibuat oleh Asosiasi Sepak Bola Kerajaan Belgia pada tahun 2016, menggantikan Divisi Kedua Belgia.
Sejarah
Divisi Pertama Belgia B dibentuk pada tahun 2016 sebagai penerus Divisi Kedua Belgia menyusul perombakan sistem liga sepak bola Belgia yang menyebabkan jumlah klub profesional dikurangi menjadi 24 dan jumlah tim di tingkat kedua piramida sepak bola menjadi 8.[1]
Selama era Divisi Kedua Belgia dari tahun 1973 hingga 2016, pemenang divisi kedua dan pemenang play-off dipromosikan ke divisi pertama. Mulai tahun 2016 dan seterusnya, pemenang divisi dua tidak lagi dijamin mendapat promosi. Liga dibagi dalam dua periode dari 15 pertandingan. Pemenang suatu periode bersaing satu sama lain di final. Jika sebuah tim memenangkan kedua periode, tidak ada final yang dimainkan dan otomatis naik ke level tertinggi. Pada tahun 2017, Lierse menjadi juara liga, tetapi promosi tidak diperbolehkan karena mereka tidak memenangkan satu periode pun. Antwerpen dan SV Roeselare bermain di final.
Klub
Anggota untuk tahun 2023–24
Untuk musim 2023–24 klub-klub berikut akan ambil bagian.
^Although Tubize finished last and would have been relegated, Lierse went bankrupt and was removed as a team. As a result, Tubize remained in the Belgian First Division B while the matricule of Lierse was removed.
^Both Beerschot and OH Leuven were promoted as the First Division A was expanded to 18 teams.
^No relegation playoffs were played due to the coronavirus pandemic, but both Roeselare and Virton were relegated as they were refused a professional football license due to insufficient proof of financial solvency. Lokeren went bankrupt and was removed as a team.
^Seraing won the promotion playoff and was promoted as well.
^Normally, Lierse Kempenzonen would have been relegated due to finishing in last place (except for Club NXT which was ineligible for promotion/relegation as a youth team). However, the general meeting of the Pro League decided on 16 March that no team would be relegated, as the 2020–21 Belgian National Division 1 had been canceled due to measures taken by the Belgian government against the spread of COVID-19 prohibiting amateur football, causing no team to be promoted from that league to fill the gap.
^RWD Molenbeek lost the promotion playoff and was not promoted.
^Although Virton finished last and would have been relegated, Excel Mouscron was refused a professional football licence and thus relegated instead.
