A spring full of uncertainty has ravaged the sports world amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that has turned both the world of sports and societies as a whole upside-down over the past month and a half.
While most European soccer leagues are waiting it out to see how and if they can finish the current season, the Belgian Pro League has decided to make a proactive move, canceling the rest of the season.
This move leaves Club Brugge, which currently has a fifteen-point lead in the standings, as the league’s champion, allowing them to qualify for a spot in the 2020-21 UEFA Champions League.
Second-place Gent will also book a ticket to the qualifying rounds of the 2020-21 edition of the continent’s top competition.
The normal system of the Belgian league has the top six teams in the table advance to a playoff system. This year, however, the regular season’s final standings will stay as is and the playoffs will not take place.
There was only one game left in the regular season, meaning that the table would not have been affected by the final game.
Now, other leagues in the continent must now balance their options and decide whether to follow in Belgium’s footsteps or hold out until the season can be resumed.
