No Artificial Turf Ban in Eredivisie, Competition Is Not Reduced Now

For the moment, there will be no ban on artificial turf in the Dutch Premier League. These are the eighteen clubs on Thursday in Zeist that have failed to reach an agreement. In addition, the competition is not reduced from eighteen to sixteen teams.

Artificial turf at Eredivisie has been a problem for some time. After Hercules Almelo had the scoop in 2005, six clubs are now playing on synthetic grass. Besides Heracles, PEC Zwolle, Excelsior, VVV-Venlo, ADO Den Haag and FC Emmen.

To encourage these clubs to change clubs, it was decided that the teams will now receive a bonus if they play on natural turf. The amount can increase per club and per season up to a maximum of 350,000 euros.

"If you report that to the 500,000 euros that clubs spend on average for the transition from artificial turf to natural turf, it is an impulse and a motivation more than serious for clubs to persuade us to switch to natural turf, "said Jacco Swart, president of CV Eredivisie, after the meeting of the Premier League clubs on changes to bring football in the Netherlands at a higher level.

The bonus comes from so-called solidarity funds. This represents 5% of UEFA's revenue generated by the European clubs that play at Eredivisie and which have been split more evenly between non-European Premier League clubs. 15% of this amount now goes to the clubs of the Kitchen Champion division. The money is also meant for training their young people.

No agreement on smaller Eredivisie

Eredivisie clubs have long been talking about the changes needed to bring Dutch football to a higher level. An agreement remained on the reduction of the Premier League to sixteen clubs.

"There is no majority required," Swart said. "We will make some changes in order that the best teams play in the Premier League."

One of the starting points is that from now on two clubs will be directly relegated to Eredivisie and that there will also be two clubs directly from the Keuken Kampioen division. promote. For the moment, it is only an intention.

Active clubs in Europe benefit from a round trip at a cup tournament

Firm agreements have been reached on other topics. Eredivisie clubs that qualify for the main tournament in the UEFA Champions League or Europa League may, for example, start a round later at the TOTO KNVB Cup tournament starting in the 2020/2021 season.

By giving the best clubs in the Netherlands, they can better prepare for the group matches of European competitions in September

The PSV and Ajax, active this season in the Champions League, flew over this season. 64 other clubs were active. So, in two seasons, there will remain 32 clubs.

Of the 18 clubs in the Eredivisie, only Heracles Almelo and FC Emmen voted against the projects that the CV Eredivisie of the 2020/2021 season wanted to present. The other sixteen clubs have accepted. With this, the required two-thirds majority has been reached.