BRUSSELS: Club Brugge were awarded their 16th Belgian title on Friday after the country’s Pro League confirmed last month's decision to bring the season to a premature halt in the wake of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The leagues decision was widely expected after Belgian Prime Minister Sophie Wilmes said earlier this month that all sporting competitions in the country would remain suspended until July 31 because of the coronavirus crisis.

Brugge had a runaway 15-point lead with one match left in the regular season and will take up an automatic spot in next season’s Champions League group phase.

Belgium was the first country in Europe to end its football season just weeks after its suspension in mid-March but that decision made by the Pro League board still had to be ratified by the clubs, who did so at Friday’s general assembly.

The Belgian league follows European coun­terparts France, Netherlands and Luxembourg in calling an early halt.

“The general assembly voted to confirm the standings after 29 rounds as the final outcome of the season,” a Pro League statement said.

Ghent, as runners-up, will compete in the preliminary rounds of the 2020-21 Cham­pions League and Sporting Charleroi, Royal Antwerp and Standard Liege all qualify for the Europa League.

The meeting also decided bottom side Waasland-Beveren would be relegated but the club immediately said they would challenge the decision.

The league said it would also strive to try and play the Belgian Cup final between Club Brugge and Antwerp, originally set for April but postponed amid the Covid-19 crisis. A date would still have to be set.

Next season’s top flight will continue with 16 teams and feature mini playoffs at the end of the season.

Since 2010, the top six teams in the standings have gone on to a play a mini-league to decide the title but it will be cut to the top four teams next season.

The new campaign is scheduled to start on Aug 7, it was also decided on Friday.

Any game prohibited by authorities next season would be forfeited by the hos­ts with a 3-0 win handed to the visitors, although such ma­t­ches could instead be mo­v­ed to a neutral venue.

Published in Dawn, May 17th, 2020