Eredivisie looks at radical changes

The Dutch Eredivisie will undergo dramatic changes, as the Dutch top flight is looking to cut the number of clubs from 18 to 16. Portions of the plan need to be approved by the 20 Jupiler League, the second division.

A league spokesman said the changes would come into effect for 2009-2010.

The new setup would feature 16 clubs playing 30 matches each. The top eight would then play a mini-league of seven contests. The Dutch champion would be crowned and, with it, the right to go to the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup qualifiers.

The last-place club among the 16 top-tier clubs would be automatically relegated. The 15th place club would meet the second-place second division club in a match for promotion or relegation.

The top league expects the second division to give its approval.

"If the Jupiler League doesn't want to go with us in this plan, the Eredivisie will end the payments out of our TV money to them," an Eredivisie spokesman told AD Sportwereld. "We now finance, for a large part, that division."

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