Netherlands · Tier 1

Eredivisie

In US-sports termsA real top flight that doubles as world soccer's finishing school — the biggest clubs in England, Spain and Germany shop here, and the Dutch keep reloading.

What it is

The Netherlands' top flight. 18 clubs, August–May, everyone plays everyone twice. Ajax, PSV and Feyenoord are the traditional big three.

How you get in

Finish 16th or better the season before, or come up from the Eerste Divisie.

What it feeds

Champion → Champions League league phase. 2nd → Champions League qualifying. 3rd → Europa League qualifying. 4th → a domestic play-off for a Conference League place. 16th → a relegation play-off. Bottom 2 → relegated to the Eerste Divisie.

This is where Total Football came from — Ajax's 1970s ideas about space and movement still shape how the whole sport is coached.

See it on the Netherlands map →Translate the jargon →