Eredivisie

The Eredivisie (English: Honor Division) is the highest football league in the Netherlands.

Related Topics:
English - Football - Netherlands

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From 1990 to 1999, the official name of the league was PTT Telecompetitie, which was changed to KPN Telecompetitie in 1999 and to KPN Eredivisie in 2000. From 2002 to 2005, the league was called the Holland Casino Eredivisie. From the 2005/06 onwards, the league will be sponsored by the Sponsorloterij lottery, but for legal reasons, its name can't be attached to the league.

Related Topics:
KPN - 2005 - 06

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The top division consists of 18 clubs. Each club faces every other club twice during the season, once at home and once away. Like several other leagues in continental Europe, the Eredivisie takes a month-long winter break, covering the Christmas and New Year's holiday season. At the end of each season, the bottom club is automatically relegated to the second level of the Dutch league system, the Eerste Divisie (First Division), with the champion of the Eerste Divisie automatically promoted to the Eredivisie. The next two clubs from the bottom of the Eredivisie go to separate promotion/relegation playoffs. The playoffs are played in two groups. Each group has one Eredivisie club and three high-placed clubs from the Eerste Divisie. In both promotion/relegation playoff groups, each club plays a home-and-home series with the other clubs. The winner of each playoff group plays in the following season's Eredivisie, with the other teams going to the Eerste Divisie.

Related Topics:
Christmas - New Year's - Relegated - Eerste Divisie - Promoted

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Ajax Amsterdam has won the most titles, 29. PSV Eindhoven is next with 18, and Feyenoord Rotterdam follows with 14. Since 1965, these three giants have won all but one title.

Related Topics:
Ajax Amsterdam - PSV Eindhoven - Feyenoord Rotterdam - 1965

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