2007–08 Belgian First Division

The 2007Ã¢ÂÂ08 season of the Belgian First Division began on August 3, 2007, and concluded on May 10, 2008. The championship was decided in the 31st round on April 20, 2008, when Standard LiÃÂ¨ge beat Anderlecht 2Ã¢ÂÂ0 at home. For Standard it was their 9th League Championship, but just their first in the last 25 years. At the other end of the table, Brussels and Sint-Truiden were relegated on matchdays 31 and 32 respectively. Behind Standard, Anderlecht and Club Brugge fought until the end for the second place which gives right to a place in the qualifying rounds of the 2008Ã¢ÂÂ09 UEFA Champions League. On the penultimate matchday, Anderlecht won against Club Brugge with 2Ã¢ÂÂ0 which proved decisive in the end for them to become second.

Clubs

Eighteen teams played in the Belgian First Division season 2007Ã¢ÂÂ08. Twelve teams were from Flanders, four clubs from Wallonia and two clubs from the Brussels-Capital Region.

New teams

K.S.K. Beveren had been relegated at the end of the previous season with F. C. Verbroedering Dender E.H. replacing them as they won the Belgian Second Division. Lierse lost their spot during the promotion playoff and were replaced by Y.R. K.V. Mechelen.

Overview

Managerial changes

Kits

Stadiums

League standings

Results

Season statistics

Scoring

First goal of the season: Marcin Wasilewski for Anderlecht against Mechelen (3 August 2007)
Widest winning margin: 6: Westerlo 6Ã¢ÂÂ0 Roeselare (20 October 2007)
Most goals in a match: 9: Westerlo 7Ã¢ÂÂ2 Brussels (19 January 2008)
Best offensive team: Cercle Brugge with 62 goals.
Best defensive team: Standard LiÃÂ¨ge with 19 goals.
Hattricks scored:
Milan JovanoviÃÂ for Standard LiÃÂ¨ge against Brussels (11 August 2007)
Milan JovanoviÃÂ for Standard LiÃÂ¨ge against Roeselare (25 August 2007)
Joseph Akpala for Charleroi against Sint-Truiden (26 August 2007)
Bertin Tomou for Mouscron against Dender EH (27 October 2007)
Bryan Ruiz for Gent against Lokeren (8 December 2007)
Elyaniv Barda for Genk against Zulte-Waregem (14 December 2007)
Bart Van Den Eede for Westerlo against Brussels (19 January 2008)
Joseph Akpala for Charleroi against Genk (12 April 2008)
NicolÃÂ¡s Frutos for Anderlecht against Sint-Truiden (26 April 2008)

Cards

First yellow card: Nicolas Pareja for Anderlecht against Mechelen (3 August 2007)
First red card: Wim Mennes for Westerlo against Brussels (4 August 2007)

Top goal scorers

As of May 6, 2008:

Ã¢ÂÂ FranÃÂ§ois Sterchele died on May 8, 2008, in a car crash and thus did not complete the full season.

Attendances

Source: