This document provides an annual report for the Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA). It summarizes the ongoing impacts of COVID-19, sporting results at various levels including the national teams, growth in women's football, a focus on integrity and anti-discrimination efforts, digital innovations, and plans for 2022 including the World Cup and opening of new football courts. Financial figures and membership statistics are also presented.

1. ANNUAL REPORT

2. CONTINUOUS IMPACT
OF COVID-19
EVEN THE NUMBER 1
CAN DO BETTER
MODERN ORGANISATION
AT 1 CENTRAL LOCATION
CONTEXT
GROWING PARTICIPATION
IN WOMEN’S FOOTBALL
FINANCIALLY HEALTHY

3. EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED
TO KNOW ABOUT THE RBFA
THE SECOND HALF
AGAINST COVID-19
SPORTING RESULTS
ON ALL LEVELS
INTEGRITY ABOVE ALL
TOGETHER AT HOME
IN OUR BASECAMP
UNITED AGAINST
DISCRIMINATION AND RACISM
A DIGITAL PLAYER
A LOOK AHEAD TO 2022

4. EVERYTHING YOU EVER
WANTED TO KNOW
ABOUT THE RBFA

5. FACTS
& FIGURES CLUBS
3,014 – Voetbal Vlaanderen
719 – ACFF
41 – RBFA
FORMAT
1,881 – football
1,283 – mini-football
581 – futsal
29 - offer multiple disciplines
MEMBERS
320,773 – Voetbal
Vlaanderen
217,783 – ACFF
4,688 – RBFA
GENDER
495,558 – men
46,829 – women (+21%)
FORMAT
523,678 – football
18,318 – mini-football
17,265 – futsal
NATIONALITY
504,257 – Belgian
38,130 – other
AGE
275,748 – adults
266,639 – youth
MEMBERSHIP TYPE
(At least) 370,000 players
26,000 coaches
5,000 referees
12,400 club directors
* Some sums may be higher as
members may compete in more
than one format or federation

6. FACTS
& FIGURES
EMPLOYEES
214
EMPLOYEES
42
AVERAGE AGE
GENDER LANGUAGE
44%
FRENCH
56%
DUTCH
32%
FEMALE (+7%)
68%
MALE
pitches
Members of the 1895
Official Belgian Fan Club
stewards
matches per season

7. THE FOOTBALL FAMILY
IN BELGIUM & WORLDWIDE

8. MISSION
To organise and
develop football
AMBITION
We want to reach
everyone through football.
Our mission is to organise and
develop football in Belgium so
that it remains not only the
most popular sport, but also the
most exciting and inclusive one.
5 CORE VALUES
1. SPORTSMANSHIP
2. INTEGRITY
3. INCLUSION
4. TEAM SPIRIT
5. SERVICE-ORIENTED

9. THE SECOND HALF
AGAINST COVID-19

10. THE SECOND YEAR
OF COVID-19
AMATEUR FOOTBALL: CANCELLED SEASON
2020-2021: NO RESTART AMATEUR COMPETITION
(OVER 12 YEARS OF AGE) IN THE FIRST HALF OF 2021
NATIONAL A TEAMS: EMPTY STADIUMS
SPRING 2021
PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL: EMPTY STADIUMS
FIRST HALF OF THE YEAR + END OF 2021

11. A MAJOR FINANCIAL IMPACT
€7 million less revenue
• Association fees from professional football
• Exemption from national contributions in amateur football
• International matches without spectators
€4 million lost income EURO2020
• Prize money
• Selection of 26 players
€4 million cost reduction
• No disciplinary hearings in amateur football
• No travel costs for referees
• No international matches for national youth teams
TOTAL FINANCIAL IMPACT COVID IN 2021
-€7 MILLION

12. CONTINUED GROWTH
WITH OUR PARTNERS
SOME OF THE ACTIONS IN 2021
WELCOME HERBALIFE PATRICK IS STAYING UPGRADE VIP AREA
BRUSSELS AIRLINES
REMAINS LOYAL TO US
PARTNERSHIP
SORARE

13. SPORTING
RESULTS
ON ALL LEVELS

14. EVEN A NUMBER ONE
CAN DO BETTER
“NUMBER ONE IN THE WORLD
FOR FOUR YEARS, ONLY
TWO NATIONAL TEAMS
HAVE EVER DONE
BETTER.”
Roberto Martínez
THE RED DEVILS
EURO 2020 AND NATIONS LEAGUE
FINAL 4 DID NOT BRING THE
HOPED-FOR RESULTS
CONVINCING WORLD CUP 2022
QUALIFICATION

15. THE RED FLAMES: FOCUS ON THE
EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP AND
WORLD CUP QUALIFICATION
THE RED FLAMES
PLACE ON 2021 FIFA
WOMEN’S RANKING
ON THE ROAD TO
WORLD CUP 2023

16. PREPARING UP-AND-
COMING TALENT
U21 STRONG IN
QUALIFIERS FOR
GOOD RESULTS AGAINST
STRONG OPPONENTS

17. WOMEN’S FOOTBALL IN BELGIUM:
THE WORLD AT THEIR FEET
AN INCREDIBLE IDEA!
FOOTBALL EXERCISES WITH STORYTELLING
THROUGH DISNEY ANIMATED FILM
GROWING AT THE BASE: + 21.8%
MONTH OF WOMEN’S FOOTBALL
NATIONAL CAMPAIGN IN SEPTEMBER
A LOVE OF FOOTBALL OFTEN STARTS AT SCHOOL
THROUGH INITIATIONS AN
LOW-THRESHOLD CUPS

18. WOMEN’S FOOTBALL IN BELGIUM:
THE WORLD AT THEIR FEET
THE NATIONAL YOUTH TEAMS
GROWING STAFF DESPITE COVID-19
MORE WOMEN IN FOOTBALL, ALSO COACHES
COURSE EVERY TWO YEARS FOR (FORMER)
RED FLAMES
MAKEOVER FOR THE
COMPETITION’S HIGHEST DIVISION
SCOOORE SUPER LEAGUE
COMPETITION HAS BEEN
COMPLETELY REVAMPED AND
MATCHES SHOWN LIVE ON
ELEVEN.

19. THE WOMEN’S WORLD CUP
IN 2027 IN THE NETHERLANDS,
GERMANY AND BELGIUM?

20. INTEGRITY
ABOVE ALL

21. IN 2021
BETTER GOVERNANCE FOR
A BETTER FUTURE
A FIRST:
2 INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS
ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING
LEGISLATION ALSO APPLIES TO US
NEW STRUCTURE AND OPERATIONS
INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL CONTROL
FOCUS ON DIVERSITY
SEPARATION OF POWERS
COMPLIANCE OFFICER

22. A FAIR SPORT
FOR ALL
A NEW PROFESSIONAL LICENSING
SYSTEM THAT PUTS THE HEALTH OF
OUR CLUBS FIRST
AGREEMENT WITH RSZ ON NEW,
TRANSPARENT REMUNERATION
FRAMEWORK FOR PLAYERS IN
AMATEUR FOOTBALL

23. CERTAINLY NOT
A YEAR FOR A
SENDING OFF
REFEREEING
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
• On the pitch
• In Europe
• Second referee in UEFA Category 1
• First Belgian awarded a group match in the
UEFA Champions League
WITH ROOM FOR IMPOVEMENT
• Uniformity and speed of VAR interventions
• Continuous training
• Recruitment and promotion
• External communication must bring arbitration closer
to football

24. TOGETHER AT HOME
IN OUR BASECAMP

25. BEATING HEART OF
BELGIAN FOOTBALL
OUR PROXIMUS BASECAMP
SPORTS INFRASTRUCTURE AT
EUROPEAN TOP LEVEL

26. BEATING HEART OF
BELGIAN FOOTBALL
OUR PROXIMUS BASECAMP
DYNAMIC, FLEXIBLE AND
INSPIRING WORK ENVIRONMENT

27. BEATING HEART OF
BELGIAN FOOTBALL
OUR PROXIMUS BASECAMP
ONE BIG SPORTING FAMILY

28. BEATING HEART OF
BELGIAN FOOTBALL
OUR PROXIMUS BASECAMP
WITH A FOCUS ON PHYSICAL
AND MENTAL HEALTH

29. A MODERN EMPLOYER
What do our
employees think?

30. SOME KEY FIGURES
FROM THE EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE SURVEY
of employees
enjoy working
at the RBFA
Three keywords that
are most often
linked to the RBFA:
Open
•
Innovative
•
Sporting
feel that they have
sufficient autonomy
are motivated, inspired
by mutual cooperation
and the variety

31. UNITED AGAINST
DISCRIMINATION
AND RACISM

32. LISTEN TO PEOPLE
ON AND OFF THE PITCH
5 PILLARS
REPRESENT EVERYONE,
AS A MIRROR OF SOCIETY
EDUCATE ABOUT DIVERSITY AND
HOW TO TACKLE DISCRIMINATION
MEASURE ACTIONS, MONITOR IMPACT AND
EVOLUTION OF COMPLAINTS AND SANCTIONS
COMMUNICATE ABOUT OUR PLAN TO MAKE
EVERYONE AWARE OF DISCRIMINATION

33. 13-MEMBER DIVERSITY BOARD HAS ADVISORY ROLE
32 MONTHLY RACISM REPORTS
LAUNCH OF THE NATIONAL CHAMBER AGAINST
DISCRIMINATION AND RACISM
ALTERNATIVE MEASURES
TRAINING COURSES WITH 373 PARTICIPATING CLUB
MEMBERS AND REFEREES
MORE DIVERSE COMPOSITION OF FEDERATION BODIES
AND COMMISSIONS
COME TOGETHER:
FACTS AND FIGURES 2021

34. A DIGITAL
PLAYER

35. THE DIGITAL PORTAL
FOR EVERY
FOOTBALL FAN
NEW RBFA APP
EXCLUSIVE VIDEO CONTENT
AND STREAMING
FOLLOW EVERY STEP OF
YOUR FAVOURITE PLAYER
DIGITAL COMPANION FOR
ALL INVOLVED IN AMATEUR
FOOTBALL

36. AND OTHER DIGITAL
INNOVATIONS
APPLYING FOR AND RESIGNING
MEMBERSHIP VIRTUALLY DIGITAL
REFEREE ASSIGNMENTS VIA REFASSIST
79 FOR PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL AND SEVERAL
THOUSANDS FOR AMATEUR FOOTBALL PER
WEEKEND
DIGITAL SESSIONS
ACCIDENT RECORDS AND
INSURANCE INTERVENTION

37. DIGITAL
PLATFORMS
AVERAGE NUMBER OF
USERS PER MONTH:
APP: 400,000
+ SITE: 300,000
A HIGHER IMPACT
SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS
530,000 1,500,000 68,000 3,200
112,000 996,000 37,000 3,700
397,000 927,000 38,000 700
368,000
480,000

38. BEHIND THE SCENES WITH
THE DEVILS AND THE FLAMES
AN EVEN GREATER FOCUS ON QUALITY

39. ESPORTS ACADEMY
BECAUSE ESPORT IS ALSO
TOP-CLASS SPORT
COMPETE INTERNATIONALLY
PLAYING ESPORTS IN TOP FORM
8 SELECTED PLAYERS
MORE FANS FOR OUR SPORT

40. A LOOK AHEAD
TO 2022

41. A EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP
AND WORLD CUP IN 2022
RED DEVILS
RED FLAMES
Qualification
rounds

42. ENGAGING IN DIALOGUE ON
THE WORLD CUP IN QATAR
A DELICATE HISTORY
WORLD CUP AS A LEVER FOR CHANGE
BUILDING POWER VIA BELGIAN PLATFORM QATAR:
AI, ACV & ABVV, ILO & FIFA
ETHICAL CHARTER FOR ALL SUPPLIERS
WORKSHOPS WITH STAFF AND PLAYERS

43. OPENING OF THE FIRST
BELGIAN RED COURTS
MAY 2022: FIRST RED COURT IN LIER
RENOVATION AND/OR RECONSTRUCTION OF MINI-
FOOTBALL PITCHES IN CITIES ALL OVER BELGIUM
17 PITCHES TO BE OPENED
IN 2022 AND EARLY 2023

44. WE CONTINUE TO BUILD OUR
FOOTBALL ECOSYSTEM TOGETHER
WITH OUR PARTNERS

45. FURTHER DEVELOPMENT
OF BASECAMP
CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW
GRANDSTAND
FURTHER COMMITMENT TO
ECOLOGY AND SUSTAINABILITY

46. DOWNLOAD THE
ANNUAL REPORT