What if?
16 famous title changes, replayed the other wayWe took famous Eredivisie title changes, flipped the result, and replayed every game since through the same rules. Sometimes the belt finds its way home within days. Sometimes it never does.
What if AFC Ajax had won?
Real result: Willem II beat AFC Ajax 1–0 · the game
History snaps back fast: the belt is back on its real path by March 3, 1996, 49 days later.
The alternate belt: Vitesse
What if PSV Eindhoven had won?
Real result: NEC Nijmegen beat PSV Eindhoven 3–1 · the game
It takes a while: the belt is back on its real path by November 2, 2024, 217 days later.
The alternate belt: Ajax
What if PSV Eindhoven had won?
Real result: Feyenoord beat PSV Eindhoven 2–1 · the game
It takes a while: the belt is back on its real path by January 22, 1989, 315 days later, after 8 reigns that never happened.
The alternate belt: Groningen → Utrecht → Haarlem → Feyenoord → Utrecht → Volendam → Fortuna → BV Veendam
What if Feyenoord had won?
Real result: Roda JC Kerkrade beat Feyenoord 1–0 · the game
It takes a while: the belt is back on its real path by April 20, 1980, 133 days later, after 6 reigns that never happened.
The alternate belt: PSV → Roda JC Kerkrade → Den Haag → Twente → Sparta → PSV
What if AZ '67 Alkmaar had won?
Real result: AFC Ajax beat AZ '67 Alkmaar 1–0 · the game
It takes a while: the belt is back on its real path by August 22, 1982, 497 days later, after 10 reigns that never happened.
The alternate belt: Go Ahead → Willem II → Utrecht → Ajax → AZ '67 Alkmaar → PSV → Feyenoord → Utrecht → NAC → Ajax
What if Feyenoord had won?
Real result: Fortuna Sittard beat Feyenoord 1–0 · the game
It takes a while: the belt is back on its real path by December 16, 1984, 609 days later, after 13 reigns that never happened.
The alternate belt: Ajax → Den Bosch '67 → Willem II → Zwolle '82 → Haarlem → Volendam → Ajax → Feyenoord → Roda JC Kerkrade → Utrecht → MVV → Feyenoord
What if PSV Eindhoven had won?
Real result: NAC Breda beat PSV Eindhoven 2–1 · the game
History snaps back fast: the belt is back on its real path by March 28, 2010, 22 days later, after 1 reign that never happened.
The alternate belt: Ajax
What if Feijenoord had won?
Real result: PSV Eindhoven beat Feijenoord 3–0 · the game
It takes a while: the belt is back on its real path by November 22, 1970, 188 days later, after 2 reigns that never happened.
The alternate belt: Telstar → Go Ahead
What if Telstar had won?
Real result: Fortuna Sittard beat Telstar 3–1 · the game
History snaps back fast: the belt is back on its real path by September 28, 2025, 14 days later, after 1 reign that never happened.
The alternate belt: Groningen
What if Fortuna Sittard had won?
Real result: Feyenoord beat Fortuna Sittard 2–0 · the game
It takes a while: the belt is back on its real path by December 21, 2025, 95 days later, after 3 reigns that never happened.
The alternate belt: Twente → Ajax → Utrecht
What if Feyenoord had won?
Real result: PSV Eindhoven beat Feyenoord 3–2 · the game
History snaps back fast: the belt is back on its real path by December 13, 2025, 48 days later, after 2 reigns that never happened.
The alternate belt: Go Ahead → Heracles
What if PSV Eindhoven had won?
Real result: FC Volendam beat PSV Eindhoven 2–1 · the game
The belt never finds its way back. Today it would belong to FC Twente, not AZ Alkmaar.
The alternate belt: NEC → Groningen → PSV → Twente
What if FC Volendam had won?
Real result: NAC Breda beat FC Volendam 1–0 · the game
The belt never finds its way back. Today it would belong to FC Twente, not AZ Alkmaar.
The alternate belt: NEC → Groningen → PSV → Twente
What if NAC Breda had won?
Real result: Telstar beat NAC Breda 3–0 · the game
The belt never finds its way back. Today it would belong to FC Twente, not AZ Alkmaar.
The alternate belt: Go Ahead → Utrecht → PSV → Twente
What if Telstar had won?
Real result: sc Heerenveen beat Telstar 3–0 · the game
The belt never finds its way back. Today it would belong to Feyenoord, not AZ Alkmaar.
The alternate belt: Groningen → Feyenoord
What if sc Heerenveen had won?
Real result: AZ Alkmaar beat sc Heerenveen 3–0 · the game
The belt never finds its way back. Today it would belong to Feyenoord, not AZ Alkmaar.
The alternate belt: Zwolle → NEC → Feyenoord