Belgian soccer club Excelsior Mouscron were kicked out of the first division yesterday after declaring they would fail to play for a third time this season, the Belgian football association said.

Mouscron, who are under administration due to debt, have not put out a team for their last two scheduled matches and told the league and football association that they would be unable to field a side tomorrow.

The club's expulsion from the league means that all their results are void.

The clubs in the top four spots, eligible for European competition, remained in place, although Anderlecht's lead over Club Bruges at the top of the table was cut to three from five points.

Champions Standard Liege gained a place to sixth.

The big losers were Lokeren, who lost six points and so replaced Roeselare at the bottom of the remaining 15 sides.

However, no club will face automatic relegation now with the 15th-placed side taking part in a playoff with division two teams.

Mouscron, who will drop to Belgium's third division if they continue, said in a short statement that its 120 staff would be receiving their notices and the players would now be free agents.

Coach Hans Galje told Belgian television he had mixed feelings about the news.

"On the one hand, there's some relief that there's finally a a definitive decision. It has taken too long. On the other hand, it's a sad feeling as we're out of the division from today."

The administrators of Mouscron said it was now their priority to save the club's youth academy.