Regional league – “Reform of climb 2025”: Initiative of the Eastern Clubs becomes stronger

For the followers of the 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig, it has to seem as if their club was cursed. For the second time within five years, her team had become sovereign champion of the Regionalliga Nordost. And for the second time it was not allowed to rise. In 2020, Lok failed in the relegation at the SC Verl. Last Sunday the new neckline against TSV Havelse: After a 1-1 in the first leg, the master of the Regionalliga Nord prevailed 3-0.

Unjust ascent regulation

Ultimately, however, the locists did not fail because of a small club from Lower Saxony, but on the promotion scheme: of the three masters of the regional northeast, north and Bavaria, only one rises directly every year, while the other two play fourth place in the relegation.

Better than using Lok Leipzig, it can hardly be shown how grotesque it is. The master of a season that comprises six federal states now remains fourth class, although he had only suffered four defeats in 34 league games. “This is the most unfair rule that is found in football,” says sports director Chris Löwe from Ligakonkurberger Chemnitzer FC. “Lok played an outstanding season and had to go to these two extras games. They decided whether the club returns to professional football or not. “

At Chemnitz FC, the threads of the initiative »Advice Reform 2025«, founded in February in February. 16 of the 18 regional leagues from the east belong to her – and are currently getting a good influx. “In the next few weeks it will be about filtering out the common interests of the regional leagues in order to be able to speak with one voice,” says initiator Tommy Haeder, branch manager at the Saxon fourth division. “However, it will not work without the mediation of the DFB and the state associations.” But Haeder also believes that the regional league teams have to rethink. “Masters have to climb” is the motto that is as striking and justified, behind which everyone can gather. However, all regional league must also be clear that it is not enough to make demands without returning on our own door: »As a regional leader, we need a complete structural reform. The times when solidarity is conjured up, but ultimately only oriented towards the interests of one’s own club, have to be over. “

Pressure on DFB grows

However, many regional and third division clubs have long been waiting for the DFB to present paths, how to solve the promotion dilemma that hardly anyone finds justice in the industry. But neither in Frankfurt am Main nor in the state associations happened – that also explains the influx for the initiative, which wants to present further access to the coming week. Hansa Rostock, Energie Cottbus, Erzgebirge Aue and second division promoted Dynamo Dresden recently joined the third division. In Bavaria, the Würzburger Kickers, who had only failed at the second representative of Hannover 96 in the relegation in the relegation last summer. In the west, Rot-Weiß Oberhausen and the 1st FC Bocholt were added. On Tuesday, Kickers Emden, VfB Lübeck and VfB Oldenburg joined – next to SV Meppen, who joined in May, these are the four heavyweights from the north relay.

“Now is the time when the clubs have to stand up for a reform,” says Meppen’s managing director Florian Egbers. And Lübeck’s CEO Dieter Gudel “welcomes the fact that there has been movement in this smoldering topic”. For the integrity of the competition, it is fatal, “if the regional league concerned in a changing right of ascent are forced into a race and in financial risks in order to want to become a fixed promotion in a season.”

Cancellation of Bernd Neuendorf

Those who listen to themselves in the industry also have the impression that the goals of the initiative would be majority. If no remedy has been created for years, it is more due to the fact that you cannot agree on a model. With the current regional league structure with five promoters, it would be the easiest to compensate for with five instead of four relegations from the third division. But DFB President Bernd Neuendorf has given this model a categorical cancellation. He also rejects an increase in 22 clubs.

The second representations of the professional associations also play a role in this construct, but it is not at all discussed. Although their interests should actually not be represented by the DFB, but by the DFL, the U23 teams from Hanover, Stuttgart and Dortmund blocked three starting places in the third division, Hanover and Dortmund in the past season.

So it seems as if the regional leagues have to agree on a model that turns five regional four. For example, by switching the SpVgg Bayreuth to an East season, but the Greifswald FC slips into the Regionalliga Nord. In any case, the DFB has asked the initiative to contact the regional and state associations in order to be able to organize majorities for a reform at the DFB Bundestag in November- and the third. The relay champion from the southwest has just climbed into it: the U23 of TSG Hoffenheim, which often only plays in front of 200 spectators.