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62-592: As the German football league system below the tier-four Regionalliga is organised individually by the 21 state member associations of the nationwide governing body German Football Association (Deutscher Fußball-Bund), the league structure varies somewhat from state to state. Therefore the Verbandsliga does not exist in every Bundesland. In North Rhine-Westphalia (Middle Rhine and Lower Rhine), Saxony , Thuringia , Hamburg , Lower Saxony , Bremen , and Bavaria ,

124-758: A FIFA continental team on 26 October 1938 in London , England. During the war, Germany played international games until 1942. In the aftermath of World War II , German organisations were disbanded by the allies. FIFA decided in November 1945 to ban the no longer existing DFB (and Japan 's football association ) from international competition, while the Austrian association was re-founded. Internationally, Germans were still represented, with Zürich -based Ivo Schricker serving as General Secretary of FIFA from 1932 to December 1950. In 1948, Switzerland requested FIFA to lift

186-534: A fixed direct promotion. Another direct promotion place is assigned according to a rotation principle among the Regionalligen Nord , Nordost and Bayern champions. The representatives from the remaining two Regionalligen determine the fourth promoted club in two-legged playoffs. The history and development of the Regionalligen in maps: In Austrian soccer, Regionalliga represents

248-603: A large number of insolvencies. These were caused by a lack of media interest in the leagues combined with large expenses and infrastructure demands. The five Regionalligen from 2012 are: Some regional football associations also made changes to the league system below the Regionalliga in their area. From the 2012–13 season, the Bavarian Football Association split the Bayernliga into

310-580: A northern and a southern division, and increased the number of Landesligen from three to five. At the end of March 2023, the Western German Football Association (WDFV) confirmed the Regionalliga West 's status as a professional league for the first time with regard to the 2023–24 season's licensing procedure. North Rhine-Westphalia had already classified the league as such in the 2020–21 season to enable

372-439: A result, the third division has had four relegation places. At the 97th DFB-Bundestag in 2019, a working group under DFB vice-president Peter Frymuth unsuccessfully proposed a system involving four rather than five regional leagues. Instead, the delegates reformed the promotion scheme from the 2020–21 season, in which there continued to be four promotions to the 3. Liga . The Regionalliga West and Südwest each provide

434-701: A step 4 division in the German football league system , and the step 5 Oberliga Nordost . The NOFV itself is formed by the following state associations: DFB Administration is located in Frankfurt (Main) . It is headed by Secretary General Friedrich Curtius and managing directors Heike Ullrich (Deputy Secretary General), Oliver Bierhoff and Markus Holzherr. FIFA World Cup UEFA European Championship Summer Olympic Games FIFA Confederations Cup FIFA Women's World Cup UEFA Women's Championship Summer Olympic Games The official mascot

496-605: Is BV Cloppenburg , who was assigned to the Western division for the 2008–09 season despite being located in Lower Saxony. In October 2010, yet another reform of the Regionalligen was decided upon, with the number of leagues expanding to five and beginning play in the 2012–13 season. Under this new format, the old Regionalliga Nordost would be re-established and the new Regionalliga Südwest and Regionalliga Bayern would be created. The Südwest would take clubs from

558-655: The 1950 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, the Swiss Football Association requested that the DFB be reinstated with full FIFA membership, which was granted on 22 September 1950 in Brussels. Thus, Germany was excluded from the 1950 FIFA World Cup and could resume international games only in late 1950. In the early years of the division of Germany , West Germany claimed exclusive mandate of all of Germany. Unlike

620-536: The 2. Bundesliga was regulated without much continuity. It was a problematic rule, as becoming champion of a division did not automatically mean promotion for that team. The champions of the South and West/Southwest divisions were automatically promoted, however, along with one of the two runners-up. The champions of the North and Northeast divisions had a play-off to decide who would get the fourth promotion spot. This rule

682-506: The 3. Liga and promotions from the Oberliga . As clubs in the Regionalliga must have their teams licensed by the DFB on a per-season basis, a team may also be relegated by having its license revoked or by going into administration . Reserve teams are also relegated when the respective first team is relegated to the 3. Liga . Matchday squads in the Regionalliga must include at least six players of German nationality and under

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744-653: The FRVS administers the Oberliga Rheinland-Pfalz/Saar , a step 5 division. The FRVS itself is formed by the following state associations: The Western German Football Association ( German : Westdeutscher Fußballverband; WDFV ) covers the state of North Rhine-Westphalia . The association was known as WFLV from 2002 to 2016 and used to administer the Western German football championship until 1933. From 1947 to 1963, its highest league

806-519: The German Empire was much larger than today's Germany, comprising Alsace-Lorraine and the eastern provinces . The borders of the regional associations were drawn according to suitable railway connections. Also, teams based in Bohemia , then part of Austria-Hungary , were eligible, as they were German Football clubs and thus considered German. Thus, a German team from Prague was runner-up in

868-523: The German football league system and is in charge of the men's and women's national teams. The DFB headquarters are in Frankfurt am Main . Sole members of the DFB are the German Football League ( German : Deutsche Fußball Liga ; DFL ), organising the professional Bundesliga and the 2. Bundesliga , along with five regional and 21 state associations, organising the semi-professional and amateur levels. The 21 state associations of

930-582: The Hitler salute was made compulsory; Marxists and Jews were expelled. The records of German Jews were erased from the DFB's records, such as those of Gottfried Fuchs who had scored a world record ten goals for Germany in a 16–0 win against Russia at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, becoming the top scorer of the tournament and setting an international record. When, in 1972, German former player and national team coach Sepp Herberger asked

992-710: The IOC , which granted only provisional recognition to the East Germans in 1955, demanding they participate in an All-German Olympic team ( United Team of Germany ), FIFA fully recognized the East German Football Association in 1952. Winning the 1954 World Cup was a major success for the DFB, and the popularity of the sport in Germany. The teams of the DFB and the Saarland were squared off in

1054-477: The Mannschaft were runners-up in the 1966, 1982, 1986 and 2002 World Cups and in 1976, 1992 and 2008 European Championships. The DFB has also overseen the rise of Germany as a world power in women's football . The national team has won World Cups in 2003 and 2007 —the latter without conceding a goal in the final tournament, making them the only World Cup champions for men or women to do so. Furthermore,

1116-737: The Northern German football championship until 1933. From 1947 to 1963, its highest league was the Oberliga Nord , the regional division of the former top level German Oberliga . Since the 1994–95 season, the NFV is in charge of the Regionalliga Nord , a step 4 division in the German football league system . The NFV itself is formed by the following state associations: The Northeastern German Football Association ( German : Nordostdeutscher Fußball-Verband; NOFV ) covers

1178-679: The SFV , except its member Bavarian FA, along with the Football Association of the Southwest is in charge of the Regionalliga Südwest , a step 4 division in the German football league system . The SFV itself is formed by the following state associations: The Southwestern Regional Football Association ( German : Fußball-Regional-Verband Südwest; FRVS ) covers the states Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland and

1240-470: The "numerous professional footballers" to continue practicing their profession. At that time, for example, the game operations in the four remaining regional leagues had been stopped prematurely. At the 96th DFB-Bundestag in December 2017, delegates decided to change the promotion rules and, without success, reduce the number of leagues to four. To achieve this, a temporary solution was put into place for

1302-406: The 2018–19 and 2019–20 seasons. Four teams were promoted and there were three guaranteed promotion places from the champions of the five regional leagues. The champion of the southwest league, which gave up its second playoff place, were promoted automatically in the next two seasons. Additionally there were two teams promoted from the other four regional leagues. In the 2018–19 season, the champion of

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1364-400: The DFB but rather by the regional football associations. In regards to reserve teams, initially only seven were permitted per league, however, this rule may be subject to change under certain circumstances. Reserve sides of 3. Liga teams are not permitted in the Regionalliga . The reorganisation of the Regionalligen so soon after the last changes in 2008 became necessary because of

1426-437: The DFB have a combined number of more than 25,000 clubs with more than 6.8 million members, making the DFB the single largest sports federation in the world. From 1875 to the mid-1880s, the first kind of football played in Germany was according to rugby rules. Later, association-style football teams formed separate clubs, and since 1890, they began to organise on regional and national levels. The DFB (Deutscher Fußball-Bund)

1488-559: The Erste Liga (second tier). A club that wants to play in the Regionalliga must meet two conditions. First, the team must qualify for the league. Second, the club must obtain a license from the DFB . This license is granted if the club can prove that they are financially sound, that their stadium conforms to the security regulations, and that they have a working youth section. The champions of three divisions are automatically promoted;

1550-561: The German Football Association vice president Hermann Neuberger to invite Fuchs as a guest or a guest of honour to an international against Russia on the 60th anniversary of Fuchs' performance for the German team, the DFB Executive Committee declined to do so, writing that it was not willing to invite Fuchs because it would have created an unfortunate precedent (as was pointed out, given that Fuchs

1612-852: The German championship. On the other hand, clubs of the Danish minority in Northern Schleswig refused to join the DFB. This area after World War I voted to join Denmark. Due to border changes imposed by the Treaty of Versailles , the DFB had to adapt its structure. The Saarland , Danzig , and the Memelland were detached from Germany and East Prussia was cut off from the main part by the Polish Corridor . The role of DFB and its representatives like Felix Linnemann under Nazi Germany

1674-705: The German federation. New coach Sepp Herberger was told on short notice to use also Austrian players in his team, which was eliminated in the first round of the World Cup, weakening the situation of football within the Nazi politics to near meaninglessness. Four Germans (Hans Jakob, Albin Kitzinger , Ludwig Goldbrunner, and Ernst Lehner) represented West Europe in a FIFA friendly on 20 June 1937 in Amsterdam , and another two (Kitzinger again and Anderl Kupfer ) represented

1736-909: The Verbandsliga Rheinland became the Rheinlandliga . The Verbandsliga Mittelrhein became the Mittelrheinliga and the Verbandsliga Niederrhein became the Niederrheinliga , with both leagues elevated to Oberliga status in 2012. The Verbandsligas: Regionalliga A Regionalliga ( German pronunciation: [ʁeɡi̯oˈnaːlˌliːɡa] , plural Regionalligen ) is a regional league in numerous sports governing bodies in Germany , Austria and Switzerland , usually located in

1798-802: The Verbandsliga is operated in two or more groups running in parallel. In recent years, a number of leagues have dropped the Verband out of their league name, preferring to call themselves just by the region or Bundesland they are from. The Verbandsliga Berlin became the Berlin-Liga , the Verbandsliga Brandenburg became the Brandenburg-Liga , the Verbandsliga Westfalen became the Westfalenliga and

1860-523: The World Cup in 1974 and 2006 . Germany also hosted the 1988 European Championship . Upon reunification in 1990, the East German Deutscher Fußball-Verband der DDR (DFV) was absorbed into the DFB. The national team won the World Cup for a second time in 1974, a third time in 1990 , and a fourth in the 2014 FIFA World Cup . Also, they were crowned European champions three times, in 1972, in 1980 and in 1996. On top,

1922-425: The age of 24, two under the age of 21, and a maximum of three non-EU players. German Football Association The German Football Association ( German : Deutscher Fußball-Bund [ˈdɔʏtʃɐ ˈfuːsbalˌbʊnt] ; DFB [ˌdeːʔɛfˈbeː] ) is the governing body of football , futsal , and beach soccer in Germany . A founding member of both FIFA and UEFA , the DFB has jurisdiction for

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1984-478: The ban on games against Germans, but this was denied. Swiss clubs played German clubs anyway, but had to cease doing so due to international protests. This was only changed in 1949 when The Football Association requested FIFA to lift the ban on club games. FIFA did so on 7 May 1949, two weeks before the Federal Republic of Germany was founded, thus games required permission by the military governments of

2046-428: The borders of the German states , with the exception of some states ( North Rhine-Westphalia , Rhineland-Palatinate , and Baden-Württemberg ) having up to three state associations covering different areas of such state. The Southern German Football Association ( German : Süddeutscher Fußball-Verband; SFV ) covers the states of Baden-Württemberg , Bavaria and Hesse . The SFV , formed on 17 October 1897 under

2108-597: The clubs following a deal with Reichssportführer Hans von Tschammer und Osten , who had been in charge of all sports in Germany since 1933, making DFB officials even more powerless. Germany had made a bid to host the 1938 World Cup , but it was withdrawn without comment. Following the Anschluss in March 1938 that made Austria part of Germany, the Austrian Football Association became part of

2170-528: The corresponding sixth tier is called the Landesliga , whereas the Landesliga is only a tier-seven league in most of the other German states. North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate , and Baden-Württemberg are divided into two or three state member associations, each running their own league system. Additionally, in some regions or states, as there are Hesse , Westphalia , and Schleswig-Holstein

2232-419: The fan organization FC PlayFair! , mentioned that the growing unpopularity of the men's national team is "just a perfect example of what can happen when you have the fans out of sight". Direct members of the DFB are only its five regional associations and its 21 state associations, along with the German Football League , whereas the clubs participating in the German football league system are members of

2294-422: The fourth tier of football in Germany after the introduction of a new nationwide 3. Liga . However, there was an expansion to three divisions: "Covering" meant that the single divisions were annually re-aligned to geographic location by a DFB committee in order to have 18 teams assigned to each division every year. This led to teams assigned to a division other than their geographical one. An example for this

2356-465: The fourth tier. While all of the clubs in the top three divisions of German football are professional, the Regionalliga has a mixture of professional and semi-professional clubs. From the introduction of the Bundesliga in 1963 until the formation of the 2. Bundesliga in 1974, there were five Regionalligen , forming the second tier of German Football: The champions and runners-up of

2418-567: The large number of state-based German regional competitions in play for a single recognized national title for the season 1902/03. Germans were not present in Paris when FIFA was founded by seven nations in May 1904, but by the time the FIFA statutes came into effect on 1 September, Germany had also joined by telegram as the eighth nation. The German national team played its first game in 1908. Before 1914,

2480-506: The men's Bundesliga. Initially, it was played in north and south divisions but became a single league in 1997. Bundesliga teams have enjoyed more success in the UEFA Women's Champions League than those from any other nation; four different clubs have won a total of seven titles, with the most recent being 2015 champions 1. FFC Frankfurt . Since 2005, in memory of former German-Jewish Olympian international footballer Julius Hirsch who

2542-766: The name of Verband Süddeutscher Fußball-Vereine , originally administered the Southern German football championship , until it was dissolved by the Nazis in 1933. Reformed in the American occupation zone after the Second World War, it operated the Oberliga Süd , the regional division of the former top level German Oberliga until the introduction of the Bundesliga in 1963. Since the 2012–13 season,

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2604-399: The northeast league was also promoted directly. The winner of the third guaranteed promotion place was decided by the drawing of lots. The remaining two regional league champions of the 2018–19 season faced off in a two-legged playoff determining the fourth promotion place. The two regional leagues whose teams took part in the playoff automatically had promotion places for the 2019–20 season. As

2666-472: The operational affairs, whereas the DFB lost most of its duties until it was formally dissolved in 1940. On the pitch, Germany had done well in 1934, but after a 0–2 loss to Norway in the quarter finals of the 1936 Summer Olympics , with Adolf Hitler attending, the DFB and football fell from grace. Reichsjugendführer Baldur von Schirach and the Hitler Youth took over youth football (under 16) from

2728-427: The qualifiers for the 1954 World Cup before the Saarland and its FA was permitted to rejoin Germany and the DFB in 1956. Due to that success, and due to regional associations fearing to lose influence, the old amateur structure, in which five regional leagues represented the top level, remained in effect longer than in many other countries, even though a Reichsliga had been proposed decades ago. Also, professionalism

2790-425: The remaining two take part in the promotion round to the 3. Liga at the end of the season for the fourth promotion. Reserve teams are also eligible for promotion unless the respective first team is playing in the 3. Liga . At least the bottom two teams of each division are demoted to their respective Oberliga . The actual number of teams relegated from every division depends on the number of relegations from

2852-478: The respective divisions played out two promotion spots to the Bundesliga in two groups after the end of the season. In 1974, the two 2. Bundesligen , Süd and Nord became the second tier of German Football and the Regionalligen ceased existing for the next 20 years. In 1994, the Regionalligen were re-introduced, this time as the third tier of German Football. There were initially four Regionalligen : Between 1994 and 2000, promotion to

2914-575: The southern portion of the Regionalliga West and also everything from the Regionallia Süd outside of Bavaria. It was also decided to limit the number of reserve teams per Regionalliga to seven. The five league champions and the runners-up of the Regionalliga Südwest play-off for the three promotion spots in a home-and-away series. The new leagues consist of up to 22 clubs in their inaugural seasons but were reduced to between 16 and 18 clubs. The Regionalligen are not administered by

2976-545: The state associations covering their district. Today, more than 25,000 clubs are organised in those state associations, fielding nearly 170,000 teams with over two million active players and totalling over six million members, the largest membership of any single sports federation in the world. The Association governs 870,000 female members and 8,600 female teams. The DFB is organised into five regional associations, which themselves are sub-divided into 21 state associations. These associations typically have their boundaries run along

3038-590: The states of Berlin , Brandenburg , Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania , Saxony , Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia . The association is the youngest of the five regional associations, having been formed after German reunification in 1990 as a successor of the disbanded German Football Association of the GDR . Since the 2012–13 season and previously from 1994 to 2000, the NOFV administers the Regionalliga Nordost ,

3100-408: The third highest tier, after Austrian Bundesliga (top tier) and Erste Liga (second tier). Unlike the two top tiers, which are true national leagues, Regionalliga is organized in three regional divisions: Ost (East), Mitte ("Middle"), and West (West). A short playoff circle omg the three winners of each division at the end of the season (played as home and away games) determines the team to move up to

3162-655: The time. Due to partition into several occupation zones, and states, the DFB was legally re-founded in Stuttgart on 21 January 1950 only by the West German regional associations, without the Saarland Football Association in the French occupied Saarland , which on 12 June 1950 would be recognized by FIFA as the first of three German FAs after the war. At the FIFA congress held on 22 June prior to

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3224-494: The upper or middle tiers of the sports leagues . The term is often associated with the German football league system where it is the fourth tier or one of the three divisions of Regionalliga in Austria, which represent the third tier in that country. Until 1974, Regionalliga was the second tier in Germany. In 1994, it was reintroduced as the third tier. Upon the creation of the new Germany-wide 3. Liga in 2008, it became

3286-419: The women's national team's victory in 2003 made Germany the only nation to have won both the Men's and Women's World Cups, until Spain achieved the same milestone in 2023 . They have also won eight UEFA Women's Championships , including the last six in succession. In 1990, mere months before reunification became official, the DFB founded the women's Bundesliga ( Frauen-Bundesliga ), directly modelled after

3348-400: Was documented in 100 Jahre DFB and by Nils Havemann in Fußball unterm Hakenkreuz . According to Gleichschaltung policy, the DFB, with its large membership from all political sides, and strong regional structures compared to weak national ones, submitted to new rulers and new Gau structures. On a short general meeting on 9 July 1933 in Berlin, the DFB did so, at least formally. Later,

3410-448: Was formed after the Second World War in the French occupation zone in Germany. Its highest league until the introduction of the Bundesliga in 1963 was the Oberliga Südwest , the regional division of the former top level German Oberliga . Since the 2012–13 season, the FRVS , along with the Southern German football association is in charge of Regionalliga Südwest , a step 4 division in the German football league system . Additionally,

3472-423: Was founded on 28 January 1900 in Leipzig by representatives of 86 clubs . The vote held to establish the association was 62:22 in favour (84 votes). Some delegates present represented more than one club, but may have voted only once. Other delegates present did not carry their club's authority to cast a ballot. Ferdinand Hueppe , the representative of DFC Prague, was named its first president. The DFB consolidated

3534-407: Was justified because there are more clubs in the southern part of Germany than the north. In 1998, the promotion rule was changed again: the winner of the play-off between the North and Northeast division champions was promoted, while the loser faced the runners-up from the West/Southwest and South divisions in another play-off for the remaining promotion spot. In 2000 the number of Regionalligen

3596-450: Was killed in Auschwitz concentration camp during the Holocaust , the German Football Federation awards the " Julius-Hirsch-Preis " for outstanding examples of integration and tolerance within German football. In 2018, Germany was chosen to host UEFA Euro 2024 . The main criticisms of the DFB are the lack of transparency and the commercialization of football, which has been strongly promoted by DFB officials. Christian Prechtl, from

3658-443: Was reduced to two: The new divisional alignment was not bound to certain states any more so teams were moved between the divisions in order to balance club numbers. This led to some clubs in the Southern division being geographically further north than some northern clubs, and vice versa. The champions and the runners-up of both divisions were promoted to the 2. Bundesliga . In 2008, the Regionalligen were demoted to become

3720-423: Was rejected, and players who played abroad were considered "mercenaries" and not capped. The conservative attitude changed only after disappointing results in the 1962 FIFA World Cup when officials like the 75-year-old Peco Bauwens retired. According to the proposals of Hermann Neuberger, the DFB finally introduced a single nationwide professional league, the Bundesliga, for the 1963–64 season. The DFB has hosted

3782-507: Was the Oberliga West , the regional division of the former top level German Oberliga . Since the 2008–09 season, the WDFV is in charge of the Regionalliga West , a step 4 division in the German football league system . The WDFV itself is formed by the following state associations: The Northern German Football Association ( German : Norddeutscher Fußball-Verband; NFV ) covers the states of Bremen , Hamburg , Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein . The association used to administer

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3844-427: Was the last remaining former Jewish German international, the DFB's concern about creating a precedent was a difficult one to understand). As of 2016, Fuchs was still the top German scorer for one match. A new organization, Deutscher Reichsbund für Leibesübungen (German Reich League for Physical Exercise), was established and Linnemann was appointed leader of its Fachamt Fußball (Football section), which took over

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