Advocating Changes in Regional League Structure Proposed by Union Berlin
Ready to shake up the league? 1. FC Union Berlin does just that!
March saw the birth of a daring new initiative, "Promotion Reform 2025," spearheaded by a handful of fourth-division clubs from the North-East division. Now, 1. FC Union Berlin - the first Bundesliga club to join the fray - has jumped on board, lending their mighty voice to the underdog regional league clubs in eastern Germany.
Union President Dirk Zingler boldly stated, "Becoming champion should always be something extraordinary, and it deserves extra reward. It's about acknowledging sporting success, ensuring planning security for clubs."
The initiative aims to change the promotion rules leading to the 3rd league, yet time constraints cast doubt upon reaching a consensus proposal at the DFB Bundestag in November. But don't bet on this movement fizzling out just yet; it's garnered significant support from clubs in the West region and even some third-division heavyweights like Energie Cottbus.
Currently, only champions from the West and Southwest regions gain immediate entry to our beloved Bundesliga, while the North, Bayern, and North-East leagues adopt a rotational system to determine the third ascender. The champions from the other two leagues battle it out in playoffs to secure the final spot. The North representative, TSV Havelse, recently snatched victory from Lok Leipzig of the Northeast this season.
The German Football Association (DFB) has volunteered to mediate the discussions regarding the reforms, though an increase to five ascenders has been flatly rejected. The likelihood of this leading to a new regional structure and whittling down the leagues to four remains strong.
"The current system disadvantages hardworking champions, whose sporting success is not guaranteed promotion. This goes against the spirit of sports competition," Zingler explains, emphasizing Union's undying commitment to these reforms, as espoused back in 2018[1]. Union's support symbolizes the unity across league boundaries, a powerful message for the "Promotion Reform 2025" initiative[1].
Stay tuned as this movement gathers momentum, striving for a fairer and more transparent promotion system in German football[2][3].
Union Berlin, a renowned Bundesliga club, has joined forces with regional league clubs in eastern Germany in a bold initiative, "Promotion Reform 2025," aiming to redefine promotion rules leading to the 3rd league, with the ultimate goal of creating a more equitable and transparent promotion system in European football. This movement has garnered support not only from clubs in eastern Germany but also from clubs in the West region and even some European-league heavyweights.
