2. Fußball-Bundesliga

The 2nd Bundesliga is the Second Division of professional football in Germany. It is below the Bundesliga in the German football league system.

History

1974 marked the introduction of the second tier of the Bundesliga. 40 clubs, divided into two leagues (North and South), competed for promotion into the Bundesliga. 1981 saw the introduction of a single 2nd Bundesliga of 20 teams. In the 1991–1992 season, the former East German clubs participated as well. This was managed by returning to a two-tier system (with 12 teams in each league). 1992–93 was a momentous season, with 24 teams competing in a single league. Since 1994–95, there have been 18 teams in the second division. The most successful team was SC Fortuna Köln (1,376 points from a possible 2,910).

Members of the 2. Bundesliga (2011–12 season)

For details on the 2. Bundesliga 2010–11 season, see here.

Division set-up

Changes in division set-up

• Number of clubs: currently 18. From 1974 to 1981 there were two conferences, each of 20 teams. In 1981–91 it had 20. The 1991–92 season was played in two groups of 12 teams each; 1992–93 again in one group with 24 teams, 1993–94 with 20 teams.
• Teams promoted to the higher league: 3; 1981–91 there was a relegation round, in 1991–92 there was 1 promotion per group.
• Number of relegations into the regional league (until 1994: Upper league): 4; 1991–92: 2–3 per group (inclusive relegation); 1992–93: 7.

Promotion and relegation

• Prior to the 2008-9 season, the top three teams gained promotion into the Bundesliga; after this, and to the present, only the top two teams are promoted automatically, and the third placed team plays a two-leg playoff against the team that finishes 16th in the Bundesliga.
• Until the 2007-8 season, the bottom four teams were relegated into the Regional leagues. Since the 2008-9, following the inception of the 3rd Liga, only the bottom two teams are relegated into the 3rd Liga automatically; the third from bottom team can avoid relegation by winning a two-leg playoff against the team that finishes in 3rd place in the 3rd Liga.

League rules

Matchday squads must have no more than five non-EU representatives. Seven substitutes are permitted to be selected, from which three can be used in the duration of the game.

Champions since 1975

Second Bundesliga

Second Bundesliga

From 1974 to 1994, promotions were decided in relegation rounds. Since 1995 there have been four teams promoted from the regional leagues.

Teams promoted to the 2nd Bundesliga since 1992

• 1992: Wuppertaler SV, VfL Wolfsburg, SpVgg Unterhaching
• 1993: 1860 München, Rot-Weiss Essen, Tennis Borussia Berlin
• 1994: Fortuna Düsseldorf, FSV Frankfurt, FSV Zwickau
• 1995: SpVgg Unterhaching, VfB Lübeck, FC Carl Zeiss Jena, Arminia Bielefeld
• 1996: VfB Oldenburg, Rot-Weiss Essen, FC Gütersloh, Stuttgarter Kickers
• 1997: SpVgg Greuther Fürth, Energie Cottbus, SG Wattenscheid 09, 1. FC Nuremberg
• 1998: SSV Ulm 1846, Rot-Weiß Oberhausen, Hannover 96, Tennis Borussia Berlin
• 1999: SV Waldhof Mannheim, Kickers Offenbach, Chemnitzer FC, Alemannia Aachen
• 2000: LR Ahlen, SSV Reutlingen, 1. FC Saarbrücken, VfL Osnabrück
• 2001: SV Babelsberg 03, 1. FC Union Berlin, Karlsruher SC, 1. FC Schweinfurt 05
• 2002: Wacker Burghausen, Eintracht Trier, VfB Lübeck, Eintracht Braunschweig
• 2003: SSV Jahn Regensburg, SpVgg Unterhaching, Erzgebirge Aue, VfL Osnabrück
• 2004: Rot-Weiß Erfurt, 1. FC Saarbrücken, Rot-Weiss Essen, Dynamo Dresden
• 2005: Eintracht Braunschweig, SC Paderborn 07, Kickers Offenbach, Sportfreunde Siegen
• 2006: FC Augsburg, TuS Koblenz, FC Carl Zeiss Jena, Rot-Weiss Essen
• 2007: SV Wehen, TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, FC St. Pauli, VfL Osnabrück
• 2008: FSV Frankfurt, FC Ingolstadt 04, Rot Weiss Ahlen, Rot-Weiß Oberhausen
• 2009: 1. FC Union Berlin, Fortuna Düsseldorf, SC Paderborn 07
• 2010: VfL Osnabrück, FC Erzgebirge Aue, FC Ingolstadt 04
• 2011: Eintracht Braunschweig, Hansa Rostock, Dynamo Dresden

SC Fortuna Köln was the team most consistently in the 2nd Bundesliga. Up to 2000 it spent 26 consecutive years in the 2nd Bundesliga.

Teams relegated to the Regionalliga – Oberliga – 3. Liga since 1990

Teams relegated to the Oberliga (1990–1993)

• 1990: KSV Hessen Kassel, SpVgg Bayreuth, Alemannia Aachen, SpVgg Unterhaching
• 1991: Rot-Weiss Essen, Preußen Münster, TSV Havelse, 1. FC Schweinfurt 05
• 1992 Nord: SpVgg Blau-Weiß 1890 Berlin, BSV Stahl Brandenburg
• 1992 Süd: TSV 1860 München, Hallescher FC, FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt
• 1993: SpVgg Unterhaching, Eintracht Braunschweig, VfL Osnabrück, Fortuna Düsseldorf, VfB Oldenburg, SV Darmstadt 98, FC Remscheid

Teams relegated to the Regionalliga (1994–2007)

• 1994: Stuttgarter Kickers, FC Carl Zeiss Jena, Wuppertaler SV Borussia, Rot-Weiss Essen, Tennis Borussia Berlin
• 1995: 1. FC Saarbrücken, FC Homburg, FSV Frankfurt
• 1996: Chemnitzer FC, Hannover 96, 1. FC Nuremberg, SG Wattenscheid 09
• 1997: SV Waldhof Mannheim, VfB Lübeck, Rot-Weiss Essen, VfB Oldenburg
• 1998: VfB Leipzig, FC Carl Zeiss Jena, FSV Zwickau, SV Meppen
• 1999: FC Gütersloh 2000, KFC Uerdingen, SG Wattenscheid 09, Fortuna Düsseldorf
• 2000: Stuttgarter Kickers, SC Fortuna Köln, Kickers Offenbach, Karlsruher SC
• 2001: VfL Osnabrück, SSV Ulm 1846, Stuttgarter Kickers, Chemnitzer FC
• 2002: SpVgg Unterhaching, 1. FC Saarbrücken, 1. FC Schweinfurt 05, SV Babelsberg 03
• 2003: Eintracht Braunschweig, SSV Reutlingen, FC St. Pauli, SV Waldhof Mannheim
• 2004: SSV Jahn Regensburg, VfB Lübeck, 1. FC Union Berlin, VfL Osnabrück
• 2005: Rot-Weiß Oberhausen, Eintracht Trier, FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt, Rot-Weiss Essen
• 2006: Sportfreunde Siegen, LR Ahlen, 1. FC Saarbrücken, Dynamo Dresden
• 2007: Eintracht Braunschweig, Wacker Burghausen, SpVgg Unterhaching, Rot-Weiss Essen

Teams relegated to the 3. Liga (since 2008)

• 2008: Kickers Offenbach, Erzgebirge Aue, SC Paderborn, FC Carl Zeiss Jena
• 2009: FC Ingolstadt, SV Wehen Wiesbaden, VfL Osnabrück
• 2010: FC Hansa Rostock, TuS Koblenz, Rot-Weiss Ahlen
• 2011: Rot-Weiß Oberhausen, Arminia Bielefeld, VfL Osnabrück

Player records

See also

• Bundesliga
• Promotion to the Fußball-Bundesliga
• 3rd Liga
• Regionalliga
• Oberliga
• Women's Bundesliga
• German football league teams
• Promotion to the 2nd Bundesliga (Football)
• 2nd Bundesliga Süd
• 2nd Bundesliga Nord

References

External links (sites in German)

• Deutscher Fußball-Bund (DFB)
• Kicker.de
• Bundesliga archive
• Live Football Results with live league tables at Ergebnisse.de

This article incorporates information from the German Wikipedia.(English)

• Archive material
• Information on the 1992–93 season
• Current Standings on ESPN (in English)