| Hessenliga |
|---|
| Founded |
| 1945 |
| Nation |
| Germany |
| State |
| Hesse |
| Promotion To |
| Regionalliga Süd/Südwest |
| Relegation To |
| Verbandsliga Hessen-Nord |
| Verbandsliga Hessen-Mitte |
| Verbandsliga Hessen-Süd |
| Number of Teams |
| 18 |
| Level on Pyramid |
| Level 5 |
| Domestic Cups |
| Hessenpokal |
| Current Champions 2010–11 |
| FC Bayern Alzenau |
The Hessenliga (until 2008 Oberliga Hessen) is the highest football league in the state of Hesse and the Hessian football league system. It is one of eleven Oberligas in German football, the 5th tier of the German football league system. It was, until the introduction of the 3. Liga in 2008, the 4th tier.
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The league was formed in 1945 and except for its first two seasons it has always played as one single division. As such, it is the longest continuously operating Oberliga in Germany. The league was called Landesliga-Hessen until 1950 and actually formed the second tier of southern German football. With the introduction of the 2nd Oberliga Süd in 1950, the Landesliga-Hessen was renamed Amateurliga Hessen. From 1978, it was called Amateur Oberliga Hessen and finally, in 1994 it was renamed Oberliga Hessen.
Since introduction of the Regionalliga Süd in 1994, the winner of the Oberliga Hessen is automatically promoted to this league, till 1994 the winners of the Oberligas had to play-off for the four promotion spots to the 2. Bundesliga with the other Oberliga winners.
In 1994, with the introduction of the Regionalliga, six clubs from Hessen were qualified for the new league, based on their performance over the last three seasons, these clubs being:
Originally, FSV Frankfurt, champions of 1994, would have also been qualified but gained promotion to the 2. Bundesliga instead.
The Oberliga Hessen still remained below the Regionalliga Süd after the reduction of the number of Regionalligas from four to two in 2000 but this reduction meant that the Oberliga champions in that year were not promoted.
With the changes in the league system in 2008, four clubs from the Hessenliga were promoted to Regionalliga Süd after the 2007–08 season, nominally the top four teams, however, there was also financial requirements to receive a Regionalliga license. The four clubs were:
The Hessenliga is fed by the three Verbandsligen. The winners of those are directly promoted to the Hessenliga, the three runners-up play-off with the 15th club from the Hessenliga for one more promotion spot.
The Hessenliga also, at times, accommodated teams from Bavaria, Viktoria Aschaffenburg and FC Bayern Alzenau. In the 2011-12 season, Viktoria will play in the league while Alzenau plays one level above in the Regionalliga.
From 2012 onwards, the league will become a feeder league to the new Regionalliga Süd/Südwest, together with the Oberliga Baden-Württemberg and the Oberliga Südwest. The previous league the Hessenliga was set below at, the Regionalliga Süd, will be disbanded after the 2011-12 season.[1]
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