Promotion to the Fußball-Bundesliga
The Promotion to the Fußball-Bundesliga (German: Aufstiegsrunde zur Bundesliga) was an end-of-season competition, held annually to determined the clubs that were promoted from the Regionalligas, later the 2nd Bundesligas to the Fußball-Bundesliga. Originally, it was necessary because there were more second division champions then promotion spots available. From 1974 onwards, it involved only two clubs who determined the third possible promotion spot to the Bundesliga.
Leagues
1963–74
When the Fußball-Bundesliga was formed in 1963, the German Football Association established five regional second divisions below it, the Regionalligas, these being:
Because the boundaries of these five leagues went along historical lines, determined by the boundaries of the five German sub-federations, the playing strength of the leagues was not equal. To determine the two teams to be promoted to the Bundesliga each season, a promotion round was held. The number of teams from each Regionalliga qualified for this event was not equal, for the above-mentioned reason.
From 1963, the first two teams in each Regionalliga was qualified for the promotion round, except from Berlin, who would only send the champions. To reduce the number of clubs from nine to eight, a home-and-away decider was played between two of the runners-ups. The origin of the two teams in this altered annually. The eight teams would then play a home-and-away round in two groups of four with the winners qualified for the Bundesliga. Teams from the same Regionalliga would not play in the same group. This system was in place till 1966.
From 1967, the groups were expanded to five clubs and all five Regionalligas send their runners-up to the competition. Otherwise, the modus remained unchanged. This system remained in place until 1974, when the Regionalligas were disbanded.
1974–81
In 1974, the five Regionalligas were replaced by two 2nd Bundesligas, those being:
The two league champions would now be directly promoted to the Bundesliga while the two runners-up played a home-and-away round to determined the third promoted team. This system remained in place until the single 2nd Bundesliga replaced the two leagues.
1981–91
With the introduction of the single-division 2nd Bundesliga in 1981, a promotion round would have become unnecessary as the top-three teams could have been directly promoted. Instead, only the top-two teams archived direct promotion. The third placed club had to play the 16th placed club from the Bundesliga in a home-and-away round for the last spot in the first division. This series was played until 1991.
With the German reunion in 1991 and the influx of clubs from the former DDR-Oberliga, the promotion round between the two clubs was stopped. In the 1990–91 season, five clubs were promoted to the Bundesliga, three from the west and two from the east.
1991–92
As a transition season due to the integration of the East German clubs, only two clubs were promoted from the second to the first division. Also, the 2nd Bundesliga was split into two regional groups for this season.
1992–2008
In this era, the top-three teams of the 2. Bundesliga were directly promoted to the Bundesliga.
2008–present
From 2009, the promotion series between the 16th placed Bundesliga club and the third placed 2nd Bundesliga team will be reestablished.[1] The Bundesliga follows thereby its own, past example[2] and the one set by the English Premier League and the Italian Serie A, where these games are in place, too and quite popular.
Promoted teams
1963–74
- In 1965, SC Tasmania 1900 Berlin was promoted to replace Hertha BSC Berlin in the league, without having qualified for it.
1974–81
1981–90
1990–91
1991–92
Season |
South |
North |
1991–92 |
1. FC Saarbrücken (3) |
Bayer Uerdingen (4) |
1992–2011
- Number in brackets behind club denotes the number of promotion when there was more than one.
Clubs taking part in the promotion round
1963–74
Season |
RL Süd (1st) |
RL Süd (2nd) |
RL Südwest (1st) |
RL Südwest (2nd) |
1963–64 |
Hessen Kassel |
FC Bayern Munich |
Borussia Neunkirchen |
FK Pirmasens |
1964–65 |
FC Bayern Munich |
SSV Reutlingen |
1. FC Saarbrücken |
Wormatia Worms |
1965–66 |
FC Schweinfurt 05 |
Kickers Offenbach |
FK Pirmasens |
1. FC Saarbrücken |
1966–67 |
Kickers Offenbach |
FC Bayern Hof |
Borussia Neunkirchen |
1. FC Saarbrücken |
1967–68 |
FC Bayern Hof |
Kickers Offenbach |
SV Alsenborn |
TuS Neuendorf |
1968–69 |
Karlsruher SC |
Freiburger FC |
SV Alsenborn |
TuS Neuendorf |
1969–70 |
Kickers Offenbach |
Karlsruher SC |
SV Alsenborn |
FK Pirmasens |
1970–71 |
1. FC Nuremberg |
Karlsruher SC |
Borussia Neunkirchen |
FK Pirmasens |
1971–72 |
Kickers Offenbach |
FC Bayern Hof |
Borussia Neunkirchen |
SV Röchling Völklingen |
1972–73 |
SV Darmstadt 98 |
Karlsruher SC |
FSV Mainz 05 |
SV Röchling Völklingen |
1973–74 |
FC Augsburg |
1. FC Nuremberg |
Borussia Neunkirchen |
1. FC Saarbrücken |
Season |
RL West (1st) |
RL West (2nd) |
RL Nord (1st) |
RL Nord (2nd) |
RL Berlin (1st) |
RL Berlin (2nd) |
1963–64 |
Alemannia Aachen |
Wuppertaler SV |
FC St. Pauli |
Hannover 96 |
SC Tasmania 1900 Berlin |
N/A |
1964–65 |
Borussia Mönchengladbach |
Alemannia Aachen |
Holstein Kiel |
FC St. Pauli |
Tennis Borussia Berlin |
N/A |
1965–66 |
Fortuna Düsseldorf |
Rot-Weiss Essen |
FC St. Pauli |
SC Göttingen 05 |
Hertha BSC Berlin |
N/A |
1966–67 |
Alemannia Aachen |
Schwarz-Weiß Essen |
Arminia Hannover |
SC Göttingen 05 |
Hertha BSC Berlin |
Tennis Borussia Berlin |
1967–68 |
Bayer Leverkusen |
Rot-Weiss Essen |
Arminia Hannover |
SC Göttingen 05 |
Hertha BSC Berlin |
Tennis Borussia Berlin |
1968–69 |
Rot-Weiß Oberhausen |
Rot-Weiss Essen |
VfL Osnabrück |
VfB Lübeck |
Hertha Zehlendorf |
SC Tasmania 1900 Berlin |
1969–70 |
VfL Bochum |
Arminia Bielefeld |
VfL Osnabrück |
VfL Wolfsburg |
Hertha Zehlendorf |
Tennis Borussia Berlin |
1970–71 |
VfL Bochum |
Fortuna Düsseldorf |
VfL Osnabrück |
FC St. Pauli |
SC Tasmania 1900 Berlin |
Wacker 04 Berlin |
1971–72 |
Wuppertaler SV |
Rot-Weiss Essen |
FC St. Pauli |
VfL Osnabrück |
Wacker 04 Berlin |
SC Tasmania 1900 Berlin |
1972–73 |
Rot-Weiss Essen |
Fortuna Köln |
FC St. Pauli |
VfL Osnabrück |
SpVgg Blau-Weiß 1890 Berlin |
Wacker 04 Berlin |
1973–74 |
SG Wattenscheid 09 |
Rot-Weiß Oberhausen |
Eintracht Braunschweig |
FC St. Pauli |
Tennis Borussia Berlin |
Wacker 04 Berlin |
- Bold denotes promoted team.
- In 1964, Wuppertaler SV lost to FK Pirmasens 1–2 and 0–2 in the qualifying, missing out on the promotion round.
- In 1965, FC St.Pauli lost to SSV Reutlingen 1–0 and 1–4 aet in the qualifying, missing out on the promotion round.
- In 1966, SC Göttingen 05 lost to 1. FC Saarbrücken 0–3 and 0–4 in the qualifying, missing out on the promotion round.
1974–1981
Date |
South |
North |
Game 1 |
Game 2 |
Game 3 |
1974–75 |
FK Pirmasens |
Bayer Uerdingen |
4–4 |
0–6 |
N/A |
1975–76 |
1.FC Nuremberg |
Borussia Dortmund |
0–1 |
2–3 |
N/A |
1976–77 |
TSV 1860 München |
Arminia Bielefeld |
4–0 |
0–4 |
2–0 |
1977–78 |
1. FC Nuremberg |
Rot-Weiss Essen |
1–0 |
2–2 |
N/A |
1978–79 |
SpVgg Bayreuth |
Bayer Uerdingen |
1–1 |
1–2 |
N/A |
1978–80 |
Karlsruher SC |
Rot-Weiss Essen |
5–1 |
1–3 |
N/A |
1980–81 |
Kickers Offenbach |
Eintracht Braunschweig |
1–0 |
0–2 |
N/A |
1981–91
Date |
Bundesliga 16th |
2nd Bundesliga 3rd |
Game 1 |
Game 2 |
Game 3 |
1981–82 |
Bayer Leverkusen |
Kickers Offenbach |
1–0 |
2–0 |
N/A |
1982–83 |
FC Schalke 04 |
Bayer Uerdingen |
1–3 |
1–1 |
N/A |
1983–84 |
Eintracht Frankfurt |
MSV Duisburg |
5–0 |
1–1 |
N/A |
1984–85 |
Arminia Bielefeld |
1. FC Saarbrücken |
2–0 |
1–1 |
N/A |
1985–86 |
Borussia Dortmund |
Fortuna Köln |
0–2 |
3–1 |
8–0 |
1986–87 |
FC Homburg |
FC St. Pauli |
3–1 |
1–2 |
N/A |
1987–88 |
Waldhof Mannheim |
SV Darmstadt 98 |
2–3 |
2–1 |
0–0 / 5–4 after pen. |
1988–89 |
Eintracht Frankfurt |
1. FC Saarbrücken |
2–0 |
1–2 |
N/A |
1989–90 |
VfL Bochum |
1. FC Saarbrücken |
1–0 |
0–0 |
N/A |
1990–91 |
FC St. Pauli |
Stuttgarter Kickers |
1–1 |
1–1 |
1–3 |
2009 onwards
Date |
Bundesliga 16th |
2nd Bundesliga 3rd |
Game 1 |
Game 2 |
2008–09[3] |
FC Energie Cottbus |
1. FC Nuremberg |
0–3 |
0–2 |
2009–10 |
1. FC Nuremberg |
FC Augsburg |
1–0 |
2–0 |
2010–11 |
Borussia Mönchengladbach |
VfL Bochum |
1–0 |
1–1 |
See also
References
Sources
- Deutsche Liga Chronik seit 1945 (German) Historic tables of German football (First, Second and Third Division), publisher: DSFS, published: 2006
- kicker Almanach 1990 (German) Yearbook of German football, publisher: kicker, published: 1989, ISBN 3-7679-0297-4
External links