Regionalliga Bayern

Regionalliga Bayern

Country  Germany
State  Bavaria
Confederation Bavarian Football Association
Founded 2012
Number of teams 18
Level on pyramid Level 4
Promotion to 3. Liga
Relegation to
Domestic cup(s) Bavarian Cup
Current champions Jahn Regensburg
(2015–16)
2015–16 Regionalliga Bayern

The Regionalliga Bayern, (English: Regional league Bavaria), is the highest association football league in the state of Bavaria (German: Bayern) and the Bavarian football league system. It is one of five Regionalligas in German football, the fourth tier of the German football league system, below the 3. Liga.

The league was established at the end of the 2011–12 season and replaced the Regionalliga Süd at this level in Bavaria.[1][2][3]

History

The Regionalligas from 2012 onwards.

The German league system, having gone through its last adjustment in 2008, when the 3. Liga was established and the number of Regionalligas increased from two to three, required another adjustment in 2011.[4] The reason for this was the large number of insolvencies on the fourth level, caused by high cost and infrastructure requirements while, at the same time, the clubs at this level complained about low incomes and little interest from TV broadcasters. Requirements like the fact that Regionalliga stadiums had to have at least 1,000 seats and a separate stand with separate entrance for away spectators were seen as causing too much of a financial strain on amateur clubs. Many clubs also struggled to cope with the 400-pages long license application, having to rely on volunteers rather than being able draw on permanent staff.[5]

This led to Oberliga champions even, at times, declining their right for promotion to avoid the financial risk the Regionalliga meant to them, breaking with a basic principle of German football, that league champions would almost always be promoted.[6]

In a special conference of the German Football Association, the DFB, in October 2010, 223 of 253 delegates voted for a reform of the league system on the fourth level. The number of Regionalligas was to be expanded to five, with the reestablishment of the Regionalliga Nordost, the formation of the Regionalliga Bayern and a shift of the Regionalliga Süd to the new Regionalliga Südwest.[1]

The suggestion for the league reform had come from Bavaria, where, in a meeting of the Bavarian top-level amateur clubs at Wendelstein, the financial survival of the leagues and clubs in the current system was questioned. It resulted in the publication of what was called the Wendelsteiner Anstoß, which demanded a clear demarcation between professional football on the first three tiers of German football and amateur football below that. For this purpose, the paper also demanded the reestablishment of the German amateur football championship as an incentive and goal for top amateur clubs who did not want to turn professional.[2][6]

On 16 December 2011, the BFV introduced the league's logo.[7]

In March 2012 the BFV announced that the league champions, apart from having the opportunity to compete in the promotion round to the 3. Liga, would also qualify directly for the first round of the German Cup. Due to the ban of reserve teams in the German Cup this spot would be handed to the best placed first team should the champions be a reserve side.[8]

With the deadline for the licence applications for the new league set for 1 April 2012, 32 clubs had applied for the new league. Of those, one came from the 3. Liga, six from the Regionalliga, eight from the Landesliga and two from leagues outside of Bavaria. Of the 18 Bayernliga clubs, 15 applied for a licence, with only TSV Gersthofen, TSV Aindling and SpVgg Unterhaching II deciding not to apply. Of the Landesliga clubs, eight applied for a licence.[9]

The BFV planned to complete the licensing procedure by 20 April 2012 and notify all clubs of the outcome by that date,[7] but this process was delayed.[10] On 20 April 2012 the FSV Erlangen-Bruck opted to withdraw its Regionalliga application because of ongoing financial issues.[11] All Bayernliga and Regionalliga clubs had their licence applications approved by 27 April 2012 while the Landesliga clubs had to wait another week before being notified of a decision.[12]

Champions & runners-up

The champions and runners-up of the league:

Season Champions Runners-up
2012–13 TSV 1860 Munich II Bayern Munich II
2013–14 FC Bayern Munich II FV Illertissen
2014–15 Würzburger Kickers FC Bayern Munich II
2015–16 Jahn Regensburg Wacker Burghausen

League statistics

The top goal scorers and spectator statistics for the league are:

Season Overall
Spectators		 Per game Best supported Club Spectators
/game		 Top goal scorer Goals
2012–13 222,885[13] 587 TSV Buchbach 1,011 Andreas Neumeyer (SVH)[14] 24
2013–14 245,499[15] 718 1. FC Schweinfurt 05 1,865 Nicolas Görtler (BAM)[16] 21
2014–15 274,711[17] 898 Würzburger Kickers 2,482 Dominik Stolz (BAY)[18] 23
2015–16 368,993[19] 1,206 Jahn Regensburg 6,557 Markus Ziereis (JAH)[20] 19
League record

Seasons

2012–13

The first-ever round of the new Regionalliga Bayern kicked off on 19 July 2012 with the opening game held at Bamberg, ending with a 1–0 home victory for FC Eintracht Bamberg against SpVgg Bayern Hof.[21][22] Alexander Deptalla of Bamberg became the first ever goal scorer in the league.[23] While the league attendance in the early rounds was below 900 spectators a match an attendance record was set when the reserve teams of Bayern Munich and TSV 1860 met in front of 6,000 spectators on 5 August 2012.[24][25] The league was won by the reserve team of 1860 Munich, while FV Illertissen finished as the best non-reserve side and thereby earned the title of Bavarian amateur champion, which qualified the club for the first round of the German Cup. The league champions in turn qualified for the promotion round to the 3. Liga, in which it met the runners-up of the Regionalliga Südwest, SV Elversberg, and lost.[26][27]

2013–14

FC Bayern Munich II won the league title in the second season of the league but was, like the reserve of 1860 Munich the year before, unable to win promotion in the promotion round to the 3. Liga. TSV Rain am Lech, Bayern Hof and Viktoria Aschaffenburg were directly relegated while FC Schweinfurt 05 and TSV 1860 Rosenheim entered the relegation round, with the former defending its league place while the later was relegated. The FV Illertissen was, for the second consecutive season the best non reserve side in the league and thereby qualified for the first round of the German Cup again.

2014–15

The league was won by Würzburger Kickers which thereby qualified for the promotion round to the 3. Liga and also the first round of the 2015–16 DFB-Pokal. Second and third place were taken up by the reserve teams of Bayern and TSV 1860 Munich. The encounters of these two teams also attracted the most spectators per game, being seen by 12,000 spectators on each occasion.[28]

2015–16

The 2015–16 season saw a new Regionalliga Bayern record set when 15,224 spectators attended Jahn Regensburg's home match in their new stadium against FC Bayern Munich II.[29] Regensburg, relegated from the 3. Liga the previous season, won the league and gained promotion by defeating VfL Wolfsburg II in the promotion play-off. At the bottom of the table newly promoted FC Amberg and TSV Rain am Lech were both relegated again.

Rules & regulations

Promotion to the 3. Liga

The new five Regionalligas with their five league champions will not have the right to direct promotion to the 3rd Liga anymore. Instead, the five league winners and the runners-up of the Süd/Südwest would play-off for three promotion spots.[1] The promotion round will be played in home-and-away format, whereby the two clubs from the Süd/Südwest region can not be paired against each other.[30]

Qualifying

From the 3. Liga and Regionalliga

The new league will nominally be playing with 18 clubs, however, in its first, transitional season the DFB permitted up to 22 clubs in the league, with the number eventually settling at 20. All Bavarian clubs from the current Regionalliga Süd were directly qualified for the league. Additionally, any Bavarian club relegated from the 3. Liga in 2012 would also have been qualified, however this did not eventuate. Restrictions existed however on reserve sides. No more than seven reserve teams were permitted per Regionalliga, should there be more in a league the additional ones would have to be moved to a different Regionalliga. Reserve teams of 3. Liga clubs were not permitted to play in the Regionalliga from 2012–13 onwards. The make up of the clubs entering the new Regionalligas from the leagues below was left to the regional football association and not regulated by the DFB.[30][31]

Specifically, this would have meant for Bavaria, that should one or more of the three 3. Liga clubs from the state, SSV Jahn Regensburg, SpVgg Unterhaching or Wacker Burghausen, be relegated at the end of the 2011-12 season, they would directly enter the new Regionalliga Bayern. Additionally, the Bavarian Regionalliga clubs FC Memmingen, 1. FC Nuremberg II and FC Bayern Munich II would be directly qualified for the league, unless they earned promotion to the 3. Liga. The same rule also applied to the other three Bavarian clubs in the league, 1860 Munich II, SpVgg Greuther Fürth II and FC Ingolstadt 04 II. However, as their first teams played in the 2. Bundesliga and could possibly have been relegated to the 3. Liga after the 2011–12 season, the reserve sides would then be barred from entry to the Regionalliga Bayern. As no Bavarian team was relegated from the 2. Bundesliga or 3. Liga, this clauses had no effect on the make up of the new league.

It also meant that Bayernliga side SpVgg Unterhaching II and the Landesliga sides SSV Jahn Regensburg II and Wacker Burghausen II could not gain entry to the Regionalliga unless the first teams won promotion to the 2. Bundesliga. As Jahn Regensburg did indeed earn promotion the club's reserve side could have entered the league but finished only third in its Landesliga division and thereby narrowly missed out.

The seventh Bavarian Regionalliga club, FC Bayern Alzenau, traditionally playing in Hesse's league system, was grouped in the new Regionalliga Süd/Südwest, upon their own request.[32]

Of the 3. Liga clubs, only the SpVgg Unterhaching considered it necessary to apply for a Regionalliga licence, as both Wacker and Jahn were placed in the top third of the 3. Liga at the time of the deadline and were unlikely to suffer relegation.[12] Eventually, Unterhaching was able to finish above a relegation rank in the 3. Liga, too.

From the Bayernliga and Landesliga

The top nine clubs from the Bayernliga at the end of the 2011–12 season gained direct entry to the new Regionalliga. The clubs placed tenth to fifteenth took part in a promotion play-off with six Landesliga clubs, nominally the champions and runners-up of each of the three Landesligas, in a home-and-away knockout format for three additional clubs in the Regionalliga. The losers of these games would remain on Bayernliga level.[3][31]

Of the eighteen Bayernliga clubs, fifteen applied for a Regionalliga licence, with only Aindling, Gerstofen and Unterhaching II opting not to. FSV Erlangen-Bruck later withdrew its application.[12]

Only eight Landesliga clubs opted to apply for a Regionalliga licence, the clubs being FC Augsburg II, BC Aichach, SV Schalding-Heining, SSV Jahn Regensburg II, SpVgg Landshut, SpVgg Bayreuth, Würzburger Kickers and the SpVgg Selbitz.[12] Of those BC Aichach, for example, had finished only eighth in its league but as two licences were available and only BC Aichach and FC Augsburg II had applied for one from this league, the two clubs were automatically qualified for the play-off, without regards to the final position.

Apart from the nine directly qualified clubs from the Bayernliga only the SV Heimstetten qualified for the Regionalliga through the play-offs. The other two available spots went to FC Augsburg II and Würzburger Kickers, who thereby jumped directly from the sixth to the fourth tier of the league system.

From outside of Bavaria

The qualifying modus allowed for Bavarian clubs not playing in the states league system to qualify for the league, too, should they finish on a direct qualification rank in their equivalent league to the Bayernliga or Landesliga. Viktoria Aschaffenburg decided to take up this option in November 2011, voting to join the Bavarian association from 2012. Playing in the Hessenliga, the club, finishing in the top nine, was automatically qualified for the Regionalliga Bayern. If it finished tenth or worse, it would have been grouped in the northern division of the Bayernliga.[33][34][35]

In December 2011 FV Illertissen, playing in the Oberliga Baden-Württemberg, decided to follow Aschaffenburg's example and switch to the Bavarian league system from the 2012–13 season onwards.[36]

Both Aschaffenburg and Illertissen fulfilled the qualifying norm and gained entry to the Regionalliga for 2012–13.

Below the Regionalliga

The level below the new Regionalliga continued to be taken up by the Bayernliga, but now in two regional divisions, north and south. The league would consist of all the Bayernliga and, possibly, Regionalliga Süd clubs who failed to gain entry to the new Regionalliga Bayern. Additionally, the six Landesliga champions and runners-up who failed to qualify for the Regionalliga were also to be grouped in the Bayernliga. From the three Landesligas, the clubs placed third to eighth would also be directly qualified. Further places in the two Bayernigas were then determined between the Landesliga clubs placed ninth to 13th and the Bezirksoberliga champions.[3][37]

Qualified teams

For the league's first season, 2012–13, 20 clubs qualified to play in it, these being:

Placings in the Regionalliga Bayern

Final league positions of all clubs who have played in the league:

Club 13 14 15 16 17 18
Würzburger Kickers 10 11 1 3L 2B
SSV Jahn Regensburg 2B 3L 3L 1 3L
SV Wacker Burghausen 3L 3L 11 2 x
1. FC Nuremberg II 4 8 8 3 x
SpVgg Unterhaching 3L 3L 3L 4 x
FV Illertissen 3 2 9 5 x
FC Bayern Munich II 2 1 2 6 x
SpVgg Bayreuth 6 7 x
TSV Buchbach 6 5 4 8 x
SpVgg Greuther Fürth II 12 9 14 9 x
1860 Munich II 1 3 3 10 x
FC Ingolstadt 04 II 8 6 5 11 x
FC Memmingen 9 13 7 12 x
SV Schalding-Heining 12 12 13 x
FC Schweinfurt 05 16 13 14 x
FC Augsburg II 16 4 10 16 x
VfR Garching 16 x
SV Seligenporten 14 7 17 x
TSV 1860 Rosenheim 7 15 x
SpVgg Bayern Hof 17 17 x
Viktoria Aschaffenburg 15 18 15
FC Amberg 17
TSV Rain am Lech 11 19 18
SV Heimstetten 5 14 15
FC Eintracht Bamberg 13 10 18
SC Eltersdorf 18
FC Ismaning 19
VfL Frohnlach 20

Key

Symbol Key
B Bundesliga
2B 2. Bundesliga
3L 3. Liga
1 League champions
Place League
Blank Played at a league level below this league

References

  1. 1 2 3 [http://www.dfb.de/index.php?id=500014&tx_dfbnews_pi1[showUid]=25239&tx_dfbnews_pi1[sword]=Regionalligareform&tx_dfbnews_pi4[cat]=212 DFB-Bundestag beschließt Reform der Spielklassen] (German) DFB website, published: 22 October 2010, accessed: 28 October 2010
  2. 1 2 Untere Ligen erfahren eine Aufwertung (German) Augsburger Allgemeine, published: 11 April 2011, accessed: 2 May 2011
  3. 1 2 3 Erste Qualifikationsgrenzen bestätigt (German) fupa.net, published: 5 July 2011, accessed: 6 July 2011
  4. ↑ Geschichte (German) DFB website - Regionalliga History, accessed: 6 July 2011
  5. ↑ Regionalliga-Reform: Top-Amateure - Top-Talente in einer Liga! (German) Bavarian FA website, published: 4 October 2010, accessed: 6 July 2011
  6. 1 2 Wendelsteiner Anstoß (German) Bavarian FA website - The Wendelstein paper, accessed: 6 July 2011
  7. 1 2 Chronik - Der Weg zur Regionalliga Bayern (German) Bavarian FA website - Timeline of the Regionalliga Bayern, accessed: 9 April 2012
  8. ↑ DFB-Pokal-Startplatz für den Amateurmeister (German) fupa.net, published: 1 April 2012, accessed: 3 April 2012
  9. ↑ Das sind die 32 Regionalliga-Bewerber (German) fupa.net, published: 2 April 2012, accessed: 3 April 2012
  10. ↑ Das Kreuz mit den Regionalliga-Auflagen (German) fupa.net, published: 19 April 2012, accessed: 27 April 2012
  11. ↑ Erlangen-Bruck verzichtet auf Regionalliga (German) fupa.net, published: 20 April 2012, accessed: 27 April 2012
  12. 1 2 3 4 Alle Bayern- und Regionalligisten zugelassen (German) fupa.net, published: 27 April 2012, accessed: 27 April 2012
  13. ↑ Regionalliga Bayern 2012/2013 .:. Zuschauer .:. Heimspiele (German) Weltfussball.de, accessed: 28 May 2013
  14. ↑ Regionalliga Bayern - Torjäger (German) kicker.de, accessed: 28 May 2013
  15. ↑ Regionalliga Bayern 2013/2014 .:. Zuschauer .:. Heimspiele (German) Weltfussball.de, accessed: 22 May 2014
  16. ↑ Regionalliga Bayern 2013/2014 » Torschützenliste (German) Weltfussball.de, accessed: 22 May 2014
  17. ↑ Regionalliga Bayern 2014/2015 .:. Zuschauer .:. Heimspiele (German) Weltfussball.de, accessed: 20 May 2015
  18. ↑ Regionalliga Bayern 2014/2015 » Torschützenliste (German) Weltfussball.de, accessed: 20 May 2015
  19. ↑ "Regionalliga Bayern 2015/2016 » Zuschauer » Heimspiele" [Regionalliga Bayern 2015–16 spectators home games]. weltfussball.de (in German). Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  20. ↑ "Regionalliga Bayern 2015/2016 » Torschützenliste" [Regionalliga Bayern 2015–16 goal scorers]. weltfussball.de (in German). Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  21. ↑ Das sind die neuen Regionalligen: Bayern macht den Anfang (German) fussball.de, published: 4 June 2012, accessed: 11 June 2012
  22. ↑ Regionalliga-Eröffnungsspiel in Bamberg (German) fupa.net, published: 22 June 2012, accessed: 24 June 2012
  23. ↑ Bamberg feiert Auftaktsieg gegen Bayern Hof (German) fupa.net, published: 20 July 2012, accessed: 20 July 2012
  24. ↑ Regionalliga Bayern 2012/13 - Zuschauer (German) fupa.net - Spectator figures, accessed: 4 August 2012
  25. ↑ Die »Roten« setzen sich die Derbykrone auf (German) fupa.net - Game report, published: 5 August 2012, accessed: 4 August 2012
  26. ↑ So läuft die Relegation auf Verbandsebene 2013 (German) fupa.net, accessed: 20 May 2013
  27. ↑ FVI schafft DFB-Pokaleinzug (German) fupa.net, published: 12 May 2013, accessed: 20 May 2013
  28. ↑ Spectators Regionalliga Bayern 2014–15 (German) fupa.net, accessed: 10 October 2015
  29. ↑ 15224 Zuschauer in Regensburg (German) Sueddeutsche Zeitung, published: 10 October 2015, accessed: 10 October 2015
  30. 1 2 Grundzüge der Spielklassenreform (German) DFB website - Basics of the Regionalliga reform, accessed: 6 July 2011
  31. 1 2 Spielklassenreform offiziell beschlossen (German) Bavarian FA website, published: 7 June 2011, accessed: 6 July 2011
  32. ↑ Lizenz da: Der FC Bayern Alzenau kann für die Regionalliga planen (German) Main Echo, published: 3 May 2011, accessed: 6 July 2011
  33. ↑ Viktoria Aschaffenburg kehrt heim (German) www.fupa.net, published: 21 November 2011, accessed: 29 November 2011
  34. ↑ Aschaffenburg gehört nun zu Bayern (German) kicker sportmagazin, published: 16 November 2011, accessed: 29 November 2011
  35. ↑ Hessen oder Bayern? Die Viktoria hat sich entschieden (German) Main Echo, published: 15 November 2011, accessed: 29 November 2011
  36. ↑ Illertissen winkt die Regionalliga (German) Augsburger Allgemeine, published: 22 December 2011, accessed: 25 December 2011
  37. ↑ Die Ligenstruktur - Auf- und Abstieg (German) Bavarian FA website, published: 12 February 2011, accessed: 6 July 2011

Sources

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