Regionalliga Süd (1994–2012)

The Regionalliga Süd (English: Regional League South) was the fourth tier of the German football league system from 2008 to 2012. Until the introduction of the 3. Liga in 2008, it was the third tier. It was the highest regional league for the southern part of Germany. It covered the states of Bavaria, Hesse and Baden-Württemberg and was one of three leagues at this level, together with the Regionalliga Nord and the Regionalliga West.

For other uses, see Regionalliga Süd (disambiguation).

Regionalliga Süd
Map of the area of the Regionalliga Süd
Founded1994
Folded2012
CountryGermany
State
Number of teams18
Level on pyramidLevel 4
Promotion to3. Liga
Relegation to
Last championsStuttgarter Kickers
(2011–12)

The league was disbanded at the end of the 2011–12 season, with the Bavarian clubs joining the new Regionalliga Bayern while the others joined the clubs from the southwest of Germany to form the new Regionalliga Südwest.[1]

From 1963 to 1974, a Regionalliga Süd existed as the second tier of the German football league system, but this league is not directly related to the current one.

Overview
Map of Germany:Position of the Regionalliga Süd (1994–2000) highlighted

The Regionalliga Süd was introduced in 1994 along with three other Regionalligas, those being:

The reason for its introduction was to create a highest regional league for the south of Germany and to allow its champions, and some years the runners-up too, to be directly promoted to the 2. Bundesliga. Previous to the introduction of the four Regionalligas, below the second division were ten Oberligas. Those ten Oberliga champions had to go through a promotion play-off rather than being directly promoted.

The Regionalliga Süd originally was made up from clubs from the three southern states of Bavaria, Hesse and Baden-Württemberg. In 2000, with the reduction of the number of Regionalligas to two, the league also covered the states of Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland and Thuringia. It also incorporated one club from Northrhine-Westphalia, the Sportfreunde Siegen.

From 2008, with re-expansion to three Regionalligas, the league again only contained clubs from the three original states. However, in 2010–11, the Wormatia Worms, a club from Rhineland-Palatinate, competed in the league.

League history

Foundation of the Regionalliga Süd

The Regionalliga Süd was formed in 1994 with 18 clubs, originally with six from each of the three Oberligas. However, Baden-Württemberg lost one spot due to the Stuttgarter Kickers being relegated from the 2. Bundesliga.

The founding members were:

The "new" Regionalliga Süd was actually a reformation of the "old" Regionalliga Süd which operated from 1963 to 1974 in the same region but then as the second tier of German football. Unlike the "old" Regionalliga, the new one allowed reserve teams to compete in it.

Its first season saw the SpVgg Unterhaching winning the league and being promoted to the 2. Bundesliga while three out of the four teams relegated came from Hessen.

Expansion of the league in 2000
Map of Germany:Position of the Regionalliga Süd (2000–2008) highlighted

After six seasons, in 2000, the number of Regionalligas was reduced from four to two. Only the Regionalligas Süd and Nord survived. The clubs of the other two were spread according to their geographical location.

To make room for these extra clubs without expanding past the 18 team number, the seven bottom placed teams were supposed to be relegated. However, FC Augsburg (8th) did not receive a license for the next season and Karlsruher SC II (12th) had to drop down because the first team was relegated to the Regionalliga and regulations forbid two teams from the same club to compete in the same league at this level.

The league reform in 2008
Map of Germany:Position of the Regionalliga Süd (from the 2008–09 season) highlighted

With the introduction of the 3. Liga in 2008 and of a third Regionalliga, the Regionalliga West, the league became the fourth tier of German football.[2] The clubs from the regions which joined in 2000 left again and the Regionalliga Süd was once more only made up from clubs from Bavaria, Hesse and Baden-Württemberg.

The make up of the leagues was:

  • Winner and runners-up of the Regionalliga Süd will qualified for the 2. Bundesliga (unless they are reserve teams)
  • Clubs placed third to tenth went to the new 3. Liga (only the two best placed reserve teams were to be admitted)
  • Clubs placed eleventh to eighteens remained in the Regionalligas (only clubs from the three southern states went to the southern group)
  • The four best teams out of the Oberligas Baden-Württemberg, Hessen and Bayern were promoted to the Regionalliga Süd

When the 2007–08 season finished on 31 May 2008, the following teams had fulfilled the on-the-field qualification for the Regionalliga. However, financial qualification was also necessary.[3]

Sportfreunde Siegen were intended to be the 18th club in the Regionalliga Süd, but due to its insolvency, the club was demoted to the Oberliga Nordrhein-Westfalen or below for the 2008–09 season. 1. FC Eintracht Bamberg was admitted to the Regionalliga in their stead, as the fifth-placed team in the largest of the southern football associations.[4] Due to the refusal of a licence to Bayernliga champion SpVgg Bayreuth, Bamberg was awarded a place in the Regionalliga. The available last place then went to the SpVgg Unterhaching II.[5][6]

2008–2012

After a 2008–09 season with a large number of new clubs, the league returned to a normal promotion/relegation system, with the winner moving up to the 3. Liga and the three last-placed teams being relegated to the Oberliga, while the three southern Oberliga champions were promoted in turn. In 2008–09, two clubs from the 3. Liga were relegated to the league. This would have increased the number of teams to 19. However, Waldhof Mannheim was transferred to the Regionalliga West for the next season. Hessen Kassel, who had hoped to join the Regionalliga Nord for 2009–10 had to remain in the south.[7] Viktoria Aschaffenburg, which finished on a non-relegation rank, withdrew from the league, allowing Karlsruher SC II to remain in it.

In the 2009–10 season, 1. FC Eintracht Bamberg and SSV Reutlingen both declared insolvency, forcing them to be automatically relegated.[8]

In October 2010, another reform of the Regionalligas was decided upon. The number of leagues were now to be expanded to five, with the Bavarian clubs to leave the Regionalliga Süd and form their own Regionalliga Bayern. In their stead, the south western clubs from Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland would re-join the league. The new system is due to come into operation in the 2012–13 season. It was also decided to limit the number of reserve teams per Regionalliga to seven.[9]

In the 2010–11 season, SpVgg Weiden declared insolvency due to more than Euro 1 million in debts. Unable to raise enough funds to continue competing in the league, Weiden declared on 30 November 2010 that it would withdraw its Regionalliga team and thereby automatically be relegated. All games for the club in the 2010–11 season were declared void.[10] The SSV Ulm 1846 suffered a similar fate, but was able to complete its fixtures as friendlies. Nevertheless, the club was relegated and its record expunged.

At the end of the season, the league became defunct with the Bavarian clubs joining the new Regionalliga Bayern while the remainder of the league members joined the new Regionalliga Südwest. The exceptions were the Stuttgarter Kickers, which were promoted to the 3. Liga, the FC Bayern Alzenau which, despite being from Bavaria, opted to play in the Regionalliga Süd/Südwest and Karlsruher SC II which was ineligible for the Regionalliga after the first team of the club was relegated to the 3. Liga. No other team was relegated.

Winners and runners-up of the Regionalliga Süd

The winners and runners-up of the league are:

Season Winner Runner-Up
1994–95 SpVgg Unterhaching Stuttgarter Kickers
1995–96 Stuttgarter Kickers VfR Mannheim
1996–97 1. FC Nürnberg SpVgg Greuther Fürth
1997–98 SSV Ulm 1846 Kickers Offenbach
1998–99 SV Waldhof Mannheim Kickers Offenbach
1999–2000 SSV Reutlingen SC Pfullendorf
2000–01 Karlsruher SC VfB Stuttgart II
2001–02 Wacker Burghausen Eintracht Trier
2002–03 SpVgg Unterhaching SSV Jahn Regensburg
2003–04 FC Bayern Munich II Rot-Weiß Erfurt
2004–05 Kickers Offenbach Sportfreunde Siegen
2005–06 FC Augsburg TuS Koblenz
2006–07 SV Wehen TSG 1899 Hoffenheim
2007–08 FSV Frankfurt FC Ingolstadt 04
2008–09 1. FC Heidenheim KSV Hessen Kassel
2009–10 VfR Aalen 1. FC Nürnberg II
2010–11 SV Darmstadt 98 Stuttgarter Kickers
2011–12 Stuttgarter Kickers SG Sonnenhof Großaspach

Source:"Regionalliga Süd". Das deutsche Fussball-Archiv. Retrieved 19 March 2008.

  • In 1997, the runners-up SpVgg Greuther Fürth was also promoted.
  • In 1999, the runners-up Kickers Offenbach was also promoted.
  • From 2001 to 2008, the runners-up was always promoted. In 2001 however, FC Schweinfurt 05 (3rd) won promotion as VfB Stuttgart II was ineligible.
  • In 2004, 1. FC Saarbrücken (3rd) won promotion as FC Bayern Munich II was ineligible.

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[11] Goals
1994–95 427,576[12] 1,397 Stuttgarter Kickers 2,759 Jonathan Akpoborie (SK) 37
1995–96 353,617[13] 1,156 Stuttgarter Kickers 3,181 Dragan Trkulja (Ulm) 25
1996–97 779,612[14] 2,548 1. FC Nürnberg 15,328 Frank Türr (GF) 25
1997–98 693,500[15] 2,375 Kickers Offenbach 12,906 Dieter Eckstein (FCA) 21
1998–99 568,494[16] 1,858 Kickers Offenbach 11,500 Marijo Maric (SSV) 23
1999–2000 365,281[17] 1,194 SV Darmstadt 98 3,667 Oliver Djappa (SSV) 36
2000–01 932,249[18] 3,047 Karlsruher SC 10,050 Marko Barlecaj (SCP) 18
2001–02 717,193[19] 2,344 Kickers Offenbach 6,911 Saber Ben Neticha (SVW) 18
2002–03 803,856[20] 2,350 Jahn Regensburg 5,105 Francisco Copado (SpVggU) 24
2003–04 670,371[21] 2,191 1. FC Saarbrücken 6,141 Zvjezdan Misimovic (FCB)
José Guerrero (FCB)		 21
2004–05 711,904[22] 2,326 Kickers Offenbach 6,669 Patrick Helmes (SFS) 21
2005–06 561,058[23] 1,834 TuS Koblenz 4,657 Maximilian Nicu (SVW)
Christian Okpala (FCA)		 16
2006–07 685,182[24] 2,239 Hessen Kassel 4,383 Mirnes Mesic (TSG)
Jonathan Jäger (1. FCS)		 17
2007–08 775,651[25] 2,535 Sportfreunde Siegen 6,095 Thorsten Bauer (KSV) 20
2008–09 424,619[26] 1,388 Hessen Kassel 4,282 Thorsten Bauer (KSV) 32
2009–10 367,834[27] 1,202 VfR Aalen 3,258 Mijo Tunjic (SK)
Abedin Krasniqi (SG)		 19
2010–11 304,647[28] 1,269 Hessen Kassel 5,520 Kai Herdling (TSG) 19
2011–12 308,062[29] 1,007 Stuttgarter Kickers 3,561 Karl Lappe (FCI II) 18
League record

Placings in the Regionalliga Süd

The following clubs have played in the league and achieved the following final positions:

Club 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12
TSG 1899 Hoffenheim 13 5 5 7 4 2 2B B B B B
1. FC Nürnberg 2B 2B 1 2B B 2B 2B B B 2B B B B B 2B B B B
FC Augsburg 1 9 11 11 10 14 8 3 4 4 1 2B 2B 2B 2B 2B B
SpVgg Greuther Fürth 5 3 8 2 2B 2B 2B 2B 2B 2B 2B 2B 2B 2B 2B 2B 2B 2B 2B
Karlsruher SC B B B B 2B 2B 1 2B 2B 2B 2B 2B 2B B B 2B 2B 2B
FSV Frankfurt 2B 18 15 14 1 2B 2B 2B 2B
FC Ingolstadt 04 5 2 2B 3L 2B 2B
SV Wehen 17 13 6 13 11 6 7 7 3 3 1 2B 2B 2B 3L 3L
Kickers Offenbach 15 2 2 2B 10 8 8 13 1 2B 2B 2B 3L 3L 3L 3L
FC Carl Zeiss Jena * RL 2B 2B 2B RL RL 18 RL 2B 2B 3L 3L 3L 3L
SpVgg Unterhaching 1 2B 2B 2B 2B B B 2B 1 2B 2B 2B 2B 6 3L 3L 3L 3L
Wacker Burghausen 9 5 5 7 4 13 1 2B 2B 2B 2B 2B 7 3L 3L 3L 3L
Rot-Weiß Erfurt * RL RL RL RL RL RL 15 5 9 2 2B 2B RL RL 3L 3L 3L 3L
VfB Stuttgart II 4 6 2 16 11 13 7 3 3 3L 3L 3L 3L
SV Sandhausen 16 5 3L 3L 3L 3L
SSV Jahn Regensburg 12 3 2 2B 8 17 9 3L 3L 3L 3L
1. FC Heidenheim 1 3L 3L 3L
VfR Aalen 10 7 4 10 6 12 6 6 4 3L 1 3L 3L
1. FC Saarbrücken * 2B RL RL RL RL RL 2B 2B 6 3 2B 2B 15 RL 3L 3L
SV Darmstadt 98 11 15 13 16 9 5 14 17 5 5 16 15 15 1 3L
TuS Koblenz * 11 2 2B 2B 2B 2B 3L RL
Eintracht Trier * RL RL RL RL RL RL 4 2 2B 2B 2B 16 RL RL RL RL
SV Elversberg * RL RL RL 14 11 14 12 10 9 9 15 RL RL RL RL
1. FC Kaiserslautern II * RL RL RL RL 15 13 18 13 18 RL RL RL RL
FSV Mainz II * 14 17 RL RL RL RL
Stuttgarter Kickers 2 1 2B 2B 2B 2B 2B 12 15 9 9 8 4 10 3L 9 2 1
SG Sonnenhof Großaspach 12 14 2
Eintracht Frankfurt II 17 18 3 8 6 3
Wormatia Worms * RL RL 12 4
Karlsruher SC II 2 14 8 11 12 11 14 16 16 5 10 5
SpVgg Greuther Fürth II 11 11 4 6
TSG 1899 Hoffenheim II 5 7
SC Freiburg II 14 3 7 8
FC Ingolstadt 04 II 9
1. FC Nürnberg II 5 2 11 10
KSV Hessen Kassel 13 10 12 18 10 14 2 4 3 11
SV Waldhof Mannheim 2B 2B 2B 7 1 2B 2B 2B 2B 4 RL 12
TSV 1860 Munich II 9 9 7 16 15 15 13 13 6 7 8 13
FC Bayern Munich II 7 13 8 6 8 5 9 10 4 1 6 12 8 8 3L 3L 3L 14
FC Memmingen 13 15
SC Pfullendorf 16 2 17 11 10 16 14 7 17 8 13 9 16
FSV Frankfurt II 15 17
FC Bayern Alzenau 18 18
SV Wehen Wiesbaden II 9 16 16
SSV Ulm 1846 4 3 6 1 2B B 2B 7 6 17
SpVgg Weiden 10 18
SSV Reutlingen 7 14 4 3 4 3 1 2B 2B 2B 11 12 12 14
1. FC Eintracht Bamberg 10 17
Viktoria Aschaffenburg 6 13
TSV Großbardorf 17
SpVgg Unterhaching II 18
FSV Oggersheim * 18 RL
Sportfreunde Siegen * RL RL RL 6 7 16 16 2 2B 12 11
FK Pirmasens * RL 17
SpVgg Bayreuth 3 10
1. FC Eschborn 17 18
1. SC Feucht 8 14
FC Nöttingen 18
FC Schweinfurt 05 5 11 3 2B 12 15
Borussia Neunkirchen * RL RL 19
VfR Mannheim 4 8 2 7 14 10 3 8 9
SpVgg Ansbach 17
Borussia Fulda 4 3 13 17 18
TSF Ditzingen 6 5 15 12 12 15
SG Quelle Fürth 17 16
SV Lohhof 16 18
SC Weismain 10 11 17
SC Neukirchen 12 9 15 18
VfL Kirchheim/Teck 17
SpVgg Ludwigsburg 10 7 16
SG Egelsbach 12 14 18
TSV Vestenbergsgreuth 5 5 6
Rot-Weiß Frankfurt 18

Source:"Regionalliga Süd". Das deutsche Fussball-Archiv. Retrieved 9 December 2007.

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
RL Played in one of the other Regionalligas

Notes
  • Clubs from outside the three southern states of Bavaria, Hesse and Baden-Württemberg are marked with an *.
  • 1 FC Augsburg was refused a license in 2000 and relegated to the Oberliga
  • 2 Karlsruher SC II was relegated to the Oberliga in 2000 since the club's first team was relegated to the Regionalliga.
  • 3 SpVgg Bayreuth was refused a licence in 2006 and relegated to the Oberliga.
  • 4 VfR Mannheim withdrew from the league in 2002.
  • 5 TSV Vestenbergsgreuth merged with SpVgg Fürth in 1996 to form SpVgg Greuther Fürth.
  • 6 Viktoria Aschaffenburg withdrew from the league in 2009.
  • 7 SSV Reutlingen declared insolvency in 2010 and was relegated.

References
  1. DFB-Bundestag beschließt Reform der Spielklassen (in German) DFB website, published: 22 October 2010, retrieved 16 July 2011
  2. "Official DFB article on the 3rd Bundesliga and Regionalliga" (in German). DFB. Retrieved 5 March 2008.
  3. "Tables and results of the Regionalligas and Oberligas" (in German). Weltfussball.de. Retrieved 1 June 2008.
  4. Sportfreunde planen für die 5. Liga (in German) kicker.de, accessed: 8 June 2008
  5. Keine Lizenz für die SpVgg (in German) SpVgg Bayreuth website, retrieved 13 June 2008
  6. Aufstieg Regionalliga Süd (in German) Weltfussball.de, retrieved 13 June 2008
  7. Der SVW spielt im Westen (in German) kicker, published: , accessed: 5 July 2009
  8. Regionalliga Süd 2009–10 (in German) Weltfussball.de, retrieved 28 October 2010
  9. DFB-Bundestag beschließt Reform der Spielklassen (Reform odf the league system) (in German) DFB website, published: 22 October 2010, retrieved 28 October 2010
  10. Insolvenz: SpVgg Weiden gibt auf (in German) www.sport1.de, published: 30 November 2010, retrieved 12 December 2010
  11. Torschützenkönige (Top goal scorers) Regionalliga Süd (in German) Weltfussball.de, retrieved 31 October 2010
  12. Die Regionalligen 1994/95, publisher: DSFS, page: 126, published: 1995, retrieved 31 October 2010
  13. Die Regionalligen 1995/96, publisher: DSFS, page: 135, published: 1996, retrieved 31 October 2010
  14. Die Regionalligen 1996/97, publisher: DSFS, page: 142, published: 1997, retrieved 31 October 2010
  15. Saison-Statistik 1997/98, publisher: DSFS, page: 26, published: 1998, retrieved 31 October 2010
  16. Saison-Statistik 1998/99, publisher: DSFS, page: 26, published: 1999, retrieved 31 October 2010
  17. Die Regionalligen 1999/2000, publisher: DSFS, page: 216, published: 2000, retrieved 31 October 2010
  18. Deutschlands Fussball in Zahlen 2000/2001, publisher: DSFS, page: 183, published: 2001, retrieved 31 October 2010
  19. Deutschlands Fussball in Zahlen 2001/2002, publisher: DSFS, page: 179, published: 2002, retrieved 31 October 2010
  20. Deutschlands Fussball in Zahlen 2002/2003, publisher: DSFS, page: 181, published: 2003, retrieved 31 October 2010
  21. Deutschlands Fussball in Zahlen 2003/2004, publisher: DSFS, page: 179, published: 2004, retrieved 31 October 2010
  22. Deutschlands Fussball in Zahlen 2004/2005, publisher: DSFS, page: 181, published: 2005, retrieved 31 October 2010
  23. Deutschlands Fussball in Zahlen 2005/2006, publisher: DSFS, page: 184, published: 2006, retrieved 31 October 2010
  24. Deutschlands Fussball in Zahlen 2006/2007, publisher: DSFS, page: 184, published: 2007, retrieved 31 October 2010
  25. Deutschlands Fussball in Zahlen 2007/2008, publisher: DSFS, page: 184, published: 2008, retrieved 31 October 2010
  26. Zuschauertabele (Spectator figures) Regionalliga Süd 2008–09 (in German) Weltfussball.de, retrieved 31 October 2010
  27. Zuschauertabele (Spectator figures) Regionalliga Süd 2009–10 (in German) Weltfussball.de, retrieved 31 October 2010
  28. Zuschauertabele (Spectator figures) Regionalliga Süd 2010–11 (in German) Weltfussball.de, retrieved 31 October 2010
  29. Zuschauertabele (Spectator figures) Regionalliga Süd 2011–12 (in German) Weltfussball.de, retrieved 25 May 2012

Sources
  • Deutschlands Fußball in Zahlen, (in German) An annual publication with tables and results from the Bundesliga to Verbandsliga/Landesliga, publisher: DSFS
  • Kicker Almanach, (in German) The yearbook on German football from Bundesliga to Oberliga, since 1937, published by the Kicker Sports Magazine
  • Süddeutschlands Fussballgeschichte in Tabellenform 1897–1988 (in German) History of Southern German football in tables, publisher & author: Ludolf Hyll
  • Die Deutsche Liga-Chronik 1945–2005 (in German) History of German football from 1945 to 2005 in tables, publisher: DSFS, published: 2006
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