 | |
| Founded | 1994 |
|---|---|
| Folded | 2012 |
| Country | Germany |
| State |
|
| Number of clubs | 18 |
| Level on pyramid | Level 4 |
| Promotion to | 3. Liga |
| Relegation to | |
| Last champions | Stuttgarter Kickers (2011–12) |
TheRegionalliga Süd (English:Regional League South) was the fourth tier of theGerman football league system from 2008 to 2012. Until the introduction of the3. Liga in 2008, it was the third tier. It was the highest regional league for the southern part ofGermany. It covered the states ofBavaria,Hesse andBaden-Württemberg and was one of three leagues at this level, together with theRegionalliga Nord and theRegionalliga West.
The league was disbanded at the end of the 2011–12 season, with the Bavarian clubs joining the newRegionalliga Bayern while the others joined the clubs from the southwest of Germany to form the newRegionalliga Südwest.[1]
From 1963 to 1974, aRegionalliga Süd existed as the second tier of the German football league system, but this league is not directly related to the current one.
The Regionalliga Süd was introduced in 1994 along with three otherRegionalligas, 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 the2. Bundesliga. Previous to the introduction of the four Regionalligas, below the second division were ten Oberligas. Those tenOberliga champions had to go through apromotion play-off rather than being directly promoted.
The Regionalliga Süd originally was made up from clubs from the three southern states ofBavaria,Hesse andBaden-Württemberg. In 2000, with the reduction of the number of Regionalligas to two, the league also covered the states ofRhineland-Palatinate,Saarland andThuringia. It also incorporated one club fromNorthrhine-Westphalia, theSportfreunde Siegen.
From 2008, with re-expansion to three Regionalligas, the league again only contained clubs from the three original states. However, in 2010–11, theWormatia Worms, a club from Rhineland-Palatinate, competed in the league.
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 theStuttgarter Kickers being relegated from the 2. Bundesliga.
The founding members were:
From2. Bundesliga:
From theOberliga Bayern: | From theOberliga Baden-Württemberg: From theOberliga Hessen:
|
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.
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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 relegated clubs were: | In their stead, the following seven teams were admitted: From the2. Bundesliga: From theRegionalliga West/Südwest: From theRegionalliga Nordost:
|
With the introduction of the 3. Liga in 2008 and of a third Regionalliga, theRegionalliga 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:
When the 2007–08 season finished on 31 May 2008, the following teams had fulfilled the on-the-field qualification for theRegionalliga. However, financial qualification was also necessary.[3]
Remaining in theRegionalliga Süd: From theOberliga Bayern:
| From theOberliga Hessen: From theOberliga Baden-Württemberg:
|
Sportfreunde Siegen were intended to be the 18th club in the Regionalliga Süd, but due to its insolvency, the club was demoted to theOberliga 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 toBayernliga championSpVgg Bayreuth, Bamberg was awarded a place in the Regionalliga. The available last place then went to the SpVgg Unterhaching II.[5][6]
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 andSSV 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 theseason, the league became defunct with the Bavarian clubs joining the newRegionalliga Bayern while the remainder of the league members joined the newRegionalliga Südwest. The exceptions were theStuttgarter Kickers, which were promoted to the 3. Liga, theFC 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.
The winners and runners-up of the league are:
Source:"Regionalliga Süd". Das deutsche Fussball-Archiv. Retrieved19 March 2008.
The top goal scorers and spectator statistics for the league are:
| League record |
The following clubs have played in the league and achieved the following final positions:
Source:"Regionalliga Süd". Das deutsche Fussball-Archiv. Retrieved9 December 2007.
| 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 |
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