3. Liga
Country | Germany |
---|---|
Confederation | UEFA |
Founded | 2008 |
Number of teams | 20 |
Level on pyramid | 3 |
Promotion to | 2. Bundesliga |
Relegation to | |
Domestic cup(s) | DFB-Pokal |
International cup(s) |
UEFA Europa League (via winning DFB-Pokal) |
Current champions |
Dynamo Dresden (2015–16) |
Most championships | |
2016–17 3. Liga |
The 3. Liga (German: 3. Fußball-Liga), is the third division of football in Germany. The league started with the beginning of the 2008–09 season, when it replaced the Regionalliga as the third tier football league in Germany. In the German football league system, it is positioned between the 2. Bundesliga and the semi-professional Regionalliga, which became the fourth division and initially consisted of three groups of 18 clubs playing separately.[1] In Germany, the 3. Liga is the highest division that a football club's reserve team can play in.
History
On 8 September 2006, the German Football Association, the DFB, announced the formation of the 3. Liga. It was originally anticipated that the league's name would be 3. Bundesliga, but the DFB chose 3. Liga instead, reflecting the fact that the league will be directly administered by the DFB, not by the DFL (Deutsche Fußball Liga, English:German Football League) who runs the two Bundesligen.[2]
The first match of the 3. Liga was played on 25 July 2008 between FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt and Dynamo Dresden at the Steigerwaldstadion in Erfurt. Dynamo Dresden won the match 1–0, with Halil Savran scoring the only goal in the closing stages of the first half.
Financial situation
From its foundation in 2008 to 2013 the league had been operating on a financial loss, with a record deficit of €20.9 million in 2012–13. The 2013–14 season saw the league make a profit for the first time, being €4.9 million in the plus. The league earned €164.5 million, well behind the two Bundesligas above it but also well ahead of other professional sports leagues in Germany with the Deutsche Eishockey Liga following with €106.1 million and the Basketball Bundesliga and Handball-Bundesliga sitting around the €90 million mark.[3] This makes it the third-most economically successful professional league in all German sports.[4]
Members of the 3. Liga (2016–17 season)
For details on the 3. Liga 2016–17 season, see here.
Stadiums and locations
Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
---|---|---|---|
VfR Aalen | Aalen | Scholz-Arena | 14,500 |
Chemnitzer FC | Chemnitz | Stadion an der Gellertstraße | 18,712 |
MSV Duisburg | Duisburg | MSV-Arena | 31,500 |
Rot-Weiß Erfurt | Erfurt | Steigerwaldstadion | 18,611 |
FSV Frankfurt | Frankfurt | Frankfurter Volksbank Stadion | 12,542 |
Hallescher FC | Halle | Erdgas Sportpark | 15,057 |
Holstein Kiel | Kiel | Holstein-Stadion | 11,386 |
Fortuna Köln | Cologne | Südstadion | 14,800 |
Sportfreunde Lotte | Lotte | Sportpark am Lotter Kreuz | 7,414 |
1. FC Magdeburg | Magdeburg | MDCC-Arena | 27,500 |
Mainz 05 II | Mainz | Stadion am Bruchweg | 20,300 |
Preußen Münster | Münster | Preußenstadion | 15,050 |
VfL Osnabrück | Osnabrück | Osnatel-Arena | 16,667 |
SC Paderborn | Paderborn | Benteler Arena | 15,000 |
Jahn Regensburg | Regensburg | Continental Arena | 15,224 |
Hansa Rostock | Rostock | DKB-Arena | 29,000 |
SG Sonnenhof Großaspach | Aspach | Mechatronik Arena | 10,000 |
SV Wehen Wiesbaden | Wiesbaden | BRITA-Arena | 12,250 |
Werder Bremen II | Bremen | Weserstadion Platz 11 | 5,500[5] |
FSV Zwickau | Zwickau | Stadion Zwickau | 10,049 |
Set-up
The teams which are not reserve teams of Bundesliga teams among the 20 teams in the league compete for promotion to the 2. Bundesliga, while the three bottom teams are relegated to one of the five Regionalligen: Regionalliga Nord, Regionalliga Nordost, Regionalliga West, Regionalliga Südwest, and Regionalliga Bayern. If, however, a reserve team is playing in the 3. Liga and the respective first team is relegated to the 3. Liga, the reserve team will be relegated to the Regionalliga regardless of its league position.
Qualifying for the 3. Liga
At the end of the 2007–08 season, the two best non-reserve teams from each of the two divisions of the Regionalliga were promoted to the 2. Bundesliga. The teams ranked third to tenth in both Regionalliga entered the new 3. Liga, joining the four teams relegated from the 2. Bundesliga to form the new 20-team league. Teams finishing 11th or lower in their Regionalliga remained where they were.
On 18 May 2008, at the end of the 2007–08 2. Bundesliga season, four clubs were relegated from the 2. Bundesliga and became charter members of the 3. Liga: Kickers Offenbach, FC Erzgebirge Aue, SC Paderborn 07 and FC Carl Zeiss Jena.
On 31 May 2008, at the end of the 2007–08 Regionalliga seasons, clubs placing third through tenth in the Regionalliga Nord and the Regionalliga Süd also qualified for the new 3. Liga.
From the Regionalliga Nord:
- Fortuna Düsseldorf
- 1. FC Union Berlin
- SV Werder Bremen II
- Wuppertaler SV Borussia
- FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt
- Dynamo Dresden
- Kickers Emden
- Eintracht Braunschweig
From the Regionalliga Süd:
- VfB Stuttgart II
- VfR Aalen
- SV Sandhausen
- SpVgg Unterhaching
- Wacker Burghausen
- FC Bayern Munich II
- SSV Jahn Regensburg
- Stuttgarter Kickers
Promotion/Relegation
The winner and runner-up in a given season is automatically promoted to the 2. Bundesliga. The third place team enters a home/away playoff against the 16th placed team of the 2. Bundesliga for the right to enter/stay in the 2. Bundesliga. Teams placing in the bottom three are automatically sent to the Regionalliga.
- Bold denotes team earned promotion.
League statistics
Up to and including the 2015–16 season the top goal scorers, attendance statistics and records for the league are:
Attendance
|
Top scorers |
Records
As of 14 May 2016
Highest win | 7–0 | FC Carl Zeiss Jena 0 – 7 1. FC Saarbrücken (11 August 2010)[22] |
Most goals in a game | 10 | Eintracht Braunschweig 5 – 5 Fortuna Düsseldorf (10 May 2009)[23] |
Most league appearances | 250 | Fabian Stenzel (Rot-Weiß Erfurt, Chemnitzer FC)[24] |
Most goals scored | 101 | Anton Fink (SpVgg Unterhaching, Chemnitzer FC, VfR Aalen)[25] |
Placings in the 3. Liga
The following clubs have played in the league and achieved the following final positions:[26]
Club | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FC Ingolstadt 04 | 2B | 3 | 2B | 2B | 2B | 2B | 2B | B | B | |
SV Darmstadt 98 4 | 14 | 18 | 3 | 2B | B | B | ||||
RB Leipzig | 2 | 2B | 2B | B | ||||||
Eintracht Braunschweig | 13 | 4 | 1 | 2B | 2B | B | 2B | 2B | 2B | |
Karlsruher SC | B | 2B | 2B | 2B | 1 | 2B | 2B | 2B | 2B | |
Fortuna Düsseldorf | 2 | 2B | 2B | 2B | B | 2B | 2B | 2B | 2B | |
1. FC Union Berlin | 1 | 2B | 2B | 2B | 2B | 2B | 2B | 2B | 2B | |
SV Sandhausen | 8 | 14 | 12 | 1 | 2B | 2B | 2B | 2B | 2B | |
1. FC Heidenheim | 6 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 2B | 2B | 2B | ||
Arminia Bielefeld | B | 2B | 2B | 13 | 2 | 2B | 1 | 2B | 2B | |
Dynamo Dresden | 9 | 12 | 3 | 2B | 2B | 2B | 6 | 1 | 2B | |
Erzgebirge Aue | 12 | 2 | 2B | 2B | 2B | 2B | 2B | 2 | 2B | |
Würzburger Kickers | 3 | 2B | ||||||||
MSV Duisburg | 2B | 2B | 2B | 2B | 2B | 7 | 2 | 2B | x | |
FSV Frankfurt | 2B | 2B | 2B | 2B | 2B | 2B | 2B | 2B | x | |
SC Paderborn 07 | 3 | 2B | 2B | 2B | 2B | 2B | B | 2B | x | |
1. FC Magdeburg | 4 | x | ||||||||
VfL Osnabrück | 2B | 1 | 2B | 7 | 3 | 5 | 11 | 5 | x | |
Chemnitzer FC | 9 | 6 | 12 | 5 | 6 | x | ||||
SG Sonnenhof Großaspach | 15 | 7 | x | |||||||
Rot-Weiß Erfurt | 10 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 13 | 10 | 12 | 8 | x | |
SC Preußen Münster | 12 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 9 | x | ||||
Hansa Rostock | 2B | 2B | 2 | 2B | 12 | 13 | 17 | 10 | x | |
SC Fortuna Köln | 14 | 11 | x | |||||||
1. FSV Mainz 05 II | 16 | 12 | x | |||||||
Hallescher FC | 10 | 9 | 10 | 13 | x | |||||
Holstein Kiel | 19 | 16 | 3 | 14 | x | |||||
VfR Aalen | 19 | 16 | 2 | 2B | 2B | 2B | 15 | x | ||
SV Wehen Wiesbaden | 2B | 15 | 4 | 16 | 7 | 4 | 9 | 16 | x | |
SV Werder Bremen II | 17 | 13 | 18 | 20 | 17 | x | ||||
SSV Jahn Regensburg | 15 | 16 | 8 | 3 | 2B | 11 | 20 | x | ||
Sportfreunde Lotte | x | |||||||||
FSV Zwickau | x | |||||||||
Stuttgarter Kickers | 20 | 17 | 8 | 4 | 18 | |||||
Energie Cottbus | B | 2B | 2B | 2B | 2B | 2B | 7 | 19 | ||
VfB Stuttgart II | 11 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 20 | ||
Borussia Dortmund II | 18 | 16 | 14 | 18 | ||||||
SpVgg Unterhaching | 4 | 11 | 14 | 15 | 9 | 17 | 19 | |||
SV Elversberg | 18 | |||||||||
SV Wacker Burghausen | 18 | 17 | 17 | 6 | 8 | 19 | ||||
1. FC Saarbrücken | 6 | 10 | 11 | 20 | ||||||
Kickers Offenbach 4 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 15 | |||||
SV Babelsberg 03 | 13 | 17 | 19 | |||||||
Alemannia Aachen | 2B | 2B | 2B | 2B | 20 | |||||
FC Carl Zeiss Jena | 16 | 5 | 15 | 18 | ||||||
Rot-Weiß Oberhausen | 2B | 2B | 2B | 19 | ||||||
TuS Koblenz3 | 2B | 2B | 11 | |||||||
FC Bayern Munich II | 5 | 8 | 19 | |||||||
Rot Weiss Ahlen2 | 2B | 2B | 20 | |||||||
Wuppertaler SV | 14 | 20 | ||||||||
Kickers Emden1 | 6 |
Notes
Symbol | Key |
---|---|
B | Bundesliga |
2B | 2. Bundesliga |
1 | League champions |
# | League place |
Blank | not in 3. Liga |
- 1 Kickers Emden withdrew from the league after the 2008–09 season, relegated Burghausen received their place. Emden became insolvent in 2012.
- 2 RW Ahlen did not receive a licence for the 2011–12 season, originally finishing 17th after 2010–11. The club was placed in 20th position and relegated. Previously relegated Burghausen, placed 18th originally, were instead placed in 17th position and were not relegated. Ahlen did not request a license in the Regionalliga and started the new season in the Oberliga.
- 3 TuS Koblenz withdrew from the league after the 2011–12 season, relegated Bremen II received their place instead.
- 4 Kickers Offenbach was refused a 3. Liga licence at the end of the 2012–13 season and relegated to the Regionalliga. SV Darmstadt 98 took Offenbach's place.[27]
Promotion rounds
To the 2. Bundesliga
At the end of the regular season the third placed team in the 3. Liga play the 16th placed team in the 2. Bundesliga over two matches. The overall winner plays in the 2. Bundesliga in the following season, and the loser in the 3. Liga.
- 2008–09[28]
Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
---|---|---|---|---|
SC Paderborn 07 (3L) | 2–0 | VfL Osnabrück (2B) | 1–0 | 1–0 |
- 2009–10[29]
Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
---|---|---|---|---|
FC Ingolstadt 04 (3L) | 3–0 | F.C. Hansa Rostock (2B) | 1–0 | 2–0 |
- 2010–11[30]
Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
---|---|---|---|---|
Dynamo Dresden (3L) | 4–2 | VfL Osnabrück (2B) | 1–1 | 3–1 (a.e.t.) |
- 2011–12[31]
Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
---|---|---|---|---|
Jahn Regensburg (3L) | 3–3 (a) | Karlsruher SC (2B) | 1–1 | 2–2 |
- 2012–13[32]
Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
---|---|---|---|---|
VfL Osnabrück (3L) | 1–2 | Dynamo Dresden (2B) | 1–0 | 0–2 |
- 2013–14[33]
Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
---|---|---|---|---|
SV Darmstadt 98 (3L) | 5–5 (a) | Arminia Bielefeld (2B) | 1–3 | 4–2 (a.e.t.) |
- 2014–15[34]
Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
---|---|---|---|---|
Holstein Kiel (3L) | 1–2 | TSV 1860 Munich (2B) | 0–0 | 1–2 |
- 2015–16[35]
Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
---|---|---|---|---|
Würzburger Kickers (3L) | 4–1 | MSV Duisburg (2B) | 2–0 | 2–1 |
To the 3. Liga
Since the 2012–13 season, the champions of the five Regionalligas and the runners-up of the Regionalliga Südwest enter an end-of-the season play-off to determine the three teams promoted to the 3. Liga.
- 2012–13[36]
Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
---|---|---|---|---|
RB Leipzig (NO) | 4–2 | Sportfreunde Lotte (W) | 2–0 | 2–2 (a.e.t.) |
Holstein Kiel (N) | 4–1 | KSV Hessen Kassel (S1) | 2–0 | 2–1 |
SV 07 Elversberg (S2) | 4–3 | TSV 1860 München II (B) | 3–2 | 1–1 |
- 2013–14[37]
Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
---|---|---|---|---|
SC Fortuna Köln (W) | 2–2 (a) | FC Bayern Munich II (B) | 1–0 | 1–2 |
TSG Neustrelitz (NO) | 1–5 | 1. FSV Mainz 05 II (S2) | 0–2 | 1–3 |
SG Sonnenhof Großaspach (S1) | 1–0 | VfL Wolfsburg II (N) | 0–0 | 1–0 |
- 2014–15[38]
Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. FC Saarbrücken (S2) | 1–1 | Würzburger Kickers (B) | 0–1 | 1–0 (5–6 pen) |
1. FC Magdeburg (NO) | 4–1 | Kickers Offenbach (S1) | 1–0 | 3–1 |
Werder Bremen II (N) | 2–0 | Borussia Mönchengladbach II (W) | 0–0 | 2–0 (a.e.t.) |
- 2015–16[39]
Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
---|---|---|---|---|
VfL Wolfsburg II | 1–2 | Jahn Regensburg | 1–0 | 0–2 |
SV Elversberg | 1–2 | FSV Zwickau | 1–1 | 0–1 |
Sportfreunde Lotte | 2–0 | SV Waldhof Mannheim | 0–0 | 2–0 |
Key
- Winner in bold.
Symbol | Key |
---|---|
(2B) | 2. Bundesliga — 16th placed team |
(3L) | 3. Liga — 3rd placed team |
(B) | Regionalliga Bayern |
(N) | Regionalliga Nord |
(NO) | Regionalliga Nordost |
(S1) | Regionalliga Südwest — Champions |
(S2) | Regionalliga Südwest — Runners-up |
(W) | Regionalliga West |
References
- ↑ "3. Liga: Germany's Newest Professional League". pitchinvasion.net. 20 July 2008. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
- ↑ "3. Liga Qualifikation Modus" (PDF) (in German). Deutscher Fußball Bund. Archived from the original (pdf) on 2 November 2012. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
- ↑ "3. Liga erstmals in der Gewinnzone" [Third League in the Winning Zone for the First Time]. weltfussball.de (in German). 1 December 2014. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
- ↑ "Helmut Sandrock: "Die 3. Liga ist europaweit führend"" [Helmut Sandrock: "The 3rd Liga is the European leader"] (in German). German Football Association. 22 July 2011. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
- ↑ Heimat der U23 und der Fußballerinnen
- ↑ "3. Liga 2008/2009 .:. Zuschauer .:. Heimspiele" (in German). Weltfussball.de. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
- ↑ "3. Liga 2009/2010 .:. Zuschauer .:. Heimspiele" (in German). Weltfussball.de. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
- ↑ "3. Liga 2010/2011 .:. Zuschauer .:. Heimspiele" (in German). Weltfussball.de. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
- ↑ "3. Liga 2011/2012 .:. Zuschauer .:. Heimspiele" (in German). Weltfussball.de. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
- ↑ "3. Liga 2012/2013 .:. Zuschauer .:. Heimspiele" (in German). Weltfussball.de. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
- ↑ "3. Liga 2013/2014 .:. Zuschauer .:. Heimspiele" (in German). Weltfussball.de. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
- ↑ "3. Liga 2014/2015 .:. Zuschauer .:. Heimspiele" (in German). Weltfussball.de. Retrieved 19 May 2015.
- ↑ "3. Liga 2015/2016 .:. Zuschauer .:. Heimspiele" (in German). Weltfussball.de. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
- ↑ "3. Liga 2008/2009 .:. Torschützenliste" (in German). Weltfussball.de. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
- ↑ "3. Liga 2009/2010 .:. Torschützenliste" (in German). Weltfussball.de. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
- ↑ "3. Liga 2010/2011 .:. Torschützenliste" (in German). Weltfussball.de. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
- ↑ "3. Liga 2011/2012 .:. Torschützenliste" (in German). Weltfussball.de. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
- ↑ "3. Liga 2012/2013 .:. Torschützenliste" (in German). Weltfussball.de. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
- ↑ "3. Liga 2013/2014 .:. Torschützenliste" (in German). Weltfussball.de. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
- ↑ "3. Liga 2014/2015 .:. Torschützenliste" (in German). Weltfussball.de. Retrieved 19 May 2015.
- ↑ "3. Liga 2015/2016 .:. Torschützenliste" (in German). Weltfussball.de. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
- ↑ "3. Liga .:. Statistik .:. Die höchsten Siege" (in German). Weltfussball.de. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
- ↑ "3. Liga .:. Statistik .:. Die torreichsten Spiele" (in German). Weltfussball.de. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
- ↑ "3. Liga .:. Rekordspieler" (in German). Weltfussball.de. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
- ↑ "3. Liga .:. Ewige Torjäger" (in German). Weltfussball.de. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
- ↑ "3. Liga - Spieltag / Tabele" (in German). kicker.de. Retrieved 19 May 2015.
- ↑ "Ruhl: "Ein bitterer Tag für den OFC"" (in German). kicker.de. 3 June 2013. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
- ↑ "Relegation 2. Bundesliga 2008/2009" (in German). Weltfussball.de. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
- ↑ "Relegation 2. Bundesliga 2009/2010" (in German). Weltfussball.de. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
- ↑ "Relegation 2. Bundesliga 2010/2011" (in German). Weltfussball.de. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
- ↑ "Relegation 2. Bundesliga 2011/2012" (in German). Weltfussball.de. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
- ↑ "Relegation 2. Bundesliga 2012/2013" (in German). Weltfussball.de. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
- ↑ "Relegation 2. Bundesliga 2013/2014" (in German). Weltfussball.de. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
- ↑ "Relegation 2. Bundesliga 2014/2015" (in German). Weltfussball.de. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
- ↑ "Relegation 2. Bundesliga 2015/2016" (in German). Weltfussball.de. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
- ↑ "Aufstiegsrunde 3. Liga 2012/2013 » Playoffs". Weltfussball.de (in German). Retrieved 20 May 2015.
- ↑ "Aufstiegsrunde 3. Liga 2013/2014 » Playoffs". Weltfussball.de (in German). Retrieved 20 May 2015.
- ↑ "Aufstiegsrunde 3. Liga 2014/2015 » Playoffs". Weltfussball.de (in German). Retrieved 20 May 2015.
- ↑ "Aufstiegsrunde 3. Liga 2015/2016 » Playoffs". Weltfussball.de (in German). Retrieved 4 May 2016.
External links
- Deutscher Fußball-Bund (DFB) (German)
- kicker.de (German)
- 3. Liga at Weltfussball.de (German)
- German 3.Liga (www.3-liga.com) (German)
- 3. Liga at Soccerway.com
- League321.com – German football league tables, records & statistics database