Trisha Shetty (Editor)

Hessenliga

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Country
  
Germany

Founded
  
1945

Level on pyramid
  
Level 5

State
  
Hesse

Number of teams
  
17

Hessenliga

Confederation
  
Hessian Football Association

The Hessenliga (until 2008 Oberliga Hessen) is the highest football league in the state of Hesse and the Hessian football league system. It is one of fourteen Oberligas in German football, the fifth tier of the German football league system. Until the introduction of the 3. Liga in 2008 it was the fourth tier of the league system, until the introduction of the Regionalligas in 1994 the third tier.

Contents

Overview

The league was formed in 1945 and except for its first two seasons it has always played as one single division. The league was called Landesliga-Hessen until 1950 and actually formed the second tier of southern German football. With the introduction of the 2nd Oberliga Süd in 1950, the Landesliga-Hessen was renamed Amateurliga Hessen. From 1978, it was called Amateur Oberliga Hessen and finally, in 1994 it was renamed Oberliga Hessen.

Since introduction of the Regionalliga Süd in 1994, the winner of the Oberliga Hessen is automatically promoted to this league, till 1994 the winners of the Oberligas had to play-off for the four promotion spots to the 2. Bundesliga with the other Oberliga winners.

In 1994, with the introduction of the Regionalliga, six clubs from Hessen were qualified for the new league, based on their performance over the last three seasons, these clubs being:

  • Kickers Offenbach
  • SV Wehen Wiesbaden
  • SG Egelsbach
  • Rot-Weiss Frankfurt
  • KSV Hessen Kassel
  • SV Darmstadt 98

    • Originally, FSV Frankfurt, champions of 1994, would have also been qualified but gained promotion to the 2. Bundesliga instead.

    The Oberliga Hessen still remained below the Regionalliga Süd after the reduction of the number of Regionalligas from four to two in 2000 but this reduction meant that the Oberliga champions in that year were not promoted.

    With the changes in the league system in 2008, four clubs from the Hessenliga were promoted to Regionalliga Süd after the 2007–08 season, nominally the top four teams, however, there was also financial requirements to receive a Regionalliga license. The four clubs were:

  • SV Darmstadt 98
  • SV Wehen II
  • Viktoria Aschaffenburg
  • Eintracht Frankfurt II

    • The Hessenliga is fed by the three Verbandsligen. The winners of those are directly promoted to the Hessenliga, the three runners-up play-off with the 15th club from the Hessenliga for one more promotion spot.

  • Feeder leagues to the Hessenliga:
  • Verbandsliga Hessen-Nord
  • Verbandsliga Hessen-Mitte
  • Verbandsliga Hessen-Süd

    • The Hessenliga also, at times, accommodated teams from Bavaria, Viktoria Aschaffenburg and FC Bayern Alzenau. In the 2011–12 season, Viktoria will play in the league while Alzenau plays one level above in the Regionalliga.

    From 2012 onwards, the league became a feeder league to the new Regionalliga Südwest, together with the Oberliga Baden-Württemberg and the Oberliga Rheinland-Pfalz/Saar. The previous league the Hessenliga was set below at, the Regionalliga Süd, was disbanded after the 2011–12 season.

    Champions of the Hessenliga

    The league champions since 1945:

  • The record number of league championships is held by FSV Frankfurt, with eight titles to their name (including one won by their reserve team, FSV Frankfurt II).
  • In 2014 champions TGM SV Jügesheim declined promotion and no other team applied for a Regionalliga licence and finished high enough in the league to qualify.

    • League placings

    The complete list of clubs and placings in the league since being renamed to Hessenliga in 2008:

    References

    Hessenliga Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA