Country Germany | Number of teams 18 Date founded 1978 | |
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Confederation Badenian Football AssociationSouth Badenian Football AssociationWürttembergian Football Association Relegation to Verbandsliga BadenVerbandsliga SüdbadenVerbandsliga Württemberg Domestic cups Baden Cup, South Baden Cup, Württemberg Cup Teams | ||
The Oberliga Baden-Württemberg is the highest association football league in the state of Baden-Württemberg and the Baden-Württemberg 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 1978 as the highest level of play in the state. Previous to that, the four Amateurligas Nordwürttemberg, Schwarzwald-Bodensee, Südbaden and Nordbaden formed the tier right below the 2nd Bundesliga. The Amateurligas changed their name since into Verbandsliga. The Amateurligas Nordwürttemberg and Schwarzwald-Bodensee merged to form the Verbandsliga Württemberg. The three Verbandsliga's now feed the Oberliga Baden-Württemberg.
Since introduction of the Regionalliga Süd in 1994, the winner of the Oberliga Baden-Württemberg 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, five clubs from Baden-Württemberg were qualified for the new league, based on their performance over the last three seasons, these clubs being:
Originally, a sixth place for the Oberliga was available but because the Stuttgarter Kickers, a club from Württemberg, was relegated from the 2nd Bundesliga that year, the club took up this spot.
The Oberliga Baden-Württemberg 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, there was four clubs from the Oberliga Baden-Württemberg 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:
The winners of the three Verbandsligas gain automatic promotion to the Oberliga. The runners-up of Nordbaden then plays the runners-up of Südbaden in a home-and-away series. The winner of this games faces the runners-up of Württemberg for the final Oberliga spot.
Feeder Leagues to the Oberliga Baden-Württemberg
In the past two clubs which played in the Oberliga Baden-Württemberg weren't actually based in the state. Amicitia Viernheim (Hessen) and SpVgg Au/Iller (Bayern) both were in the Oberliga for a number of years.
The separation of Nordbaden and Südbaden is not traditional. It results from the end of World War II when Nordbaden was in the American occupation zone and Südbaden in the French. Inter zone travel was difficult then and two separate leagues developed. Until 1950 the clubs from the Südbaden and the Schwarzwald-Bodensee regions actually played in the southwest league system, the old (1945–1963) Oberliga Südwest, only after that were they integrated into the southern league system, where they geographically belonged.
From 2012 onwards, the league became a feeder league to the new Regionalliga Südwest, together with the Hessenliga and the Oberliga Rheinland-Pfalz/Saar. The previous league the Oberliga Baden-Württemberg was set below at, the Regionalliga Süd, was disbanded after the 2011-12 season.
League champions
The league champions since 1979:
Source:"Oberliga B/W". Das deutsche Fussball-Archiv. Retrieved 2008-03-07.
Founding Members of the league
The Oberliga started in 1978 with 20 clubs from four regions.
League placings
The complete list of clubs and placings in the league while operating as the tier five Oberliga Baden-Württemberg and feeding the Regionalliga Südwest (2012–Present):