Regionalliga Nord

Updated on Jan 16, 2024

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Country Germany Current champion VfL Wolfsburg II Promotion to 3. Liga		Number of teams 18 Date founded 1994

State Lower Saxony Schleswig-Holstein Bremen Hamburg Relegation to Oberliga Hamburg Bremen-Liga Schleswig-Holstein-Liga Oberliga Niedersachsen Current champions VfL Wolfsburg II (2015–16) Confederation Northern German Football Association Level on pyramid German football league system Teams SV Meppen, VfB Lübeck, VfB Oldenburg, TSV Havelse, VfL Wolfsburg II

The Regionalliga Nord (English: Regional League North) is the fourth tier of the German football league system in the states of Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, Bremen and Hamburg. It is one of five leagues at this level, together with the Regionalliga Bayern, Regionalliga Nordost, Regionalliga Südwest and the Regionalliga West. Until the introduction of the 3. Liga in 2008 it was the third tier.

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

Overview

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

Regionalliga Süd

Regionalliga Nordost

Regionalliga West/Südwest

The reason for its introduction was to create a highest regional league for the north of Germany and to allow its champions, and some years the runners-up too, to be directly promoted to the 2nd Bundesliga. Previous to the introduction of the four Regionalligas, the leagues below the second division were the Oberligas, which there was ten of. Those ten Oberliga champions had to go through a promotion play-off rather than being directly promoted. The champions of the Regionalligas Nord and Nordost however had to play-off for a spot in the 2nd Bundesliga from 1996 to 2000. The winner of this contest was promoted, the loser faced the runners-ups of the Regionalligas Süd and West/Südwest for another spot in the second division.

The Regionalliga Nord was direct continuation of the Oberliga Nord, which was disbanded in 1994 in favour of the Regionalliga. Fourteen out of sixteen Oberliga Nord clubs qualified for the new league, only the bottom two teams were relegated to the two new Oberligas.

To replace the Oberliga Nord below the Regionalliga, two new leagues were formed, those being the Oberligas Niedersachsen/Bremen and Hamburg/Schleswig-Holstein. This two leagues were in turn disbanded in 2004 when the Oberliga Nord was reformed.

In 2001, the 1. FC Union Berlin of this league became only the second Regionalliga side to reach a German Cup final, losing 2-0 to FC Schalke 04.

With the league changes in Germany in 2008, the Oberliga Nord was again disbanded and the level below the Regionalliga Nord in this region were the five Verbandligas. This required a promotion play-off for this league winners as there were not five promotion spots available for their region. No changes were made in the NOFV region were the two Oberligas Nord and Süd will remain.

The following four teams were promoted to the Regionalliga from 2009:

NOFV-Oberliga Nord champions

NOFV-Oberliga Süd champions

Lower Saxony champions, being the winner of the home-and-away series of the champions of the Oberliga Niedersachsen-West and Oberliga Niedersachsen-Ost

Winner of the promotion play-off for the champions of the Oberliga Hamburg, Bremen and Schleswig-Holstein

Foundation of the Regionalliga Nord

The Regionalliga Nord was formed in 1994 with 18 clubs, fourteen from the Oberliga Nord and one each from the Verbandsligas of Niedersachsen, Bremen, Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein.

The founding members were:

From the Oberliga Nord:

Kickers Emden

Eintracht Braunschweig

VfL Osnabrück

VfL Herzlake

TuS Hoisdorf

VfB Oldenburg

Holstein Kiel

Werder Bremen II

VfB Lübeck

Hamburger SV II

VfL 93 Hamburg

TuS Celle

Göttingen 05

SV Lurup

The "new" Regionalliga Nord was actually a reformation of the "old" Regionalliga Nord 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.

Expansion of the league in 2000

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.

Only the teams placed two to six were permitted to remain in the league. The league champion, VfL Osnabrück, was promoted to the 2nd Bundesliga and all clubs from place seven to eighteen were relegated to the Verbandsligas. The league was expanded to nineteen teams and fourteen clubs from the 2nd Bundesliga, Regionalliga West/Südwest and Regionalliga Nordost were admitted.

The league reform in 2008

With the introduction of the 3rd Liga in 2008 and of a third Regionalliga, the Regionalliga West, the league became the fourth tier of German football. The clubs from North Rhine-Westphalia left the league again and joined the new Regionalliga West.

The make up of the leagues was:

Winner and runners-up of the Regionalliga Nord qualified for the 2nd Bundesliga (unless they are reserve teams)

Clubs placed third to tenth went to the new 3rd Liga (only the two best placed reserve teams were admitted)

Clubs placed eleventh to eighteen remained in the Regionalligas (clubs from North Rhine-Westphalia left for the Regionalliga West)

The five best teams from the Oberliga Nord joined the Regionalliga. The sixth placed team played-off with the five Verbandsliga winners from this region for one more place in the Regionalliga.

The three best teams from the NOFV-Oberliga Nord and Süd each and a play-off winner of the two fourth placed teams.

The following 18 teams fulfilled the various qualification criteria and were granted a license for play in the new Regionalliga Nord for the 2008-09 season.

The league reform in 2012

In October 2010, another reform of the Regionalligas was decided upon. The number of leagues was now expanded to five, with the Nordost clubs to leave the Regionalliga Nord and form their own Regionalliga Nordost once more. The new system is came into operation at the start of the 2012-13 season. It was also decided to limit the number of reserve teams per Regionalliga to seven.

Winners and runners-up of the Regionalliga Nord

The winners and runners-up of the league:

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

Promoted teams in bold.

League statistics

The top goal scorers and spectator statistics for the league are:

Current extent of league

Final league positions for clubs from the region currently covered by the league:

Former extent of league

Final league positions for clubs from the regions formerly covered by the league:

Source: "Regionalliga Nord". Das deutsche Fussball-Archiv. Retrieved 11 December 2007.

Notes

^a In 2002, 1. FC Magdeburg were refused a licence for the Regionalliga.
^b In 2001, SV Wilhelmshaven was refused a licence for the Regionalliga.
^c In 2009, Türkiyemspor Berlin avoided relegation after Kickers Emden withdrew from the 3. Liga.
^d In 2001, FC Sachsen Leipzig was refused a licence for the Regionalliga.
^e In 2005, KFC Uerdingen were refused a licence for the Regionalliga.
^f In 1998, VfL Hamburg 93 withdrew their team from the league.
^g Tennis Borussia Berlin declared insolvency on 21 May 2010 and was automatically relegated.
^h Hansa Rostock II withdrew from the league in 2010 for financial reasons.
ⁱ VfB Lübeck and FC Oberneuland declared insolvency in 2013 and were relegated from the league.