Regionalliga Nord


The Regionalliga Nord 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 it is not related to the current Regionalliga.

Overview

The Regionalliga Nord was introduced in 1994 along with three other Regionalligas, those being:
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. Prior to the introduction of the four Regionalligas, the leagues below the second division were the Oberligas, in which there was ten. 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. These two leagues were in turn disbanded in 2004 when the Oberliga Nord was reformed.
In 2001, 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:

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:
From the Verbandsliga Schleswig-Holstein:
From the Verbandsliga Hamburg:
From the Verbandsliga Bremen:
From the Verbandsliga Niedersachsen:
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.
Remaining in the Regionalliga Nord:
Relegated from the 2nd Bundesliga:
Admitted from the Regionalliga West/Südwest:
Admitted from the Regionalliga Nordost:
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:
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.
Remaining in the Regionalliga Nord:
From the Oberliga Nord:
From the NOFV-Oberliga Nord:
From the NOFV-Oberliga Süd:
In October 2010, another reform of the Regionalligas was decided upon. The number of leagues was now expanded to five, with the Nordost clubs leaving the Regionalliga Nord to form their own Regionalliga Nordost once more. The new system 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.

The league reform in 2019

As four teams were relegated from the 3. Liga at the end of the 2018–19 season, the champions of the Regionalliga Nordost, Regionalliga Südwest and Regionalliga West were promoted directly to the 3. Liga and the remaining two champions, VfL Wolfsburg II of the Regionalliga Nord and Bayern Munich II of the Regionalliga Bayern, played a two-legged promotion play-off for the last promotion spot, which was won by Bayern Munich II. In 2020, the three direct promotion spots will go to the champions of the Regionalliga Südwest, Regionalliga Nord and Regionalliga Bayern, while the Nordost and the West champions participate in the play-off. This format was installed initially as a temporary solution until the DFB-Bundestag in September 2019 decided on a format that could have enabled all Regionalliga champions to be promoted. On that date, the Bundestag delegates voted to grant the Südwest and West champions two direct promotions indefinitely starting in 2021. A third direct promotion place will be assigned according to a rotation principle among the Regionalliga Nord, Nordost and Bavarian champions. The representatives from the two remaining Regionalligen will determine the fourth promoted club in two-legged play-offs.

Winners and runners-up of the Regionalliga Nord

The winners and runners-up of the league:
SeasonWinnerRunner-up
1994-95VfB LübeckVfL Osnabrück
1995-96VfB OldenburgEintracht Braunschweig
1996-97Hannover 96Eintracht Braunschweig
1997-98Hannover 96Eintracht Braunschweig
1998-99VfL OsnabrückVfB Lübeck
1999-2000VfL OsnabrückVfB Lübeck
2000-01Union BerlinBabelsberg 03
2001-02VfB LübeckEintracht Braunschweig
2002-03Erzgebirge AueVfL Osnabrück
2003-04Rot-Weiß EssenDynamo Dresden
2004-05Eintracht BraunschweigSC Paderborn
2005-06Rot-Weiß EssenCarl Zeiss Jena
2006-07FC St PauliVfL Osnabrück
2007-08Rot-Weiß AhlenRot-Weiß Oberhausen
2008-09Holstein KielHallescher FC
2009-10Babelsberg 03VfL Wolfsburg II
2010-11Chemnitzer FCVfL Wolfsburg II
2011-12Hallescher FCHolstein Kiel
2012-13Holstein KielTSV Havelse
2013-14VfL Wolfsburg IIWerder Bremen II
2014-15Werder Bremen IIVfL Wolfsburg II
2015–16VfL Wolfsburg IIVfB Oldenburg
2016–17SV MeppenWeiche Flensburg
2017–18Weiche FlensburgHamburger SV II
2018–19VfL Wolfsburg IIVfB Lübeck
2019–20VfB LübeckVfL Wolfsburg II

The top goalscorers and attendance figures for the league are:
SeasonTotal
attendance		Average
attendance		Best supported clubAverage
attendance		Top scorerGoals
1994-95492,6291,610Eintracht Braunschweig4,351Christian Classen 26
1995-96438,7981,434Eintracht Braunschweig4,854Hakan Cengiz 21
1996-97587,4841,920Hannover 969,789Hakan Cengiz 28
1997-98680,6202,224Eintracht Braunschweig9,181Markus Erdmann 34
1998-99642,3572,099Eintracht Braunschweig7,456Daniel Bärwolf 26
1999-2000710,5242,322VfL Osnabrück9,347Daniel Bärwolf
Marinus Bester 		25
2000-011,108,9173,242Eintracht Braunschweig9,993Daniel Teixeira 32
2001-021,152,0643,764Eintracht Braunschweig11,921Veselin Gerov
Daniel Teixeira 		19
2002-03936,2973,060Rot-Weiss Essen9,482Dmitrijus Guščinas 23
2003-041,472,0894,811FC St. Pauli17,335Markus Feldhoff 22
2004-051,547,9504,526FC St. Pauli16,144Ahmet Kuru 24
2005-061,577,5634,613FC St. Pauli17,296Thomas Reichenberger 17
2006-071,823,7205,333FC St. Pauli16,775Thomas Reichenberger
Massimo Cannizzaro 		17
2007-081,863,6625,449Eintracht Braunschweig14,889Mahir Saglik 27
2008-09529,2001,7291. FC Magdeburg8,626Wojciech Pollok 22
2009-10373,4601,2201. FC Magdeburg5,491Daniel Frahn 29
2010-11447,7211,4631. FC Magdeburg4,586Benjamin Förster 25
2011-12530,4491,733RB Leipzig7,401Daniel Frahn 26
2012-13234,898816Holstein Kiel3,628Rogier Krohne 24
2013–14184,493603SV Meppen1,825Addy-Waku Menga 25
2014–15220,635721VfB Lübeck1,723Ahmet Arslan 19
2015–16229,239726VfB Oldenburg2,201Dino Međedović 23
2016–17216,199707SV Meppen2,645Benjamin Girth 20
2017–18186,006606VfB Lübeck1,426Törles Knöll 20
2018–19187,623613VfB Lübeck2,152Daniel Hanslik 19
2019–20167,053792VfB Lübeck3,114Ahmet Arslan 16

Placings in the Regionalliga Nord

Current extent of league

Final league positions for clubs from the region currently covered by the league:
Club959697989900010203040506070809101112131415161718192021
Hannover 962B2B112B2B2B2BBBBBBBBBBBBBBB2BBB2B2B
FC St. Pauli2BBB2B2B2B2BB2B87612B2B2BB2B2B2B2B2B2B2B2B2B2B
Holstein Kiel1118148131312941513L6213L3L3L3L2B2B2B2B
VfL Osnabrück2543112B722B41022B2B3L2B3L3L3L3L3L3L3L3L2B2B
Eintracht Braunschweig622233822B612B2B103L3L3L2B2BB2B2B2B2B3L3L2B
SV Meppen2B2B2B2B1111121148513L3L3L3L
VfB Lübeck12B2B722312B2B3391689311187744213L
VfL Wolfsburg II1719522431213312x
Weiche Flensburg76532143x
SV Drochtersen/Assel491254x
Eintracht Norderstedt1061179135x
Werder Bremen II71534451510651412853L3L3L3L5213L3L3L36x
Holstein Kiel II107x
VfB Oldenburg512B591810310281398x
TSV Havelse1552746611119x
Schwarz-Weiß Rehden981181615810x
Lüneburger SK Hansa121313101511x
Hannover 96 II68964111412118612x
FC St. Pauli II7161517171399151461413x
Hamburger SV II146514151614961361713588141431452714x
SSV Jeddeloh71215x
FC Altona 9315161816x
Heider SV17x
Hannoverscher SC18x
Atlas Delmenhorst x
1. FC Phönix Lübeckx
FC Teutonia Ottensenx
Germania Egestorf10516
VfL Oldenburg17
Lupo Martini Wolfsburg1718
Eintracht Braunschweig II16131391214
VfV 06 Hildesheim101516x
Eutin 0817
SV Eichede1718
Goslarer SC 0818851516
BV Cloppenburg17107RL12121617
TSV Schilksee18
VfR Neumünster1861517
FT Braunschweig18
SV Wilhelmshaven910139741019111413131616
SC Victoria Hamburg1518
FC Oberneuland9161717x
Kickers Emden4498169493L
Lüneburger SK88176617
1. SC Göttingen 051610189
SV Arminia Hannover61310
1. SC Norderstedt137161212
Eintracht Nordhorn10513
TuS Celle133612614
FC Bremerhaven1717
VfL Herzlake3981517
Sportfreunde Ricklingen111318
VfL 93 Hamburg121611
Atlas Delmenhorst 141217
Concordia Hamburg151214
SV Lurup101118
TuS Hoisdorf18

Former extent of league

Final league positions for clubs from the regions formerly covered by the league:
Club959697989900010203040506070809101112131415161718192021
RB Leipzig ‡43RL3L2B2BBBBBB
Union Berlin ‡RLRLRLRLRLRL12B2B2B191243L2B2B2B2B2B2B2B2B2B2BBB
Fortuna Düsseldorf †2BBB2B2BRL1617851033L2B2B2BB2B2B2B2B2BBB2B
SC Paderborn †RLRLRLRLRLRL148322B2B2B3L2B2B2B2B2BB2B3L3L2BB2B
Erzgebirge Aue ‡RLRLRLRLRLRL7912B2B2B2B2B3L3L2B2B2B2B2B3L2B2B2B2B2B
Dynamo Dresden ‡BRLRLRLRLRL722B2B783L3L3L2B2B2B3L3L2B2B2B2B3L
1. FC Magdeburg ‡RLRLRL12311461218RLRLRL3L3L3L2B3L3L
Hallescher FC ‡24513L3L3L3L3L3L3L3L3L
KFC Uerdingen †BB2B2B2BRL12510710RLRLRL3L3L3L
SC Verl †RLRLRLRLRLRL6111518RLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRL3L
Preußen Münster †RLRLRLRLRLRL51512131115RLRLRL3L3L3L3L3L3L3L3L3LRL
Carl Zeiss Jena ‡RL2B2B2BRLRLRL22B2B3L3L3L3LRLRLRLRLRL3L3L3LRL
Chemnitzer FC ‡2B2BRLRLRL2B2B6111115197313L3L3L3L3L3L3LRL3LRL
Fortuna Köln †2B2B2B2B2B2B418RLRLRL3L3L3L3LRLRLRL
Borussia Dortmund II †RLRL18510161413RL3LRLRL3L3L3LRLRLRLRLRLRL
Babelsberg 03 ‡RLRLRL22B1615313L3L3LRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRL
Rot-Weiß Oberhausen †RLRLRL2B2B2B2B2B2B2B1722B2B2B3LRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRL
Berliner AK 07 ‡7RLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRL
ZFC Meuselwitz ‡10119RLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRL
Hertha BSC Berlin II ‡RLRLRL137181211714RLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRL
Borussia Mönchengladbach II †16RLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRL
1. FC Köln II †9141218RLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRL
Rot-Weiß Essen †RLRL2BRLRL133312B12B12RLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRL
Wuppertaler SV †RLRLRLRLRL458563L3LRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRL
Germania Halberstadt ‡16RLRLRLRLRLRLRLRL
FC Schalke 04 II †16RLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRL
Rot-Weiß Ahlen †RLRLRLRL2B2B2B2B2B2B1312B2B3LRLRLRL
Tennis Borussia Berlin ‡RLRLRLRL2B2B1915RL
Rot-Weiß Erfurt ‡RLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRL2B141173L3L3L3L3L3L3L3L3L3L3LRL
SG Wattenscheid 09 †2B2BRL2B2BRL11441516RLRLRLRLRLRLRL
VFC Plauen ‡RLRLRLRL1471410RLRLRL
Bayer Leverkusen II †RLRL8171117RLRLRLRLRLRL
Energie Cottbus II ‡14181015RL
Türkiyemspor Berlin ‡151318
Arminia Bielefeld II †18RL
Hansa Rostock II ‡1012
FC Sachsen Leipzig ‡RLRLRLRLRLRL141717
Dresdner SC ‡RLRL91618

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