In an open letter to DFB President Bernd Neuendorf, 17 clubs from the Regionalliga-Nordost are pressing ahead with their demand for promotion reform. In the letter, the clubs call on the association to "bring about a fair and sustainable solution for German soccer". Previous attempts to reach an agreement in the regional associations had failed.
In the opinion of the 17 clubs, the DFB should now get involved in the "further process with its own experts" in order to "work out a fair reform by the summer so that a majority decision can then be made at the DFB Federal Assembly in November".
Northeast promotion summit at the end of March
The core issue is the demand that a champion must automatically be promoted to the 3rd division. So far, this path has only been reserved for the winners of the West and South-West leagues. The champions of the North, North-East and Bavarian leagues alternate to play another promoted team. The champion of the three leagues is only promoted directly every three years.
Possible solutions range from an expansion of the 3rd division from 20 to 22 teams to a reduction of the regional leagues from five to four divisions. At the end of March, there will be a promotion summit on the initiative of NOFV president Herrmann Winkler, at which a viable solution from the point of view of the north-east clubs is to be worked out.
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