No revolution in the 3rd league!
The season, which was interrupted due to the Corona crisis, will continue as planned by the DFB on May 30th and will continue until July 4th in English weeks. This resulted in a vote at the Extraordinary Bundestag of the DFB.
Of the 250 delegates, 222 voted to restart. This corresponds to an approval of 94.87 percent. 16 participants abstained.
This also means that the request from Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt did not even come to a vote. The requirement had provided that the season be stopped and that there should be no relegations, but two promoters, Duisburg and Mannheim. The reason given was that the hygiene concept for third division teams is difficult to implement and that the season would only end in July.
DFB Vice President Rainer Koch (61): “The DFB has no choice but to continue the 3rd division. It should be obvious to everyone that a national league must be able to play, even if that is not yet possible in two federal states. Otherwise we would not be able to meet agreed obligations, which would entail high financial risks. “
After the break in the season, the clubs had fought each other in public because of the possible restart. When the DFB announced that it wanted to continue the season on May 30, some clubs threatened the association with legal action. Mannheim even sent an invoice for hygiene measures to the DFB.
Koch added: “The DFB has been bombarded with legal letters from clubs for days.”
Also off the table: a double-track 3rd league. The Saarland Association had submitted a corresponding application, which had been supported by more than 20 regional leagues. The aim was to reduce the travel expenses of the clubs. In addition, the number of regional duels would have increased, which was hoped for more audience revenue.
But: In addition to the current third division clubs, the Bundestag also spoke out against the new format. With only 18 out of 253 votes, the applicants clearly missed the necessary two-thirds majority.
Nevertheless: The DFB sees a need for action in the financial problems of many third division clubs. That is why a task force has decided to deal with the economic viability of the 3rd division. Koch: “This is a clear signal that we recognize the economic problems and deal with them.”
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