DFB approves Regionalliga reform – now a movement emerges
On Friday, the DFB‑board tasked DFB‑secretary general Holger Blask with preparing an extraordinary congress on 18 December 2026 to finally decide on the Regionalliga reform – a step that should solve the long‑standing dilemma of five champions and only four promotion places.
Five Regionalliga champions face each year the problem that only four promotion places into the 3. Liga are available. This promotion dilemma has long burdened those affected and is hardly understandable for clubs, players and fans. The current situation has sparked discussions about a fair solution.
Compass model as a new initiative
Now movement could come in a new initiative for a fair model, called the compass model. It proposes to reduce the current five Regionalliga divisions to four, with each division consisting of twenty teams in the future. The allocation would be redrawn each season based on geographic considerations, making the structure of the fourth tier more flexible. The DFB aims to make a binding decision later this year, and the planned Regionalliga reform is at the core of this project.
The DFB‑board commissioned DFB‑secretary general Holger Blask on Friday to prepare an extraordinary congress on 18 December 2026. The central question is how all Regionalliga champions can be promoted directly to the 3. Liga in the future. The 2027/28 season is to serve as a qualification period, while the new four‑track structure could take effect from the 2028/29 season. In addition, the DFB is to assume the sponsorship of the Regionalliga itself.
50.6 percent support
In the regional votes among clubs from the 3. Liga, Regionalliga and partly Oberliga, the compass model achieved 50.6 percent of the votes nationwide, the highest support so far. Nevertheless, no single region produced a uniform majority, so discussions about the final design are still ongoing.
DFB president Bernd Neuendorf emphasizes that the current situation is difficult for clubs, players and fans to understand, because five Regionalliga champions exist but not all can be promoted. His goal is a permanently fair regulation with direct promotion for all champions.
Neuendorf calls for a fair promotion rule
Now the responsibility lies with the responsible committees, who according to the DFB president should initiate the next steps. The intended reform is to be approved later this year, thereby ending the years‑long stalemate over promotion from the Regionalliga. This would finally conclude the current period of uncertainty.
A binding decision on the future structure of the fourth tier would not only resolve the promotion question, but also provide long‑term planning certainty for all parties. Fans could look forward to a transparent system that promotes sporting competition on a fair basis.