Unpromotables Lok captain decries Germany's promotion system

Image source shows 2,000 Lok supporters waving a banner that read “Your system is sick” as captain Djamal Ziane lifted the Regional League Northeast trophy for the third time, only to watch his side lose 3‑1 on aggregate to Wurzburger Kickers in the summer play‑off.

Champions crowned but promotion denied

Ziane, a three‑time league champion, hoisted the trophy in Leipzig and celebrated the achievement with his teammates.

Despite the triumph, the Lokomotive Leipzig captain could not escape the disappointment of a play‑off defeat, as the aggregate score of 3‑1 sealed their fate.

The banner displayed by the travelling supporters encapsulated the frustration felt by the club and its fans.

Promotion system under fire

German football’s fourth tier is split into five regional divisions – North, West, Southwest, Northeast and Bavaria – each producing a league champion.

Only four teams are relegated from the 3. Liga each season, meaning the number of promotion spots does not match the number of champions.

Automatic promotion is granted to the West and Southwest champions, a third spot rotates among the remaining three leagues over a three‑year cycle, and the final place is decided by a play‑off between the two remaining league winners.

One champion always misses out, often from the North division

The rotating system frequently leaves the champion of the Regional League Northeast without a place in the 3. Liga.

Lok Leipzig has suffered this fate in 2020 and 2025, and other eastern clubs such as Dynamo Berlin in 2022 and Energie Cottbus in 2023 have also missed out.

These repeated setbacks have fuelled calls for a more equitable structure.

Attendance and economic gap

Average attendance in the Regional League Northeast last season was 3,125, roughly twice that of the other regional leagues.

Lok Leipzig recorded the fourth‑highest average crowd at 6,352, with more than 11,000 watching the local derby against Chemie Leipzig.

Economic disparities persist, as no leading DAX company is based in the former east, salaries are lower and unemployment higher, reflecting broader socio‑economic divides.

Matt Ford of recorded Ziane’s remarks, providing a vivid picture of the club’s plight.

“It’s the worst thing – injury aside – that you can experience as a footballer,” Ziane told, adding that “Catastrophe doesn’t cut it. It doesn’t make any sense. If they really wanted to change it, they could do tomorrow.”

“Unfortunately, you don’t get any points for tradition, crowds and history,” said 39‑year‑old Lok chief executive Toni Wachsmuth, noting that western leagues enjoy better economic foundations.

East clubs push for reform

In March 2025, eastern clubs launched a campaign under the slogan “Meister müssen aufsteigen!” demanding that champions be guaranteed promotion.

The proposal calls for a reduction from five regional leagues to four, with borders redrawn each season using artificial intelligence to consider travel distances and attractive derbies.

If adopted, the new system could reshape the German football pyramid and address the long‑standing east‑west divide.