Ascent 3rd League: Watch the stadium events?

Halle (Saale) –

Irritated. This is how Ralf Heskamp describes the mood Tuesday in Wiesbaden. In the capital of Hesse, the top managers of the 20 third division football teams met very quickly for a crisis meeting. Trigger: the failed reform of the regional league.

To get rid of the unloved relegation of the third league, the fourth highest German league is actually reduced from five to four leagues, with promotion right for each champion. The third division had accepted for a fourth relegated.

Ralf Heskamp, ​​HFC Sports Director: "Everybody looks at himself only"

"We met regional badociations," said Heskamp, ​​sports director at Halleschen FC. Only to realize now that the reform threatens to fail because of the badociations' stubbornness. "Everyone looks at each other," says Heskamp.

Since the third division sees no willingness to compromise, it is now in open confrontation with the German Football Association (DFB). "To indicate unequivocally to the clubs of the 3rd league that the credibility of the DFB in terms of new rules for the promotion of the 3rd league has finally been lost," the statement said in a statement.

In response to the backlog of reforms, the third division clubs have also announced a compromise on the program of ascension. They demand two requirements: the reception of the third single-track division and the return to the model with only three descendants. "And this for next season," says Ralf Heskamp.

Regionalliga Nordost should be preserved

The third division reacted to the proposal issued by the regional league reform working group on Monday and the following statements from Rainer Milkoreit, president of the German North East Football Federation (NOFV) and Rainer Koch, vice President of the DFB and President of the Bavarian Football Association.

The proposed solution of the working group foresees that the badociations West and South-West retain their regional leagues, the ascending masters each. In addition, the Nord, Nord-Est and Bavaria regional badociations have to agree on two leagues. Until here everything is fine.

On Tuesday, however, NOFV President Milkoreit told MDR that the Regionalliga Nordost should be maintained even at the cost of relegation. The reduction to four leagues was far.

Zweileisige 3. Liga: Criticism of Ralf Heskamp

Rainer Koch was finally overwhelmed by the barrel: "If the 3rd division was made up of two branches, we would have a real pyramid league structure and, with the formation of five or even six regional leagues, no problem," he suggested. via "Sport Bild".

"The third league is financially well engaged in television contracts, the division's proposal is unacceptable," said Heskamp. For him and his counterparts in the third league, the only acceptable solution is: "Four leagues and champions must go straight up."

Third division in decision without right to vote

However, the third division of the DFB party congress, which has to vote on the reform of the regional league in September 2019, has no voting rights. "We have no power, we are faced with hard facts," Heskamp said. "Our only option is to educate the public."

But the joint declaration of the clubs was the first step. Others might follow: "We will not claim events in the stadiums, but we can not rule it out," Heskamp said. (Mz)