Rot-Weiß Erfurt is fighting for fair promotion rights in football!

Rot-Weiß Erfurt is fighting for fair promotion rights in football!

A lot is happening in the world of football, especially when it comes to promotion regulations in the regional leagues. On June 16, 2025, the “Promotion Reform 2025” initiative will gain momentum, which is supported by numerous clubs, including Rot-Weiß Erfurt. The club had no contact with the championship and promotion last season and had to make do with being 16 points behind leaders Lok Leipzig. Lok Leipzig also couldn't get promoted because they failed in the controversial playoffs and therefore have to stay in the regional league. This defeat highlights the interests of the current promotion regulations, which many clubs believe are unfair. Thüringen24 reports that Rot-Weiß Erfurt is actively discussing the reform.

Under the current regulation, the champions of the North and Southwest regional leagues are promoted directly, while the champions from the Northeast, North and Bavaria also have to play a decisive game. Many clubs, including Rot-Weiß Erfurt, find this regulation to be unfair, as there are currently five regional league champions but only four promotion places are available. This has led to an increase in discussions about the promotion playoffs, as well as the creation of the aforementioned initiative.

Clubs sit together

A meeting of club officials recently took place in Chemnitz, where the focus was on reforming the promotion regulations. The initiative is supported, among others, by Bundesliga clubs such as 1. FC Union Berlin, which emphasizes the importance of sporting success. Union President Dirk Zingler calls for these successes to be recognized for the clubs' planning security.

The list of supporters is growing, and in addition to the already mentioned clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2nd league, numerous regional league teams have also joined. In the Regionalliga Nordost, Lok Leipzig, Hallescher FC and Chemnitzer FC, among others, are behind the initiative, while groups such as Kickers Emden and VfB Lübeck from the Regionalliga Nord are supporting. Kicker reports that over 30 clubs are calling for reform, to eliminate the current injustice and make advancement fairer for all masters.

Criticism of the situation

There is great dissatisfaction with the current regulation. The sports director of Chemnitzer FC, Chris Löwe, has already described the promotion regulation as the “most unfair rule in football”. Dieter Gudel, CEO of VfB Lübeck, also expresses concerns that clubs that are relegated could overextend themselves financially in order to immediately be promoted back to the higher leagues. The DFB sees itself as a mediator, but does not respond to the demand to increase the number of promoted teams to five. ZDF today emphasizes that a rotating championship model is being sought for the regional leagues.

The coming season will show how reform efforts continue to progress. While the representative from the north can advance directly, northeast clubs have to go to the playoffs again. The question of whether the DFB will meet the club representatives' demands remains open and is causing tension among the clubs and their fans.