The national football team of Germany is one of the top-level teams in the world, although they came home early last year in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. They are one of the most successful national football teams in the world, and have won four World Cups (1954, 1974, 1990, 2014), three European Championships (1972, 1980, 1996), and one Confederations Cup (2017). The success of the German national football team benefits from their well-organized football leagues and teenage training camp.
In this article, we will briefly introduce the tiers of football leagues in Germany.
How many tiers are there in the German Football League?
Germany has a well-organized football league system with several tiers. The top four tiers are known as the national leagues, while the lower tiers are the regional leagues. Generally, there are 9 tiers in the German Football league.
Tier 1 | Bundesliga: | This is the top-flight league in German football, and it consists of 18 teams. The league runs from August to May and operates on a promotion-relegation system. |
Tier 2 | 2.Bundesliga: | This is the second-highest tier in the German football league system, consisting of 18 teams. The top two teams at the end of the season are promoted to the Bundesliga, while the bottom two teams are relegated to the 3. Liga. |
Tier 3 | 3.Liga: | This league was introduced in 2008 and consists of 20 teams. The top two teams at the end of the season are promoted to the 2. Bundesliga, while the bottom four teams are relegated to one of the five regional leagues. |
Tier 4 | Regionalliga: | This tier consists of five regional leagues (North, Northeast, West, Southwest, and Bavaria), each with 18 to 20 teams. The champions of each regional league are promoted to the 3. Liga, while the bottom teams are relegated to the fifth tier. |
Tier 5 | Oberliga: | This is the fifth tier in the German football league system, and it consists of 14 regional leagues. The champions of each Oberliga are promoted to their respective Regionalliga, while the bottom teams are relegated to the sixth tier. |
Tier 6 | Landesliga: | This is the sixth tier in the German football league system, and it consists of regional leagues at the state level. The top teams in each league are promoted to the Oberliga, while the bottom teams are relegated to the seventh tier. |
Tier 7 | Verbandsliga: | This is the seventh tier in the German football league system, and it consists of regional leagues at the state or regional level. The top teams in each league are promoted to the Landesliga, while the bottom teams are relegated to the eighth tier. |
Tier 8 | Bezirksliga: | Amateur league. This is the eighth tier in the German football league system, and it consists of regional leagues at the district level. The top teams in each league are promoted to the Verbandsliga, while the bottom teams are relegated to the ninth tier. |
Tier 9 | Kreisliga: | Amateur League. This is the ninth and lowest tier in the German football league system, and it consists of local leagues at the county or municipal level. The top teams in each league are promoted to the Bezirksliga. |
How about the teenage training system in Germany? Is there any college football match in Germany?
There is no college football system in Germany. Unlike the United States, where college football is a popular and prominent sport, Germany does not have a college football culture.
Instead, football (soccer) is primarily organized through club systems and youth academies. Young football players in Germany typically join local club teams at a young age and progress through the club’s youth system, with the ultimate goal of playing for the club’s senior team or being scouted by professional teams.
The German Football Association (DFB) also operates a youth development system that identifies and trains young players for the national team and professional club play.
How about the amateur football match in Germany?
Amateur football is very popular in Germany, and there are many amateur leagues and competitions across the country. These leagues are organized by regional football associations and are often divided by skill level, age, and gender.
The most common amateur football leagues in Germany are the Kreisliga (county league), the Bezirksliga (district league), and the Landesliga (state league). These leagues are generally made up of teams from local communities and are played on a regional level.
In addition to these leagues, there are also various cup competitions and tournaments that are open to amateur teams, such as the German Amateur Cup (DFB-Pokal der Amateure) and the regional cup competitions. These provide amateur teams with the opportunity to compete against teams from higher divisions and showcase their talents.