Last Tuesday could have been a historic day in the history of the DFB. The “AG Regionalliga Reform” met in its fourth meeting. And once again, power-obsessed officials have managed to put their own interests ahead of those of football. For a long time, many clubs have been fighting with the DFB for a fairer promotion regulation from the fourth-tier regional league to the third division. Because currently only four of the champions of the five regional leagues are promoted. The west and the southwest always have a direct runner-up, while the three champions from the east, north and Bavaria fight for the other two places in relegation games every year. That’s not fair and is particularly to the detriment of the traditional clubs from the northeast. The DFB could have easily solved the problem by designating not four, but five relegated teams from the third division. Since that didn’t happen, a reform movement (the “Promotion Reform 2025” initiative) came together, which now includes 59 clubs from all over the country from the fifth to the first league. On the other hand, the specially formed working group with representatives of the clubs and associations has been meeting for months in order to find a fair solution as quickly as possible. This seemed to have been found with the “compass model”: four new squadrons were to be formed based on regional considerations alone, the composition of which would take short travel distances and the requirement of thrift into account, while traditional derbies should be retained. A solution that everyone could have lived with. Really everyone? No, not everyone.
Since this reorganization would have meant that the regional associations would have lost sovereignty over their own regional league, the officials from the west and southwest vetoed it and preferred to leave the previous regulation in place. In other words, exactly those officials who and their associations have been profiting from the old regulations for years. They put maintaining their own power above fair sporting solutions. Just on Tuesday it became clear once again that the DFB is not about fair sporting competition, as is always propagated. The deadlock situation can be resolved by the last meeting of the working group on March 25th simply by a word of authority from the DFB President. But it is to be feared that President Bernd Neuendorf, who is weak in leadership, will not bring himself to do this.
Masters must rise. That’s all that matters and nothing else.
“Sport free!” from the fan advocate.
