Four more clubs have committed to fair promotion rules for the 3rd division. Schalke’s sporting director Frank Baumann explains the club’s decision from the S04 perspective. There are now 40 clubs that have committed to fair promotion rules from the regional league to the 3rd division. Two second division clubs are new additions: FC Schalke and 1. FC Magdeburg have joined the alliance, along with third division newcomers 1 FC Schweinfurt and TSV Schwaben Augsburg.

Frank Baumann, sporting director at FC Schalke 04, explains the club’s commitment to the reform movement: “We firmly believe that sporting success must also be rewarded with deserved promotion. A championship title in the Regionalliga should automatically mean promotion to the 3rd division. Anything else undermines the integrity of the competition and hinders the long-term development of sporting prospects.”

A championship title in the Regionalliga should automatically mean promotion to the 3rd division. Anything else undermines the integrity of the competition and hinders the long-term development of sporting prospects.

Frank Baumann

The movement was founded on February 12, 2025, in Chemnitz and sees itself as a cross-club alliance for more fairness, planning security, and sporting justice in the German league system. The aim is to fundamentally reform the current promotion rules. While currently only three of the five regional league champions are allowed to be promoted directly to the 3rd league, two title holders from the north, northeast, or Bavaria have to compete against each other in a relegation match—a format that deprives at least one champion of their deserved promotion every year.

“The initiative can count on the support of 1. FC Magdeburg,”

Otmar Schork, sporting director at 1. FC Magdeburg, explains his club’s decision to join the initiative: “We are joining the initiative with the aim of finally changing the promotion rules to the 3rd division. We are calling for a reform that creates genuine equality of opportunity for all regional leagues and guarantees that all champions will be promoted directly in future – regardless of the final structure of the leagues. We want to take responsibility, push ahead with structural reform and actively work towards a sensible solution. The initiative can count on the support of 1. FC Magdeburg with immediate effect.”