The “Promotion Reform 2025” initiative continues to grow. The alliance now consists of 54 clubs that are working together to advocate for fairer promotion rules in the regional leagues.
Almost every week, clubs from all over Germany are joining the “Promotion Reform 2025” initiative. On Tuesday, four more clubs pledged their support.
The most prominent club to join the alliance was second-division side Holstein Kiel. In addition, SSV Jeddeloh II and SV Drochtersen/Assel from the Regionalliga Nord, as well as Bischofswerdaer FV 08 (NOFV-Oberliga Süd), joined the reform movement. Fifty-four clubs are now on board and want to work together to advocate for fairer promotion rules, in which all Regionalliga divisions have equal rights to promotion. “Champions must be promoted,” is the movement’s guiding principle.
“With Holstein Kiel, another ambitious and storied second-division club is now joining our initiative. This shows that our commitment is gaining increasing relevance—with implications for German soccer as a whole, far beyond the boundaries of the regional leagues. The fact that other dedicated fourth- and fifth-division clubs—such as Jeddeloh II, Drochtersen/Assel, and Bischofswerda—are also joining underscores once again the breadth and cohesion that will continue to drive this process in the future,” explains Tommy Haeder, spokesperson for the Promotion Reform 2025 initiative and office manager at Chemnitzer FC.
In parallel with the growing support from across the country, work at the association level is now set to gain momentum. Under the leadership of Michael Vesper, the newly founded DFB working group “Regionalliga Reform” will meet for the first time on November 10 at the DFB headquarters in Frankfurt am Main.
“We are eagerly looking forward to the first exchange in the working group next week and will contribute with the utmost commitment to bring about real change—change that is long overdue for the good of German soccer,” adds Haeder. In addition, a follow-up meeting in Frankfurt on November 24 and a working meeting on January 15, 2026, have been scheduled as further dates for the working group.
These 54 clubs are currently part of the initiative:
Bundesliga: 1. FC Union Berlin
2. Bundesliga: 1. FC Magdeburg, FC Schalke 04, SG Dynamo Dresden, Holstein Kiel
3. Liga: 1. FC Schweinfurt 05, Alemannia Aachen, FC Energie Cottbus, FC Erzgebirge Aue, F.C. Hansa Rostock, MSV Duisburg, SSV Ulm 1846, TSV 1860 Munich, VfL Osnabrück
Regionalliga Southwest: KSV Hessen Kassel
Regionalliga Bayern: FV Illertissen 1921, TSV Schwaben Augsburg, Würzburger Kickers
Regionalliga Nord: Altona 93, FSV Schöningen 2011, Kickers Emden, SC Weiche Flensburg 08, SV Meppen, VfB Lübeck, VfB Oldenburg, SSV Jeddeloh II, SV Drochtersen/Assel
Regionalliga Northeast: 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig, BFC Dynamo, BFC Preussen, BSG Chemie Leipzig, Chemnitzer FC, FC Carl Zeiss Jena, FC Eilenburg, FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt, F.C. Hertha 03 Zehlendorf, FSV 63 Luckenwalde, FSV Zwickau, Greifswalder FC, Hallescher FC, Hertha BSC II, SV Babelsberg 03, VSG Altglienicke
Regionalliga West: 1. FC Bocholt, Bonner SC, SC Fortuna Köln, SC Rot-Weiß Oberhausen, SC Wiedenbrück, Sportfreunde Siegen, Wuppertaler SV
NOFV Oberliga South: VFC Plauen, Bischofswerdaer FV 08
Oberliga Westphalia: Rot Weiss Ahlen, SV Lippstadt 08