The core sentence in League 3 remains: Earning money is difficult here, Arminia Bielefeld are also planning with high losses after Dynamo Dresden.

The clubs change in the 3rd division, the core statement remains: You can’t make money in this league. At least not if you have ambitions and want to get promoted.

Most recently, Dynamo Dresden and Erzgebirge Aue reported a large loss, and Dresden is even planning for a loss of 2.5 million euros in the current season. This is covered by equity, and Dynamo also emphasize that the risk is manageable.

It can be done once or twice, after which – as with every third division club that has not been able to achieve its promotion targets after a few years – the red pencil must be applied. If the risk pays off, you can earn money again in Bundesliga 2, with TV revenue alone amounting to ten million euros or more.

If they fail, they will eventually run into difficulties or become a third division team that can only aim to stay in the league

I am firmly convinced that our club can develop in the coming years in such a way that it will be more stable and sustainable than ever before. But we also need a little patience for this

Rainer Schütte, President of Arminia Bielefeld

That’s why Arminia Bielefeld has set its sights on a quick return to promotion, even if it’s unlikely to happen in the current round. However, the club’s long relegation – from the 1st Bundesliga to the 3rd division – is to be halted.

Figures have now been published at the general meeting. According to the figures, Arminia was able to generate a small profit of 63,000 euros in the 2022/23 season despite the relegation.

However, this will no longer be possible in the third division season; according to information from “Kicker”, a deficit of €1.7 million is planned because there is no money to be made in the third division, as Bielefeld’s commercial director Christoph Wortmann also explained.

Bielefeld’s president Rainer Schütte said at the general meeting: “I am firmly convinced that our club can continue to develop in the coming years in such a way that it will be more stable and sustainable than ever before. But we also need a little patience for this. “