If things continue like this in the 3rd League, the NRW clubs can expect travel costs to fall in future.
The 3rd League has been in existence since the 2008/2009 season. For a long time it was not particularly noticed in the West, because hardly anyone from NRW was represented. No wonder that the opening match between Erfurt and Dresden was played without NRW participation. In the first year, SC Paderborn, Wuppertaler SV and Fortuna Düsseldorf took part from NRW.
Currently, there are more and more NRW representatives in the 3rd League. Because in the coming 2023/24 season, seven clubs could be represented below the 2nd Bundesliga for the first time.
MSV Duisburg has secured its ticket, as have SC Verl and Viktoria Köln. Preußen Münster are promoted from the Regionalliga West. Borussia Dortmund’s U23 and Rot-Weiss Essen are on the verge of staying in the league.
That brings us to six teams from North Rhine-Westphalia. And Arminia Bielefeld could still be relegated from the 2nd Bundesliga. The Arminen are in the relegation zone with two matchdays to go after a last-minute three-goal win at 1. FC Kaiserslautern.
The team should escape direct relegation, but the two or three point gap to Nuremberg and Braunschweig is difficult to make up. Bielefeld still have to play SC Paderborn and Magdeburg.
Arminia coach Uwe Koschinat stressed after the 2-1 at the Betzenberg: “We played a very good and controlled away game for an hour. We deserved to take the lead, and with the opportunities we had to score a second goal. With a tactical change and our own fans in mind, Kaiserslautern came out of the break strong. In the end, we’re happy about the win, but our situation hasn’t improved fundamentally, we have to improve next weekend.”
Should they go into the relegation, several teams are still up for grabs as opponents. Dynamo Dresden, VfL Osnabrück, SV Wehen, 1. FC Saarbrücken. They are all fighting for promotion to the 3rd Division.
2008/09 season
Fortuna Düsseldorf, SC Paderborn, WSV
Season 2009/10
WSV, BVB II
2010/11 season
RW Ahlen
Season 2011/12
Preußen Münster, Bielefeld, RWO
Season 2012/13
Bielefeld, Münster, BVB II, Aachen
Season 2013/14
MSV, BVB II; Münster
2014/15 season
Bielefeld, Münster, MSV, Fortuna Cologne, BVB II
Season 2015/16
Münster, Fortuna Cologne
Season 2016/17
MSV, Münster, Lotte, Fortuna Cologne, SC Paderborn
Season 2017/18
Paderborn, F. Köln, Münster, Lotte
Season 2018/19
Münster, Uerdingen, Lotte, F. Köln
Season 2019/20
MSV, Viktoria Cologne, KFC Uerdingen, Münster
Season 2020/21
SC Verl, Viktoria Cologne, KFC Uerdingen, MSV
2021/22 season
BVB II, Viktoria Cologne, MSV, SC Verl
2022/23 season
Viktoria Köln, SC Verl, MSV, RWE, BVB II
