U23 reserve team returns after eight years – traditional club gives up on promotion

Some Stuttgart fans are crying, others are laughing: The Kickers have let promotion to the 3rd division slip out of their hands. VfB’s U23s are promoted.

So many match days in the lead and in the end, on the last match day, the Stuttgarter Kickers let the promotion to the 3rd division, which they thought was almost certain, slip out of their hands.

And local rivals VfB Stuttgart, of all teams, benefited from the Kickers’ slip-up on the last matchday in Homburg (0:3). VfB’s U23s defeated TSG Hoffenheim II 2:0 in the reserve duel to finish on 65 points. The Kickers have 63 points to their name.

The Swabians’ U23 team last played in the 3rd division in the 2015/16 season – meaning that VfB Stuttgart’s second team will return to the 3rd division after eight years and will represent another Bundesliga reserve team alongside Borussia Dortmund’s U23s.

Hannover 96 II could also represent a second division club in the 3rd division. The youngsters from Lower Saxony will face off against Regionalliga Bayern champions Würzburger Kickers in the promotion relegation play-off.

In addition to VfB Stuttgart II, western champions Alemannia Aachen will also be promoted to the 3rd division. Energie Cottbus could follow suit on Sunday as champions of the north-east division.

With 8000 fans in Berlin – Energie Cottbus want to be promoted to the 3rd division on Sunday

The eleven of coach Claus-Dieter Wollitz, who will leave the bench after the 24/25 season to become sporting director, go into the final matchday of the season against Hertha’s second team from Berlin as leaders. With a three-point lead over their closest rivals, Greifswalder FC, the north-east leaders need just one point to start the celebrations after the final whistle on Sunday.

Of course, Energie’s supporters, who have backed their team in impressive numbers throughout the season, will not be missing. With an average attendance of 8213 spectators per home game, the LEAG Energie Stadium is by far the most popular venue in the Regionalliga Nordost (FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt follows with an average of 5588). The Wollitz team will be accompanied by 8,000 Energie fans at the Hertha Reserve, hoping for a return to the third division after five agonizing years in the Regionalliga.