The year 2024 casts its shadow ahead. The DFB reform in youth soccer will take effect from the summer. This is what Mathias Schober, head of youth development at Schalke 04, has to say.
From next season, the junior national leagues will be history. They will be replaced by the DFB youth leagues for U17 and U19 juniors at the start of the 2024/2025 series.
Norbert Elgert, coach of FC Schalke 04’s U19s, is known not to be a big fan of the reform. The cult coach would have preferred to leave it as it is. Now Knappenschmiede boss Mathias Schober has also commented on this. “Overall, we were happy with the previous structure. Particularly here in the western divisions, we’ve had short distances to our opponents so far,” said Schober in an interview with club media.
That will change. In future, there will be two phases to the season. After a regional preliminary round, the wheat will be separated from the chaff. Then there will be a League A and a League B in the second half of the season.
In League A, 24 teams will be divided into groups with first and second legs. The best four teams in each group will then play in a knockout system to determine the German champion.
“Points Table” src=“https://forecasting-sports.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/1.Screenshot-2024-01-02-172719.png” width=“505” height=“506” /☻
From S04’s point of view, the reform aimed at consolidating the top flight would not have been necessary. “Nevertheless, we are very excited about the new reform, will embrace the changes and try to build on last year’s successes in the A and B Junior Bundesliga,” explained Schober.
All clubs that manage to stay in the U19 and U17 Junior Bundesliga in the current season will qualify for the new competition. The promoted teams without a youth development center (NLZ) from the lower leagues are also included.
Also new: teams with NLZs can no longer be relegated in future and will automatically participate in the DFB Youth League again the following year. From the 2025/26 season, the eleven best teams from the lower leagues after the first half of the season will join them in the second half of the season
“Points Table” src=“https://forecasting-sports.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/2.Screenshot-2024-01-02-172734.png” width=“508” height=“511” /☻
Clubs without an NLZ that have qualified for League A in the course of a season or are in the top four places in League B at the end of the season have also automatically secured their starting place for the following year.
FC Schalke 04 is currently in first place with the U17s after the first half of the season and in third place with the U19s. This means that both teams will compete in League A in the second half of next year’s season.