Overview
- DFB officials sent a detailed Kompass proposal to regional and state presidents on Thursday and will present it at a presidents’ conference next Monday before a presidium review and a decisive Bundestag vote on 18 December.
- Under the plan four Regionalliga staffels of 20 teams would replace the existing five leagues so each champion gains automatic promotion to the 3. Liga and the current promotion play-offs would end.
- The model relies on an annual, geography-based allocation calculated with AI that could move clubs between staffels season to season, a feature that has raised strong concerns from Hessian clubs about travel and loss of local derbies.
- The DFB would become the league operator and offer financial compensation — reported at €500,000 per regional association per year and €40,000 per participating club per season for an initial period — plus central marketing and revenue sharing.
- Southern bodies including Bavaria, the Süd and Südwest associations oppose the plan and push a 22/5 alternative to expand the 3. Liga; a recent SFV leadership change has shifted votes and negotiators are discussing mitigations such as a ‘Hessen-paragraph’, extra funds for border clubs, and special reapplication rights.