Overview

• Eastern clubs propose reducing the number of regional leagues from five to four and increasing team sizes to 20, aiming for a fairer promotion system.
• Under the current system, only two regional champions are promoted directly, while others compete through rotation and playoffs, causing frustration in the East.
• DFB President Bernd Neuendorf opposes expanding the 3rd division to 22 teams, citing economic and scheduling challenges, and defers responsibility to regional associations.
• The Northern Football Association and Western Football Association remain resistant to reform, while the Bavarian association expresses openness to compromise.
• Prominent figures such as Nils Petersen and Claus-Dieter Wollitz support the Eastern clubs' calls for reform, emphasizing fairness and rewarding success.