The NOFV-Oberliga Süd is the fifth tier of the German football league system in the southern states of the former East Germany. It covers the German states of Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, Saxony and southern Brandenburg. It is one of fourteen Oberligas in German football. Until the introduction of the 3. Liga in 2008 it was the fourth tier of the league system, and until the introduction of the Regionalligas in 1994 the third tier.
Overview The NOFV-Oberliga Sud was formed in 1991 when, along with the political reunion of Germany, the East German football league system was integrated into a unified German system.
The abbreviation NOFV stands for Nordostdeutscher Fußballverband, meaning North East German Football Association.
Along with this league, two other NOFV-Oberligen were formed, the NOFV-Oberliga Mitte and the NOFV-Oberliga Nord.
The league was formed from clubs from six different leagues: One club from the Oberliga Nordost, the former DDR-Oberliga, fourteen clubs from the NOFV-Liga A and B, the former East German second division, and one each from the three Verbandsligas, the new state leagues. The league accommodated therefore a wide mix of clubs from the east and west of Germany. Unlike the two other NOFV-Oberligas, it contained no clubs from Berlin, due to geographical reasons, and therefore was the only one of the three to have no West German clubs in it.
The league became one of the then ten Oberligen in the united Germany, the third tier of league football. Its champion was however not directly promoted to the 2nd Bundesliga but had to take part in a promotion play-off. In 1994 the league champion was successful in this competition, in 1992 and 1993 they failed.
For the duration of the league and onwards, the leagues below it are:
Sachsenliga Thüringenliga Verbandsliga Sachsen-Anhalt, except clubs from the very north of the state Brandenburg-Liga, only clubs from the very south of the state
In 1994, the German football league system saw some major changes. The four Regionalligen were introduced as an intermediate level between 2nd Bundesliga and Oberligen, relegating the Oberligen to the fourth tier. In the east of Germany, the Regionalliga Nordost was formed, a league covering the area of former East Germany and western Berlin. Four clubs from the NOFV-Oberliga Süd were admitted to the new league:
FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt FC Erzgebirge Aue FC Sachsen Leipzig Bischofswerdaer FV 08
The NOFV-Oberliga Mitte was disbanded and its clubs spread between the two remaining Oberligen in the east. Four clubs from the former league were added to the NOFV-Oberliga Süd.
From 1995 to 1999, the champions of the league were directly promoted to the Regionalliga Nordost.
With the reduction of the number of Regionalligen to two, the league came under the Regionalliga Nord. Six clubs were relegated that season from the now disbanded Regionalliga Nordost to the Oberliga. The regulations about promotion kept on changing and until 2006, the league champion had to play-off with the champion of the northern league for one promotion spot. Only in 2004 did the southern champion failed to win the play-off. From the 2006 season onwards, direct promotion was awarded again.
The league changes in 2008, with the introduction of the 3. Liga, meant the Oberligen were now the fifth tier of league football in Germany. The top three teams of the league in 2007–08 gained entry to the Regionalliga, the fourth placed team had to play-off against the fourth placed team from the north for one more spot, these teams being:
Hallescher FC Chemnitzer FC VFC Plauen Sachsen Leipzig qualified for play-offs
Otherwise, the setup of the league did not change and its champion was directly promoted from the 2008-09 season onwards.
Another league reform, decided upon in 2010, will saw the reestablishment of the Regionalliga Nordost from 2012 onwards, with the two NOFV-Oberligas feeding into this league again. Three teams from the league achieved direct promotion to the new league, these being VfB Auerbach, Lokomotive Leipzig and FSV Zwickau.
Founding members of the league The founding members of the league in 1991 were:
From the Oberliga Nordost: FC Sachsen Leipzig, now defunct From the NOFV-Liga Staffel A: Fortschritt Bischofswerda, now Bischofswerdaer FV 08 Aktivist Schwarze Pumpe, now Hoyerswerdaer FC
From the Verbandsliga Sachsen: VFC Plauen
From the Verbandsliga Sachsen-Anhalt: SV Merseburg 99
From the Verbandsliga Thüringen: FV Zeulenroda, now FC Motor Zeulenroda
From the NOFV-Liga Staffel B: FSV Zwickau Wismut Aue, now Erzgebirge Aue Chemnitzer SV, now VfB Chemnitz Soemtrom Sömmerda, now FSV Sömmerda Wismut Gera, then 1. SV Gera, merged to form FV Gera Süd, now Wismut again 1. FC Markkleeberg, club defunct, reformed as Kickers Markkleeberg TSG Meißen, now Meißner SV 08 Bornaer SV Motor Weimar, now SC Weimar 03 Stahl Riesa, disbanded, reformed 1. Suhler SV Wacker Nordhausen
League champions The league champions:
Season Club1991–92FSV Zwickau1992–93FC Sachsen Leipzig1993–94FSV Zwickau1994–95Wacker Nordhausen1995–96VFC Plauen1996–971. FC Magdeburg1997–98Dresdner SC1998–99VfL Halle 18961999–00FC Lausitz Hoyerswerda2000–011. FC Magdeburg2001–02Dynamo Dresden2002–03FC Sachsen Leipzig2003–04VFC Plauen2004–05FC Carl Zeiss Jena2005–061. FC Magdeburg2006–07Energie Cottbus II2007–08Hallescher FC
Season Club2008–09ZFC Meuselwitz2009–10RB Leipzig2010–11VfB Germania Halberstadt2011–12FSV Zwickau2012–13Wacker Nordhausen2013–14FSV Budissa Bautzen2014–15RB Leipzig II2015–161. FC Lokomotive Leipzig2016–17BSG Chemie Leipzig2017–18Bischofswerdaer FV 082018–19BSG Chemie Leipzig2019–20FSV 63 Luckenwalde2020–21FC Eilenburg2021–22FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt2022–23FC Eilenburg2023–24Bischofswerdaer FV 082024–251. FC Magdeburg II
Placings in the league The complete list of clubs in the league and their final placings: Club92939495969798990001020304050607080910111213141516171819202122232425RB Leipzig1RRR3L2B2BBBBBB B B B B1. FC MagdeburgMMMNN1RRR1R10351RRRRRRRRR3L3L3L2B3L3L3L2B2B2BErzgebirge Aue273RRRRRRRRR2B2B2B2B2B3L3L2B2B2B2B2B3L2B2B2B2B2B2B3L3L3LDynamo DresdenBBBBRRRRR51RR2B2BRR3L3L3L2B2B2B3L3L2B2B2B3L3L2B3L3L3LHallescher FC2BMM1613107544471RRRR3L3L3L3L3L3L3L3L3L3L3L3LRFSV Zwickau1512B2B2B2BRR4668149147991RRRR3L3L3L3L3L3L3LRRCarl Zeiss Jena2B2B2BR2B2B2BRRR3221R2B2B3L3L3L3LRRRRR3L3L3LRRRRRChemnitzer FC2B2B2B2B2BRRR2B2BRRRRR22RRR3L3L3L3L3L3L3LR3LRRRRRZFC Meuselwitz65581RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRLokomotive Leipzig 22B2BB2B2B2B2BRR2441831286RR41RRRRRRRRRChemie Leipzig1R1RRRRRRFSV 63 LuckenwaldeN611NNNRRR21RRRRRRot-Weiß Erfurt2B32RRRRRRRRRR2BRRR3L3L3L3L3L3L3L3L3L3LRR31RRRFC Eilenburg1212312145351R1RRVFC Plauen1821RRRR32312263RRRRRRR13941168342R1. FC Magdeburg II161641VfB Krieschow87952262VfL Halle 1896 39431R6111414847815912112811143RSV Eintracht Stahnsdorf4VfB Auerbach137111262422RRRRRRRRRR655SC Freital786Germania Halberstadt12961095101RRRRR2RRRRRR37Bischofswerdaer FV 08326RR1045517331RRR11318Budissa Bautzen7813923921RRRRR451091. FC/Einheit WernigerodeMM101379910Union Sandersdorf81351110138758711SV Grimma 1919/FC Grimma11741212910101510613131212Einheit Rudolstadt111114657839101011131. SV/BSG Wismut Gera 98121071614154111014Blau-Weiß Zorbau1614141615Ludwigsfelder FCNNNNNNN9N13N121316Motor Marienberg15SV 09 Arnstadt1716An der Fahner Höhe101214Wacker Nordhausen7871RRR67181RRRRRRR1715151890 Westerhausen17Oberlausitz Neugersdorf14119111632RRRR134618Carl Zeiss Jena II 13839615145113135610948362169Inter Leipzig272441216 FSV Martinroda141518 1. FC Merseburg 1471119Wacker Nordhausen II 11512Askania Bernburg16111061415VfL 05 Hohenstein-Ernstthal 1215161. FC Lok StendalMMMRRRRRRNNN12NNNNBrandenburger SC Süd 05NNNNNNNNNNNNN12NNNNNFSV Barleben91313Schott Jena121315161215141414Einheit Kamenz15Merseburg 9917M1414616RB Leipzig II1RRSSV Markranstädt 7105323716Energie Cottbus II 10489986N91RRNRRR7610Rot-Weiß Erfurt II 10816137431213512FC Eisenach1216Erzgebirge Aue II 81087101358Dynamo Dresden II 85545910Chemnitzer FC II 81432161179611Hallescher FC II 8414Grün-Weiß Piesteritz131015Heidenauer SV716Fortuna Chemnitz131196568149141517814Wacker 03 Gotha1016121215Blau-Gelb Laubsdorf16Borea Dresden 45586118751310111112131515Sachsen Leipzig 6514RRRRRRR51R3344R610VfB Pößneck1378131315815Grün-Weiß Wolfen15VfB Sangerhausen16SV Dessau 051515TSV Völpke14Eintracht Sondershausen1513151416Erfurt Nord1517Dresden 06121118Dresdner SC916421RRRRR16FC Anhalt DessauMMMNNN1610161417FC Lausitz Hoyerswerda661551011103171118VfB Zittau31316SV Braunsbedra17Stahl Riesa1216818VfB Leipzig II 222Fortuna Magdeburg321111SSV Erfurt-Nord11121. Suhler SV168971379131. SV Gera 98121071614Bornaer SV101411111112910161. FC Aschersleben1516Motor Zeulenroda11101346714SV 1910 Kahla815Meißner SV 089131212814SC 1903 Weimar14151215FSV Brieske-SenftenbergMMM13151. FC Markkleeberg 1445FSV Kölleda17FSV Sömmerda15
Notes 1 1. FC Markkleeberg declared bankruptcy in 1994. 2 VfB Leipzig II withdrew from the league in 2000 because the first team was relegated. VfB Leipzig folded in 2004 and reformed as 1. FC Lok Leipzig. 3 VfL Halle 96 withdrew its team to the Verbandsliga in 2001. 4 FV Dresden-Nord renamed itself SC Borea Dresden in 2007. The club withdrew from the league after four rounds of the 2011–12 season. 5 1. FC Gera 03 withdrew from the league during the 2011–12 season. 6 FC Sachsen Leipzig declared insolvency at the end of the 2010–11 season and folded. 7 In 2009 SSV Markranstädt sold its Oberliga licence to RB Leipzig. 8 Dynamo Dresden II, Chemnitzer FC II, Erzgebirge Aue II and Hallescher FC II withdrew from competition at the end of the 2014–15 season. 9 BSG Wismut Gera was formed in 2007 in a merger of 1. SV Gera, Blau-Weiß Gera and Geraer KFC Dynamos, and withdrew from the league after the 2018–19 season. 10 Rot-Weiß Erfurt II and FC Energie Cottbus II withdrew from the league at the end of the 2015–16 season. 11 Wacker Nordhausen II withdrew from the league in 2020 because the first team was relegated. 12 VfL 05 Hohenstein-Ernstthal withdrew from the league during the 2019–20 season. 13 Carl Zeiss Jena II withdrew from competition at the end of the 2021–22 season. 14 1. FC Merseburg withdrew from the league during the 2021–22 season.
Key Symbol KeyB Bundesliga 2B 2. Bundesliga 3L 3. Liga R Regionalliga Nordost Regionalliga Nord Regionalliga Süd Regionalliga Nordost NClub played in the NOFV-Oberliga Nord MClub played in the NOFV-Oberliga Mitte1 League champions Place League Blank Played at a league level below this league
References
Sources Deutschlands Fußball in Zahlen, An annual publication with tables and results from the Bundesliga to Verbandsliga/Landesliga. DSFS. Kicker Almanach, The yearbook on German football from Bundesliga to Oberliga, since 1937. Kicker Sports Magazine. Die Deutsche Liga-Chronik 1945-2005 History of German football from 1945 to 2005 in tables. DSFS. 2006.
External links Weltfussball.de Round-by-round results and tables of the NOFV-Oberliga Süd from 1994 onwards NOFV-Oberliga Süd at fussballdaten.de Nordostdeutscher Fußballverband (NOFV)