The Saarlandliga (English: Saarland league) is currently the sixth tier of the German football league system in the German federal state of Saarland. It was a new league, introduced at the end of the 2008-09 season.
In the past, the term Saarlandliga has unofficially been used for what was at times the Ehrenliga Saarland, the Amateurliga Saarland and, from 1978, the Verbandsliga Saarland. The new league however carries its name officially and is not known by any other name.
Overview The league was introduced after a decision made by the Saarland Football Association on 31 May 2008. It was decided that the new league would be operating from the 2009-10 season onwards and slotted in between the tier-five Oberliga Südwest and, from then on, the tier-seven Verbandsliga Saarland.Aufstiegs- und Abstiegsregelungen nach der Saison 2008/09 Saarland FA website. Retrieved 14 June 2009 The Verbandsliga remains as a single-division competition, which is unusual for the German football pyramid, where most leagues have two to three feeder leagues below itself.
To qualify for the new league, a club had to finish within the following specifications at the end of the 2008-09 season: All Saarland clubs relegated from the Oberliga Südwest (V) qualify. The clubs placed second to seventeenth in the Verbandsliga Saarland (VI) qualify. The Verbandsliga winner earns promotion to the Oberliga. The two Landesliga (VII) champions qualify.
As the number of clubs relegated from the Oberliga from Saarland was not known at the time this system was decided on, it was determined that for every team relegated, one fewer from the Verbandsliga would qualify. In this case, the SV Mettlach having been relegated, the seventeenth club from the Verbandsliga would not gain entry to the new Saarlandliga. The clubs from the Verbandsliga not qualified for the new league were to remain in the Verbandsliga and would not suffer relegation to the Landesligas.
Modus Eighteen teams are scheduled to compete in the league since 2009-10, with a home-and-away season format. The league winner is promoted to the Oberliga, while the two last placed teams are relegated to the Verbandsliga. In turn, the best two teams out of that league earn direct promotion to the Saarlandliga.
League champions The league champions:Saarlandliga tables & results kicker.de. Retrieved 9 June 2014 Season Club2009–101. FC Saarbrücken II2010–11SV Röchling Völklingen2011–12SC Halberg Brebach2012–13FC Hertha Wiesbach 2013–14Saar 05 Saarbrücken2014–15FSV Jägersburg2015–16FV Diefflen2016–17FV Eppelborn2017–18TuS Herrensohr2018–19SV Elversberg II2019–20FV Eppelborn2020–21Season curtailed and annulled2021–22SV Auersmacher In 2013–14 runner-up FV Diefflen was also promoted. In 2017–18 TuS Herrensohr declined promotion; runner-up VfB Dillingen was instead promoted. In 2019–20 runner-up FSV Jägersburg was also promoted.
Founding members The following clubs qualified for the new league, according to the above system:
From the Oberliga Südwest SV Mettlach From the Landesligas Saarland Borussia Neunkirchen II VfB Dillingen
From the Verbandsliga Saarland FSV Jägersburg FC Hertha Wiesbach SC Friedrichsthal SC Halberg Brebach 1. FC Saarbrücken II SV Röchling Völklingen FV Eppelborn 1. FC Riegelsberg FC Reimsbach SG Perl/Besch SV Bübingen FSV Hemmersdorf FC Palatia Limbach VfB Hüttigweiler SC Gresaubach
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 Süddeutschlands Fussballgeschichte in Tabellenform 1897-1988 History of Southern German football in tables, by Ludolf Hyll Die Deutsche Liga-Chronik 1945-2005 History of German football from 1945 to 2005 in tables. DSFS. 2006.
External links Das deutsche Fussball Archiv Historic German league tables Saarland Football Association website