For the first time since its founding in 2008, over four million fans attended 3. Liga games last season. Of course, the anticipation for the upcoming season is huge.But what can we actually expect fr...
For the first time since its founding in 2008, over four million fans attended 3. Liga games last season. Of course, the anticipation for the upcoming season is huge.
But what can we actually expect from the teams? Who could soon be heading towards the 2. Bundesliga – and who will have to make small bread this season? We took a closer look at the 3. Liga teams before the start.
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From Promoted to Relegated?
There is still light at the bottom. Okay, fairly, because we are at the beginning of the football year. In about eight months, it will look different for some clubs. Especially the promoted teams from the Regionalliga – Schweinfurt, Hoffenheim II and Havelse – will have a hard time holding the league. Wait: wasn't there a fourth promoted team?
📸 Christof Koepsel - 2024 Getty Images
Of course, MSV Duisburg is back in professional football after a one-year absence. Unlike Havelse and Schweinfurt, however, with a significantly higher budget. So, the Zebras were able to sign Christian Viet and Rasim Bulic, among others, two important pillars from last year's second division team Regensburg – and should not have much to do with relegation, especially due to a strong offensive department.
Cottbus has to make smaller bread
Relegation does not seem realistic in Lusatia either. And yet, Energie Cottbus, after narrowly missing promotion last season, now has to make smaller bread. Coach Pele Wollitz's team is going through a classic upheaval. A total of 14 players left the club. The departures of the top duo Maximilian Krauß (Rostock) and Niko Bretschneider (Saarbrücken) hurt a lot.
Together with teams like Aachen, Ulm, Duisburg, Osnabrück, and Aue, Energie will likely fight for places in the middle of the table.
Will 1860 rise?
Middle of the table? Nobody wants to hear that at the Munich Lions. 1860 has strengthened itself for the upcoming season with player sizes like Florian Niederlechner and Kevin Volland and is considered a promotion candidate despite internal club conflicts around investor Hasan Ismaik. 1860 will have to compete mainly with Regensburg, Hansa Rostock, Rot-Weiss Essen, and Saarbrücken.
The Saarlanders failed in May against Eintracht Braunschweig only narrowly in the relegation and are also considered a hot candidate for promotion this season.
Maybe we'll be a bit wiser in terms of the promotion race this evening. From 7 pm, Essen expects 1860 Munich for the opening game of the 2025/26 season. Will an exclamation mark be set here?
If you don't want to miss this and all other games, you can watch the 3. Liga on MagentaSport. Well, we're already excited!
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.
📸 Andreas Schlichter - 2025 Getty Images
Category: General Sports
