Austrian Football Second League

The Austrian Football Second League (German: 2. Liga) is the second highest professional division in Austrian football. It was formerly called the First League (Erste Liga), from 2002 to 2018.

Austrian Football Second League
Founded1974
CountryAustria
Number of teams16
Level on pyramid2
Promotion toAustrian Bundesliga
Relegation toRegional Leagues East, Central, West
Domestic cup(s)Austrian Cup
International cup(s)Europa League (via Austrian Cup)
Current championsWSG Wattens
(2018–19)
Website2.liga.at
2019–20 season

The division currently contains 16 teams, and the champion of the league is promoted to the Austrian Bundesliga. The three last placed teams are directly relegated from the Second League into the regional leagues. The Austrian Football Second Bundesliga is currently known as HPYBET 2.liga for sponsorship reasons.

Teams and stadia for the 2019–20 season
Kapfenberger SV's ground, the Franz Fekete Stadium (formerly Alpenstadion)

Starting in the 2018–19 season, the former First League changed its name to the Second League[1] and expanded from 10 teams to 16 teams.[2]

The 16 teams competing in the 2019–20 Second League season are:

Club Name City Stadium Capacity
SKU AmstettenAmstettenErtl Glas Stadion3,000
Austria KlagenfurtKlagenfurtWörthersee Stadion30,000
Austria LustenauLustenauReichshofstadion8,800
FC Blau-Weiß LinzLinzDonauparkstadion2,000
FC Dornbirn 1913DornbirnStadion Birkenweise12,000
SV HornHornWaldviertler Volksbank Arena3,500
FC Juniors OÖPaschingTGW Arena6,009
Kapfenberger SVKapfenbergFranz-Fekete-Stadion12,000
SV LafnitzLafnitzFußballarena Lafnitz3,000
FC LieferingSalzburgUntersberg-Arena4,128
SV RiedRied im InnkreisKeine Sorgen Arena7,680
SK Vorwärts SteyrSteyrVorwärts-Stadion6,000
FC Wacker Innsbruck IIInnsbruckTivoli Stadion Tirol16,008
Grazer AKGrazLiebenauer Stadium2,500
FAC WienViennaFAC-Platz3,000
Young Violets Austria WienViennaGenerali Arena17,500


Relegation

The destination of a club relegated from the Second League depends upon which Land (state) of the Federal Republic it is a member. The relegated clubs join one of the Regionalligen (regional leagues) in the east, center or west of the country. The three regional league champions are promoted to the Second League. Participation in the professional Second League is conditional on their licensing by the fifth senate of the federal league. If the license is refused for economic reasons, one team fewer will be relegated.

Past winners
Sanel Kuljić of SC Wiener Neustadt lifts the Erste Liga trophy in 2009

Champions
Club Winners Championship seasons
LASK Linz
5
 1978–79, 1991–92, 1993–94, 2006–07, 2016–17
Grazer AK
3
 1974–75, 1992–93, 1994–95
FC Wacker Innsbruck (2002)
3
 2003–04, 2009–10, 2017–18
Wiener Sport-Club
2
 1976–77, 1985–86
Austria Salzburg
2
 1977–78, 1986–87
Kremser SC
2
 1987–88, 1988–89
SV Spittal/Drau
2
 1983–84, 1989–90
Austria Klagenfurt / FC Kärnten
2
 1981–82, 2000–01
FC Admira Wacker Mödling
2
 1999–00, 2010–11
SC Rheindorf Altach
2
 2005–06, 2013–14
SV Mattersburg
2
 2002–03, 2014–15
First Vienna
1
 1975–76
SC Eisenstadt
1
 1979–80
FC Wacker Innsbruck
1
 1980–81
SV Sankt Veit
1
 1982–83
Salzburger AK 1914
1
 1984–85
VfB Mödling
1
 1990–91
FC Linz
1
 1995–96
SC Austria Lustenau
1
 1996–97
SK Vorwärts Steyr
1
 1997–98
Schwarz-Weiß Bregenz
1
 1998–99
ASKÖ Pasching
1
 2001–02
SV Ried
1
 2004–05
Kapfenberger SV
1
 2007–08
SC Wiener Neustadt
1
 2008–09
WAC
1
 2011–12
Grödig
1
 2012–13
SKN St. Pölten
1
 2015–16
WSG Wattens
1
 2018–19

Name history

The Austrian second division has had several different names and sponsors since 1974.

(Seasons below represent the first season when the name was used)

  • 1974/75 Nationalliga
  • 1975/76 2. Division
  • 1993/94 2. Division der Bundesliga
  • 1998/99 Erste Division
  • 2002/03 Red Zac-Erste Liga
  • 2008/09 ADEG Erste Liga
  • 2010/11 „Heute für Morgen“ Erste Liga
  • 2014/15 Sky Go Erste Liga
  • 2018/19 2. Liga

The league was known as the Sky Go Erste Liga for sponsorship reasons from 2014/15 to 2017/18, but Sky is not mentioned on the official website 2liga.at, or in the ÖFB's 2018/19 preview articles.[3]

References
  1. "Drehscheibe des österreichischen Fußballs - die neue 2. Liga ab 2018/19". Bundesliga.at (in German). ÖFB. 20 February 2018. Archived from the original on 2018-02-21. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
  2. "Schulterschluss zwischen ÖFB, Bundesliga und den Landesverbänden: 2. Liga wird mit 16 Mannschaften starten". Bundesliga.at (in German). ÖFB. 13 April 2018. Archived from the original on 2018-04-15. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
  3. 2. Liga wird mit 16 Mannschaften starten, 14 April 2018, OeFB.at

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