In the summer of 2022, the state leagues had already been increased from 14 to 15 clubs due to the many Upper Austrian league relegations – now the class size will be increased once more: From the coming season, the state leagues will be completed with 16 teams. “The increase is fixed. The clubs have decided on this,” confirms Raphael Koch, director of the Upper Austrian Football Association.
The expansion would also bring regarding some positive things: With an even number of teams, each team’s non-game weekend would be eliminated.
In addition, the increase would also ease the current situation in the relegation battle somewhat, as fewer teams would then have to go down the ladder. Currently only the bottom of the East and West leagues would be relegated, the second to last would have to go into relegation. But that can of course change, depending on how many teams are relegated from the regional and Upper Austrian leagues.
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That’s the situation
In the east, the situation for the affected duo is almost hopeless: bottom team Katsdorf and the penultimate Neuzeug are already eight points behind the first non-relegation place – for both of them it is probably only a direct fight for the relegation place.
There are even more teams involved in the west: bottom team St. Marienkirchen is already four points behind Sattledt, but the second-to-last team is only five points behind thirteenth Munderfing. Twelfth place Schwanenstadt (six points ahead) and Esternberg (seven points ahead) would also still be within reach.
Author
Raphael Watzinger
Sports editor
Raphael Watzinger
