Kickers Emden: Favorite for promotion to the 3rd league!

Kickers Emden: Favorite for promotion to the 3rd league!

The Regionalliga Nord is in the starting blocks! The new season begins on July 25, 2025, which is the league's 43rd season. The tension between the teams is palpable, because the champions of the Regionalliga Nord have the opportunity to be promoted directly to the 3rd league. This means a very special motivation for the teams, as both the fame and the chance of a higher league are attractive.

In a current coaches' survey, BSV Kickers Emden emerged as the big favorite for the title, with 15 votes in favor of the coaches. But SV Meppen is also hot in the race with 14 votes and wants to get back to the 3rd league as quickly as possible. The coaches of the title candidates are optimistic and express clear ambitions:

• Stefan Emmerling (Kickers Emden): “Kein Understatement betreiben”.
• Lucas Beniermann (SV Meppen): “So schnell wie möglich zurück in die 3. Liga”.
• Oliver Ioannou (SV Drochtersen/Assel): “Bis zum Schluss oben mitmischen”.
• Dario Fossi (VfB Oldenburg): hält sich eher bedeckt.

An exciting opening game

A highlight at the start of the season will be the opening game between BSV Kickers Emden and SV Meppen on July 25th at 7 p.m. in the Ostfriesland Stadium. Viewers can look forward to a thrilling start that could set the tone for the entire season.

The survey shows that in addition to the favorites mentioned above, there are also some interesting outsiders. VfB Lübeck received 4 votes, while Hannover 96 II and SV Werder Bremen II received 3 votes each. Insider tips like TuS Blau-Weiß Lohne and SC Weiche Flensburg 08 managed to get 1 vote each and could cause one or two surprises.

A look at the general conditions

The Regionalliga Nord, the fourth highest division in Germany, has a target strength of 18 teams. Another important detail: The last three teams in the final table are relegated to the upper leagues of their regional associations. The relegated teams are compensated by the same number of promoted teams in the upper league, which keeps the competition to stay in the league exciting. What is certain is that 14th place is enough to stay in the league.

The U23 teams are only allowed to field players born on or after July 1, 2002, with three older players allowed on the field at the same time. This regulation ensures a healthy mix of experience and fresh talent on the field.

What will also be noticeable throughout the league is the reduced capacity of 5,000 spectators in the Hoheluft Stadium, which was set for safety reasons. So fans have to get creative to experience the games up close.

How far will BSV Kickers Emden, SV Meppen and the other teams go this season? We are excited about the developments and can't wait to see the first games. Stay tuned for more information and detailed analysis of the current season, because there is definitely more to come!

You can find out more about the season conditions here and the promotion round to the Regionalliga Nord can be found here.