Something special awaits Bielefeld: Who will make it to victory number 9?

The Bielefeld team celebrates promotion in 1996. imago images/Team 2

Two big names, Dynamo Dresden and Arminia Bielefeld, are returning to the second division. For both, the primary goal is likely to be to avoid relegation. But Arminia could achieve something special if the season goes perfectly. The Alm team could become the first team to make it from the 3. Liga to the Bundesliga for the second time as a newly promoted team.

As early as 1995/96, Arminia climbed directly into the German top flight as a newly promoted team from the second division, and managed to avoid relegation the following season. What's striking about the history of these successes, however, is that no newly promoted team has yet finished first in the lower division. In the still-young 3. Liga, however, this has already happened three times (Bayern II, Elversberg, Ulm).

In addition to Bielefeld, a total of seven other clubs have achieved direct promotion from the 3. Liga to the Bundesliga. The first to do so were the Munich Lions, who marched into the top flight as third in the 1993/94 season. One season later, Fortuna Düsseldorf achieved the same feat, also finishing third.

In 1997/98, 1. FC Nürnberg celebrated its second successful season in a row, finishing third and earning promotion to the Bundesliga. SSV Ulm 1846 Fußball achieved exactly the same feat just one season later.

There were a few years of no success before TSG Hoffenheim, after being promoted to the 2. Bundesliga in the 2007/08 season, marched straight into the top flight, incidentally finishing second in the table. Darmstadt also finished second in 2014/15 and celebrated its second consecutive promotion. The most recent example of a success is SC Paderborn, which narrowly finished second in the 2018/19 season and thus made it to the upper echelons.