About 2. Bundesliga

The 2. Bundesliga , is the second-tier professional football league in Germany, ranking below the Bundesliga, with one season held annually.

League History

The 2. Bundesliga was officially founded in 1973. In its early years, it adopted a north-south divisional format. In the inaugural season, Hannover 96 and Karlsruher SC won the championships of the Northern and Southern Divisions respectively. Starting from the 1981/82 season, the 2. Bundesliga switched to a single-division format. For the 1991/92 season, following the reunification of Germany, the league expanded to 24 teams to accommodate 6 newly joined East German clubs, once again splitting into two divisions. In the 1994/95 season, the size of the 2. Bundesliga was reduced to 18 teams: the top 3 teams gained direct promotion to the Bundesliga, while the bottom 4 teams were directly relegated, with no promotion/relegation play-offs. In the 1998/99 season, 1. FC Köln, which had competed in the Bundesliga for 35 consecutive seasons, was relegated to the 2. Bundesliga for the first time. The 2008/09 season saw the reintroduction of the promotion/relegation play-off system. In the 2017/18 Bundesliga season, Hamburger SV, which had avoided relegation for 55 consecutive years, was relegated to the 2. Bundesliga for the first time in its history. In the 2024/25 2. Bundesliga season, Hamburger SV successfully secured promotion, returning to the Bundesliga after a 7-season absence.

Current Situation

As of 2025, 1. FC Nürnberg, SC Freiburg, 1. FC Köln, Arminia Bielefeld, and VfL Bochum are tied for the most 2. Bundesliga titles in history, each having won 4 championships.