Regional league reform

The West goes in search of clues

Interested in a solution: Kuchl (left, Temel) and Bischofshofen (Kircher).(Bild: Andreas Tröster)

A solution for the third tier is still a long time coming. The regional league clubs from Tyrol, Salzburg and Vorarlberg are discussing it.

Three regional leagues become four. Salzburg will play together with Upper Austria instead of Tyrol and Vorarlberg. Direct promotion is a thing of the past. These are the points of the proposal that an ÖFB working group has drawn up for the third tier in Austria from the 2026/27 season. To make it more attractive and sustainable. The ÖFB would like to have a solution by the end of the year. In mid-October, however, only one thing is clear: the deadline is too short to come up with a proper solution. This is the lowest common denominator in the west of soccer Austria. Otherwise, opinions are divided - which is hardly surprising with 16 clubs.

Today, the representatives of the western league clubs are meeting in Innsbruck for an open-ended discussion. While parts of Vorarlberg, for example, are in favor of a league with Tyrol alone, others would like to retain the current format. The Salzburg clubs are also not averse to this in principle. This is also because there is skepticism about the league with Upper Austria (which not everyone shares) as to whether it would be possible to keep up with the opponents there (keyword: sponsors).

However, it is obvious that the Westliga in its current form also needs a boost in attractiveness. Spectator interest is low and the travel costs are a challenge for some clubs. Competitiveness also leaves a lot to be desired. Only two clubs - Austria Salzburg and Imst - see themselves in a position to move up. Both recently took part in the mandatory workshop for the 2nd division. Nine others came from the Eastern (four) and Central (five) regional leagues.