Plus promotion strategy

Bundesliga reform: new rules from next season

(Bild: APA/ERWIN SCHERIAU)

From next season, Bundesliga clubs will be allowed to nominate nine instead of seven substitute players for championship matches. This was decided on Thursday at the league's club conference and general meeting. 

A uniform promotion strategy will also be created for the teams in the top two divisions. Furthermore, the second division clubs will also benefit from UEFA funds totaling 650,000 euros this year.

From the 2025/26 season, every Bundesliga club will be allowed to put 20 instead of 18 players on the match report. This will give coaches more options, as nine substitutes will be available. "In view of the increasing strain on players, especially in international competitions, and the comparison with other European leagues, we believe this change makes perfect sense. We also hope that it will give us more opportunities to use young players," explained CEO Christian Ebenbauer in a press release.

This change has consequences for the handling of the Austrian pot. Every club that nominates 19 or 20 players on match day and wants to continue to participate in the money from the pot must field 13 Austrians. If you only put 18 players on the match report, you will still have to field twelve Austrian players.

UEFA money for second-division clubs
It was also decided that second-division clubs will also benefit from the European Cup payments this season - UEFA distributes around seven percent of its income from the club competitions to those clubs that do not qualify internationally. The payments to Austria are higher this time because two Bundesliga clubs, Sturm Graz and Red Bull Salzburg, are taking part in the league phase of the Champions League. In addition to the eight Oberhaus teams, which will only be playing at national level this year, the second division teams will therefore also be considered in solidarity.

"Strategy pot"
At the heart of the new funding strategy is a joint "strategy pot" for Austria's 28 top clubs. The money from the previous infrastructure pot and the security fund will be transferred to this pot, which will be divided between League 1 and League 2 at a ratio of 80:20. All club fines and surpluses from UEFA association fees will be transferred to the new "strategy pot". Training infrastructure, prevention and inclusion measures will also be funded in future. Ebenbauer pointed out that this means more clubs will now benefit.