Downfall for MSV Duisburg continues: 5th tier awaits

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·29 June 2024

Downfall for MSV Duisburg continues: 5th tier awaits

The downfall of MSV Duisburg continues. The legacy of the former UWCL winner has been tarnished as the outfit will not start in the 2. Bundesliga after their relegation, but are expected to start in the Landesliga. The Landesliga is the 5th tier of German football.

No start in 2. Bundesliga for MSV

MSV were relegated from the Bundesliga with only 4 points. The idea after relegation was that MSV could play in the 2. Bundesliga, as it normally would be. Due to the relegation of the men and losing their main sponsor, the license for the league was withdrawn. The men were relegated to the amateurs and this had a lot of impact on the whole organisation. This meant that Duisburg couldn’t start in any of the professional leagues. And, would have to start in the highest amateur division, which is the Regionalliga West.

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Having to start in the 3rd tier would have been a big blow already, but it was always a questionable thing to happen. They had to apply for the league and did that too late. The reason they were too late has everything to do is that they thought they could start in the 2nd tier, but after all this wasn’t an option due to the finances of MSV Duisburg.

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Rejected from the 3rd tier and straight into the Landesliga

Was it inevitable? I’m not sure. However, it was said that the Regionalliga West had a vote amongst the participating teams if they would let MSV Duisburg in the league and there answer – unfortunately for MSV – was that they wouldn’t accept MSV. Which was also the final say of the West German Football Association. It is final, MSV Duisburg can’t start in the 3rd tier.

The first league that The Zebras could start in after this decision is the Landesliga, the 5th tier of German football. The Niederrhein regional league would be the destination for MSV Duisburg and that’s quite remarkable, because the second team of MSV was playing in that division. It’s not clear what will happen now with MSV Duisburg and whether there is an option to start in the 4th tier. But what’s clear is that the downfall of a club with great history is bad for anyone who holds German football close to their heart.