Football in Austria facts for kids
Football is a really popular sport in Austria. It's the second most loved sport in the country, right after skiing in the mountains. The Austrian Football Association (called the ÖFB) was started way back in 1904. It has been a member of FIFA ever since.
Austria's national football team hasn't won many big tournaments. They have never made it to the European Championship on their own. They did play in 2008 because Austria was one of the host countries with Switzerland, so they didn't need to qualify. In the World Cup, Austria finished fourth in 1934 and third in 1954.
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Football Competitions in Austria
How Austrian Leagues Work
The way football leagues are set up in Austria is managed by the ÖFB and its local groups in each state. The top professional leagues get their special licenses from an association called "Austrian Football League." Below the fourth level, there are different numbers of leagues depending on the federal states.
The Bundesliga is the top football league for clubs in Austria. It has ten teams. The second level is called the First Division (Erste Liga), which has twelve teams. The third level is made up of regional leagues (Regionalliga). These are split into three areas:
- East (Regionalliga Ost): This includes teams from Vienna, Lower Austria, and Burgenland.
- Central (Regionalliga Mitte): This has teams from Styria, Carinthia, Upper Austria, and East Tyrol.
- West (Regionalliga West): This covers teams from Salzburg, North Tyrol, and Vorarlberg.
The fourth level of the league system is known as the state league (Landesliga). Teams can move up (get promoted) or down (get relegated) between these different league levels based on how well they play.
Austrian Cup Tournament
The Austrian Cup is another important football competition in Austria. It's a knockout tournament where teams from different leagues play against each other. The winner gets a special trophy.
Women's Football Leagues
In Austria, the football leagues for women are all for amateur players. This means the players are not paid professionals. These leagues are also managed by the ÖFB and its local groups in the federal states. There are even fourth and fifth levels of women's football, which are organized by local football associations.
The top women's league is the ÖFB-Frauenliga, which has 10 teams. Below that, there are several Second Women's Leagues (2. Frauenliga) divided by region, such as Middle/West, East, and South. At the third level, there are local championships in different states like Upper Austria, Lower Austria, Styria, Tyrol, Vorarlberg, and Vienna.
Related pages
See also
In Spanish: Fútbol en Austria para niños
