Professionalism in association football

Professional football is a name that a football player with the professional practice of football earns his livelihood ( professional sports ). So-called amateur players may, however, be compensated only up to certain specified sums.

Formation

The so-called professional football was introduced into England in the year 1885. The first professional championship on the European mainland was held in the 1924/25 season with two Divisions in Austria. First champion in professional football outside of Great Britain was the Viennese Hakoah. The professional championship was abolished in Austria after the Anschluss to the German Reich in March 1938. In Germany, held a long time in the amateur ideal and allowed only small allowances. When the attendances rose sharply in the 1920s and the coffers of the clubs were full, it was attempted with illegal hand money to poach players from other clubs or to keep concealed by salary payments. At the top clubs this was common practice, but few cases flew on and led to locks. Great excitement there was in 1930, when payments of FC Schalke 04 players have been known to many and led to lifelong Blocking by the DFB, but these were canceled a year later returned to public pressure. As professional football was evidently no longer prevent the DFB on his Bundestag in October 1932, finally, the introduction of a professional Reichsliga decided. The arrangements should be clarified at a special meeting in May 1933. It never did not come through the political development, however.

1949, the contract player was introduced in the jurisdiction of the Association, in 1963 along with the introduction of the football league for professional players. However, most players only so-called semi-professionals, that is, they were next to the football continue working. The DFB allowed a monthly salary of up to DM 1200, was (on request ), however, exceptions for national players to prevent their departure abroad. Under pressure from the clubs of the DFB payments to players in the professional area finally gave in 1972 completely free.

Professional football today

Today in Germany there are three professional leagues. The Bundesliga with 18 seats, the 2nd Bundesliga with 18 seats and the 3rd Liga with 20 seats. In the three professional leagues occupy currently 54 clubs the 56 seats, as Borussia Dortmund and VfB Stuttgart are each represented by a team in both the 1st Bundesliga and in the third league. Economically, they are much of the - depending revenue from television - staggered by league affiliation. The 3rd league, as is common in England since the 1920s, has been around since the 2008/ 09 season. Also in the regional leagues, which have since formed the fourth league, many professionals are already employed. These leagues are therefore often referred to as semi-professional leagues.

After the end of the season 2008/ 09 six third - division side and were excreted through denial or voluntary return of their license in total, one of them filed for bankruptcy, the question you had to ask whether the current structures in Germany cope with four professional leagues. A year later, asked the same question again, as in turn five regional league despite the achieved relegation lost the license or voluntarily gave back.

Chronological development of professional football