The Austrian Football Second League (german: 2. Liga) is the second-highest professional division in
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
n football. It was formerly called the First League (''Erste Liga''), from 2002 to 2018.
The division currently contains 16 teams, and the champion of the league is promoted to the
Austrian Bundesliga. The three last placed teams are directly relegated from the Second League into the regional leagues.
The Austrian Football Second Bundesliga is currently known as ''HPYBET 2. liga'' for sponsorship reasons.
Teams and stadia for the 2021–22 season
Starting in the 2018–19 season, the former First League changed its name to the Second League and expanded from ten teams to 16 teams.
The 16 teams competing in the 2020–21 Second League season are:
Teams
Sixteen teams will participate in the 2021–22 season. The only added team is
St. Pölten
ST, St, or St. may refer to:
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* Summa Theologica, a compendium of Catholic philosophy ...
, relegated from the
2020–21 Austrian Football Bundesliga.
Due to the suspension of the
2020–21 Austrian Regionalliga, no club was relegated from last season
Relegation
The destination of a club relegated from the Second League depends upon which
''Land'' (state) of the Federal Republic it is a member. The relegated clubs join one of the ''
Regionalligen'' (regional leagues) in the east, centre or west of the country. The three regional league champions are promoted to the Second League. Participation in the professional Second League is conditional on their licensing by the fifth senate of the federal league. If the licence is refused for economic reasons, one team fewer will be relegated.
Past winners
* 1974–75:
Grazer AK
Grazer AK, founded 18 August 1902 as Grazer Athletiksport Klub (in Austria the abbreviation GAK is more common), is an Austrian sports club, from the city of Graz in the federal state of Styria (''Steiermark''). The football section used to be on ...
* 1975–76:
First Vienna FC
First Vienna FC is an Austrian association football club based in the Döbling district of Vienna. Established on 22 August 1894, it is the country's oldest team and has played a notable role in the history of the game there. It is familiarly ...
* 1976–77:
Wiener Sport-Club
The Wiener Sport-Club, sometimes abbreviated as WSC, was established in 1883 in Vienna, Austria and is one of the country's oldest athletics clubs. Their traditional home is in the Dornbach quarter of the city ( 17th district).
History
At vari ...
* 1977–78:
SV Austria Salzburg
SV Austria Salzburg is an Austrian professional football club, based in the city of Salzburg. The club was formed in 2005 by some supporters of the original SV (Austria) Salzburg after it was renamed FC Red Bull Salzburg by its new owners, who al ...
* 1978–79:
Linzer ASK
* 1979–80:
SC Eisenstadt
SC Eisenstadt (Croatian: NK Željezno) was an Football in Austria, Austrian association football club based in Eisenstadt. Established in 1907, it played in the Austrian Football Bundesliga. It folded in 2008. In 2018 SC Eisenstadt started again i ...
* 1980–81:
FC Wacker Innsbruck
FC Wacker Innsbruck was an Austrian association football club from Innsbruck, Tyrol.
History
The ''Fußball-Club Wacker'' ("Valiant") ''Innsbruck'' was established in 1915 by Jakob Hanspeter, Benedikt Hosp, Josef Leitner, Josef Albrecht and o ...
* 1981–82:
Austria Klagenfurt
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ci ...
* 1982–83:
SV Sankt Veit
* 1983–84:
SV Spittal/Drau
Sportverein Spittal/Drau is an Austrian association football club, based in Spittal an der Drau, Carinthia. The club founded in 1921 was promoted to the First League (II) in 1982 and won the championship of the 1983–84 season, however playing ...
* 1984–85:
Salzburger AK 1914
Salzburger AK 1914 is a football club based in the city of Salzburg, Austria who currently plays in the 3rd tier Regionalliga Salzburg. It was founded in 1914 and is the oldest football club from that city.
History
The club was formed by pupils ...
* 1985–86: Wiener Sport-Club
* 1986–87: SV Austria Salzburg
* 1987–88:
Kremser SC
Kremser SC is an Austrian association football club located in Krems, Austria. It currently plays in 1. Niederösterreichische Landesliga. The team's colors are white and black.
They last played at the country's highest level during the 1991â ...
* 1988–89: Kremser SC
* 1989–90: SV Spittal/Drau
* 1990–91:
VfB Mödling
* 1991–92: Linzer ASK
* 1992–93: Grazer AK
* 1993–94: Linzer ASK
* 1994–95: Grazer AK
* 1995–96:
FC Linz
FC Linz was an Austrian football club, based in Linz, Upper Austria.
History SK VÖEST Linz
It was founded on 30 June 1946 as ''SV Eisen und Stahl 1946 Linz'', a factory squad of the public ''VÖEST'' steel company (present-day Voestalpine). In ...
* 1996–97:
SC Austria Lustenau
Sportclub Austria Lustenau is a professional association football club based in the town of Lustenau, Vorarlberg, Austria, that competes in the Austrian Football Bundesliga, the top tier of the Austrian football league system. Founded in 1914, ...
* 1997–98:
SK Vorwärts Steyr
SK Vorwärts Steyr is an Austrian association football club based in Steyr. It was founded in 1919. They play at the Vorwärts Stadium. Currently the club has about 300 members. Is one of the oldest football clubs in Upper Austria. In 1999 the ...
* 1998–99:
Schwarz-Weiß Bregenz
Schwarz-Weiß Bregenz or SW Bregenz (formerly Sportclub Bregenz or SC Bregenz) is an association football club based in the town of Bregenz, Vorarlberg, Austria. The club competes in Austrian 2. Liga, the second tier of the Austrian football. F ...
* 1999–00: