Sachsenliga

The Sachsenliga, formerly referred to as ''Landesliga Sachsen'', is the sixth tier of the German football league system and the highest league in the German state of Saxony (German: ''Sachsen''). Until the introduction of the 3. Liga in 2008 it was the fifth tier of the league system, until the introduction of the Regionalligas in 1994 the fourth tier.

Overview

The ''Landesliga Sachsen'' was established in 1990 from twelve clubs as the highest league for the German state of Saxony, which was established after the league in October 1990, and the Saxon Football Association, SFV (German:''Sächsischer Fußball Verband''). It compromised the area of the three Bezirksligen of Chemnitz, Dresden and Leipzig. Each of those three leagues contributed four clubs to the new league. The ''Sachsenliga'' was established within the East German football league system and incorporated in the league system of the united Germany at the end of its first season, in 1991.

The league has been a feeder league, together with the Thüringenliga and Verbandsliga Sachsen-Anhalt, to the NOFV-Oberliga Süd, which its champion is directly promoted to. As such, it was the fourth tier of the German league system.

After the first season, the number of clubs in the league was increased to fourteen; in 1996 the league was again enlarged, to sixteen.

In 1994, with the establishment of the Regionalliga Nordost as the new third tier of the league system, the ''Sachsenliga'' fell to tier five in the system but remained unchanged otherwise.

In 2008, the league was again demoted one level when the 3. Liga was established. However, this changed nothing in the league's status as a feeder league to the NOFV-Oberliga.

The league is sponsored by door and window maker WEKU and carries therefore the official name of ''WEKU Sachsenliga''. This is an unusual fact in Germany as football leagues don't normally carry sponsorship names.

The league had, in the 2007–08 season, the unique distinction of having a former UEFA Cup Winners' Cup finalist in its ranks, the re-formed 1. FC Lok Leipzig, loser of the 1987 final.

The Landesligen of Thuringia and Saxony are unique in their naming as every other league in Germany of this standing carries the name Verbandsliga, FC Schönberg 95.

League champions

The league champions:

Founding members of the league

The league was established from twelve clubs from three leagues in 1990. Most of the East German clubs changed their names in the years after the reunion, some reverted to their old ones after a brief period, current names, when different from the one in 1990, are listed. The clubs are:

From the Bezirksliga Chemnitz:
*VFC Plauen
* SpVgg Zschopau, ''now BSG Motor Zschopau again''
* Rot-Weiß Werdau
* SV Tanne Thalheim

From the Bezirksliga Dresden:
* Fortschritt Neustadt, ''now SSV Neustadt-Hohwald''
* FV Gröditz
* Wismut Pirna-Copitz, ''now VfL Pirna-Copitz''
*VfB Zittau