This article deals with the Austrian men's soccer championship of the 1987/88 season. For the Austrian women's football championship of the 1987/88 season see Austrian Women's Football Championship 1987/88 .
The Austrian Football Championship 1987/88 was organized by the Austrian Football Association . The first-class 1st division and the second-class 2nd division were merged this season through a playoff mode. The regional league east (Vienna, Lower Austria, Burgenland) and west (Salzburg, Tyrol, Vorarlberg) as well as the regional leagues of Carinthia, Upper Austria and Styria acted as the third performance level .
The championship in the 1st and 2nd division was initially held in autumn with 12 teams each in a single round, so that each team initially completed 22 games. This was followed by the division into the championship playoff (1-8th 1st division), middle playoff (9-12th 1st division and 1-4th 2nd division) and relegation playoff. This meant that masters and European Cup starting positions were determined in the master playoff, promotions and relegations between the 1st and 2nd division in the middle playoff and relegation to the regional and national leagues in the relegation playoff. The teams in the middle playoff were the only teams, of course, not to take the points from autumn into the spring season.
General
Rapid was able to become Austrian football champions for the 29th time this season and qualify as Austrian champions for the European Cup in 1988/89 , where the Hütteldorfer were eliminated in round 1. The second division Kremser SC was allowed to take part as cup winners in the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1988/89 , where the team also failed in the first round. Austria, Vienna and Sturm represented Austrian football in the 1988/89 UEFA Cup , the two Viennese teams made it to the round of 32, Sturm failed in the first round.
In the middle playoff, however, the decision about promotion and relegation was made: VSE Sankt Pölten and SK Vorwärts Steyr were able to play in the 1st division, while SK VOEST Linz and VfB Mödling relegated to the 2nd division. In the relegation playoff, SC Eisenstadt, Kapfenberger SV and Salzburger AK 1914 decided to relegate to the Regional League East, the Styrian Regional League and the Regional League West. SV Stockerau from the Regionalliga Ost and SV Dornbirn from the Regionalliga West rose directly to the 2nd division. The Wolfsberger AC as the third climber was determined in the middle group, a relegation tournament of the regional champions of Carinthia, Upper Austria and Styria.
useful information
The championship of 1988 was quite one-sided, Rapid went into the champions playoff with 8 points ahead of Austria and was already the new and old champions four rounds before the season. From a green and white perspective, this picture was clouded by the fact that the Hütteldorfer suffered three of their four season defeats in the Vienna derby against the Violets. Rapid player Zoran Stojadinović was able to snatch the top scorer's crown from Admiral Walter Knaller at the last minute: In the last game against GAK, he scored four times (6: 1). The sensation this season fell in the cup: The second division Kremser SC beat Happels Swarovski Tirol in the final . Another small association, the VSE Sankt Pölten, also caused a stir. The Lower Austrians, who were still playing in the fourth-class regional league three years earlier, were promoted to the 1st division thanks to Mario Kempes .
1Slovan HAC was not allowed to move up because his home pitch as artificial turf was not approved for the 2nd division. Therefore, SV Stockerau rose to the 2nd division.
