This article deals with the Austrian men's football championship of the 1989/90 season. For the Austrian women's football championship of the 1989/90 season see Austrian Women's Football Championship 1989/90 .
The Austrian Football Championship 1989/90 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. In the championship and relegation playoffs, games, goals and points were taken into spring. The points were halved (and the result rounded up if necessary) to increase the tension in the spring. Naturally, the teams in the middle playoff did not take any points and goals from autumn into the spring season.
General
In the championship season of 1989/90, FC Swarovski was able to successfully defend its title from the previous year and thus become Austrian football champions for the second time. Contrary to what the final table suggests, it was a close duel with Vienna Austria, which was only decided in a direct duel on the penultimate match day. Swarovski won 1-0 through a Gorosito goal, Austria then let go and lost 5-0 on the last day of the match against the namesake from Salzburg. Swarovski qualified for the 1990/91 European Cup, Austria was allowed to start in the 1990/91 European Cup Winners' Cup , and the places in the 1990/91 UEFA Cup went to Rapid and Admira / Wacker. The last named Südstädter were the most successful of the four European Cup starters. The club reached the round of 16, in which the end against Bologna came on penalties.