Football League (Greece)

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Football League
Full name OPAP Football League
Association Elliniki Podosferiki Omospondia
First edition 1959
hierarchy 2nd league
Teams 20th
master OFI Crete
Website www.footballleague.gr
↑ Super League (I)
↓ Gamma Ethniki (III)

The Football League (full name: ΟΠΑΠ Football League, German: OPAP Football League) is the second highest division in Greek football . The league was previously called Beta Ethniki ( Greek : Β΄Εθνική , German: second national) until August 3, 2010 . The league is sponsored by the lottery and sports betting provider OPAP . It is subordinate to the Super League .

mode

The number of teams represented in the Football League varied more frequently. Initially 64 teams competed against each other in four groups and the group winners played off the climbers among themselves. Over the years the number of groups decreased to three or two. Since 1983 there has only been one league. The number of teams varied over the years: from 1983 to 1987 there were 20, from 1987 to 2000 and from 2006 to 2012 there were 18, in 2000/01 and from 2002 to 2006 there were 16 and in the 2001/02 season even only 14 For the 2012/13 season the league was increased to 21 teams.

Each team had to compete in a home and an away game against every other team. The two highest-ranked clubs in the table at the end of the season rose to the Super League (until 2006: Alpha Ethniki ), the two bottom of the table rose to the Football League 2 (since 2013/14 again Gamma Ethniki ), the third-highest division. Similar to the highest league, playoffs took place among the teams between third and sixth place. The clubs between 13th and 16th place also played placement games for relegation.

The 2013/14 league was played in two tracks (north and south) with 14 teams each, and a year later with 13 teams each. After the end of the regular season, the top three in each group play off the two promotion places in a play-off round. Three teams descend directly from each group.

Since 2015/16 the Football League will again be played on a single track with 20 teams, a further six teams were relegated after a play-down round between twelve teams (5th - 10th from North and South).

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Κλήρωση Πρωταθλημάτων FOOTBALL LEAGUE - FOOTBALL LEAGUE August 2 , 2010, archived from the original on March 30, 2012 ; Retrieved November 1, 2012 .
  2. ↑ New League System (Greek)