The Second League (German:2. Liga), commonly known as Admiral 2. Liga for sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest professional division in Austrian football.

The division currently contains 16 teams, and the champion of the league is promoted to the Austrian Bundesliga if it is not a reserve team. The three bottom teams are directly relegated from the Second League into the Regional leagues.

Teams

Kapfenberger SV's ground, the Franz Fekete Stadium (formerly Alpenstadion)

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.

Sixteen teams will participate in the 2025–26 season: twelve teams from the previous season, one team relegated from Bundesliga and three teams promoted from Regionalliga. Austria Klagenfurt were relegated from the 2024–25 Austrian Football Bundesliga. While, Young Violets Austria Wien, Hertha Wels and Austria Salzburg were promoted from the 2024–25 Austrian Regionalliga, respectively.

2. Liga (Austria) is located in Austria
Location of teams in the 2025–26 Austrian Football Second League
Club NameCityStadiumCapacity
Admira WackerMödlingDatenpol Arena10,600
Austria KlagenfurtKlagenfurt am WörtherseeWörthersee Stadion30,000
Austria LustenauLustenauReichshofstadion5,138
Austria SalzburgSalzburgMax Aicher Stadion1,566
First ViennaViennaNaturarena Hohe Warte7,200
Floridsdorfer ACViennaFAC-Platz3,000
FC Hertha WelsWelsHuber-Arena Wels3,000
Kapfenberger SVKapfenbergFranz-Fekete-Stadion12,000
FC LieferingSalzburgEM Stadion Wals-Siezenheim4,128
Rapid Wien IIViennaAllianz Stadion28,000
Sturm Graz IIGrazMerkur Arena15,323
SKN St. PöltenSankt PöltenNV Arena8,000
SKU AmstettenAmstettenErtl Glas Stadion2,000
SV StripfingWeikendorfFAC-Platz3,000
SW BregenzBregenzImmoAgentur Stadion12,000
Young Violets Austria WienViennaGenerali Arena17,500

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

Sanel Kuljić of SC Wiener Neustadt lifts the Erste Liga trophy in 2009

Performance by club

ClubWinnersChampionship seasons
LASK51978–79, 1991–92, 1993–94, 2006–07, 2016–17
Grazer AK41974–75, 1992–93, 1994–95, 2023–24
FC Wacker Innsbruck (2002)32003–04, 2009–10, 2017–18
SV Ried32004–05, 2019–20, 2024–25
SC Austria Lustenau31996–97, 2021–22, 2025–26
Wiener Sport-Club21976–77, 1985–86
Austria Salzburg21977–78, 1986–87
Kremser SC21987–88, 1988–89
SV Spittal/Drau21983–84, 1989–90
Austria Klagenfurt / FC Kärnten21981–82, 2000–01
FC Admira Wacker Mödling21999–00, 2010–11
SC Rheindorf Altach22005–06, 2013–14
SV Mattersburg22002–03, 2014–15
FC Blau-Weiß Linz22020–21, 2022–23
First Vienna11975–76
SC Eisenstadt11979–80
FC Wacker Innsbruck11980–81
SV Sankt Veit11982–83
Salzburger AK 191411984–85
VfB Mödling11990–91
FC Linz11995–96
SK Vorwärts Steyr11997–98
Schwarz-Weiß Bregenz11998–99
ASKÖ Pasching12001–02
Kapfenberger SV12007–08
SC Wiener Neustadt12008–09
WAC12011–12
Grödig12012–13
SKN St. Pölten12015–16
WSG Swarovski Tirol12018–19

Name history

The Austrian second division has had several different names and sponsors since 1974. It was formerly called the First League (Erste Liga), from 2002 to 2018.

(Seasons below represent the first season when the name was used)

  • 1974/75 Nationalliga
  • 1975/76 2. Division
  • 1993/94 2. Division der Bundesliga
  • 1998/99 Erste Division
  • 2002/03 Red Zac-Erste Liga
  • 2008/09 ADEG Erste Liga
  • 2010/11 „Heute für Morgen“ Erste Liga
  • 2014/15 Sky Go Erste Liga
  • 2018/19 2. Liga
  • 2021/22 Admiral 2. Liga

The league was known as the Sky Go Erste Liga for sponsorship reasons from 2014/15 to 2017/18, but Sky is not mentioned on the official website 2liga.at, or in the ÖFB's 2018/19 preview articles.

External links

  • (in German)
  • (in German)
  • – Austrian football league tables, records & statistics database (in English)
  • – Bulgarian football league tables, records & statistics database (in English)

48°14′56″N 16°21′35″E/48.2489°N 16.3597°E/ 48.2489; 16.3597