The Football National League 2 (FNL2) (Russian: Первенство России II дивизиона ФНЛ), formerly Russian Professional Football League and the Russian Second Division is the third level of Russian professional football.
 | |
| Country | Russia |
|---|---|
| Confederation | UEFA |
| Number of teams | Group 1: 17 Group 2: 22 Group 3: 22 Group 4: 15 Total: 76 |
| Level on pyramid | 3 |
| Promotion to | First League |
| Relegation to | Third Division |
| Website | www.2fnl.com |
| Current: 2021–22 Russian Football National League 2 | |
HistoryEdit
In 1998–2010, it was run by the Professional Football League. The 2011–12 season was run by the Department of Professional Football of the Russian Football Union (Russian: Департамент профессионального футбола Российского футбольного союза (ДПФ РФС), Departament professional'nogo futbola Rossijskogo futbol'nogo soyuza (DPF RFS)).[1] From 2013 to 2021 season the league was again run by the Professional Football League and the name Second Division was no longer used, the league was just called PFL. Before the 2021–22 season, the league was merged organizationally with the second-tier First League and renamed to FNL2.[citation needed]
The FNL2 is geographically divided into 4 zones:[2] 1 (ex-South - Southern European Russia), 2 (ex-West - Western European Russia and Eastern Siberia), 3 (ex-Centre - Northern and Eastern European Russia and Sakhalin), 4 (ex-Ural-Povolzhye - Southern Urals and Western Siberia). The number of clubs in each zone varies between years. In the 2020–21 season, there were 64 clubs in the division.[3]
The winners of each zone are automatically promoted to the Russian First League (known before 2011 as the First Division and from 2011 to 2022 as Russian Football National League). The bottom finishers of each zone lose professional status and are relegated to the Russian Amateur Football League. The teams typically can avoid relegation as long as they still have necessary financing to stay in the FNL2. Each club plays its opponents twice home and away.[citation needed]
WinnersEdit
ReferencesEdit
- ^ Второй дивизион - очень важный пласт (in Russian). Russian Football Union. 6 December 2011. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
- ^ a b From 2016–17 – Zone Ural-Povolzh'e was renamed Ural-Privolzh'e and all zones began to be referred to as "groups" instead.
- ^ a b Since the 2020–21 season, the Vostok group has been abolished. The teams from Vostok are scattered in groups 2, 3 and 4.
External linksEdit
- (in Russian) Professional Football League official website
- (in Russian) Department of professional football of the Russian Football Union
- (in English) Russian Professional Football League summary(SOCCERWAY)