Jena, March 03, 2026. FC Carl Zeiss Jena has taken the next administrative step towards professional football and submitted the license documents for the 3. Liga to the German Football Association (DFB) on time. Planning for the upcoming season is also already in full swing for the women’s teams.
- What: Submission of admission documents for the 3. Liga (2026/27 season)
- Who: FC Carl Zeiss Jena
- When: Submission took place last Friday
- Next steps: DFB decision on possible conditions expected by mid-April
Examination of finances and infrastructure
In order to obtain eligibility to play in the third-highest German division, clubs must submit comprehensive evidence to the DFB. As part of the process, FC Carl Zeiss Jena submitted detailed documents regarding its economic capability. Furthermore, the personnel, organizational, and technical requirements for match operations in the 2026/27 season must also be proven beyond doubt. The focus is on solid and feasible planning for the coming match year.
The responsible DFB committee will intensively examine the submitted documents in the coming weeks. The traditional Thuringian club expects initial feedback or the issuance of possible conditions and requirements by mid-April at the latest.
Women’s teams also in the licensing process
Parallel to the preparations for the men’s team, the club is currently preparing the corresponding papers for its women’s teams. This involves the demanding licenses for the Google Pixel Frauen-Bundesliga as well as the 2. Frauen-Bundesliga. An official deadline of March 16, 2026, applies for this submission, which the club will also meet.
Background: The admission process in German football
The licensing or admission process is a central component for ensuring integrity and fair competition in German professional and top-level amateur football. In particular, the DFB checks whether a club has sufficient financial resources to survive an entire season without sliding into insolvency and thus endangering match operations. In addition to purely economic criteria, the infrastructural conditions of the home stadium also play a decisive role for the 3. Liga. Requirements include sufficient floodlight systems, undersoil heating, special media workstations, and strict security precautions. The Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld in the Jenaer Oberaue, which has been extensively renovated in recent years, now offers state-of-the-art and competition-ready conditions for this.
Source:
FCC submits license documents for 3. Liga
Transparency note: This article was created automatically, editorially reviewed, and expanded with AI support.