Nemzeti Bajnokság II

Nemzeti Bajnokság II
Founded1901 (1901)
CountryHungary
Number of clubs16
Level on pyramid2
Promotion toNB I
Relegation toNB III
Domestic cup(s)Hungarian Cup
Current championsKisvárda (1st title)
(2024–25)
Websitewww.nb2.hu
Current: 2025–26 Nemzeti Bajnokság II

The Nemzeti Bajnokság II (or NBII), currently known as the Merkantil Bank Liga for sponsorship reasons, is the second tier of Hungarian football. At the end of the 2004–05 season, the tournament format was changed from one division of 14 teams to two divisions: Keleti (Eastern) and Nyugati (Western), each with 16 teams,[1] though now it's just one league table with 16 teams as of the 2024–25 season. The champion and the runner-up will ascend to the first division, Nemzeti Bajnokság I, while the two lowest teams in second league are relegated to Nemzeti Bajnokság III.

History

Nemzeti Bajnokság II was founded in 1901, having 8 teams. The first champions were 33FC having won the 1901 Nemzeti Bajnokság II season. The first two teams would participate in a promotion playoff with the last 2 teams from the first league (1901 Nemzeti Bajnokság I).

Even though the 4 rural districts were founded on paper in 1904, they only began to compete officially in the season 1907-1908. Thus the second league had 1 urban (Budapest) league and 4 rural leagues. The rural champions would participate in a tournament, the winner would face the urban league champion for the second league title. During the world war I the league was played with very few teams. During World War II, teams from the annexed territories also competed in the league such as Ungvári AC and Nagyvárad.

Format

On 2 March 2017, the Hungarian Football Federation announced that the number of the teams in the Nemzeti Bajnokság II will not be reduced to 12.[2]

From 2024 onwards, the league was reduced to 16 teams from 20 and 18 teams in 2022–2024, respectively.

Number of groups Year
1 between 1901 and 1913–14, in 1915, between 1916–17 and 1918–19, between 1921–22 and 1937–38, between 1963 and 1969, between 1970–71 and 1977–78, between 1982–83 and 1987–88, between 1997–98 and 1999–00, between 2002–03 and 2004–05, between 2013–14 and present
2 between 1919–20 and 1920–21, between 1937–38 and 1938–39, between 1955 and 1956, between 1958–59 and 1962–63, in 1970, between 1988–89 and 1996–97, between 2000–01 and 2001–02, between 2005–06 and 2012–13
3 in 1914, in 1939–40, In 1941–42, in 1957–58, between 1978–79 and 1981–82
4 in 1943–44, between 1946–47 and 1954, in 1957
5 in 1940–41, in 1942–43
9 in 1945
16 in 1944–45

List of champions

Note: winning the Nemzeti Bajnokság II did not mean automatic promotion to Nemzeti Bajnokság I.

Most titles

Below is a ranking of the clubs by most titles won.

Club Titles Winning seasons
Szombathelyi Haladás 10 1938–39, 1941–42, 1944–45, 1961–62, 1972–73, 1980–81, 1990–91, 1992–93, 1994–95, 2007–08
Debrecen 8 1942–43 1948–49, 1959–60, 1961–62, 1978–79, 1988–89, 1992–93, 2020–21
Diósgyőr 8 1945, 1949–50, 1953, 1956, 1962–63, 1973–74, 2010–11, 2022–23
Csepel 5 1939–40, 1962–63, 1979–80, 1988–89, 1991–92
MTK 5 1981–82, 1994–95, 2011–12, 2017–18, 2019–20
Nyíregyháza 5 1979–80, 1997–98, 2006–07, 2013–14, 2023–24
Szegedi EAC 5 1958–59, 1966, 1971–72, 1974–75, 1980–81
33 FC 4 1901, 1907–08, 1909–10, 1924–25
Dunaújváros 4 1952 (as Sztálin Vasmű Építők), 1965, 1975–76, 1985–86
Pécsi MFC 4 1958–59, 1976–77, 2002–03, 2010–11
Pécsi Vasutas 4 1945, 1951, 1953, 1978–79
Siófok 4 1995–96, 2001–02, 2006–07, 2009–10
Soroksár 4 1931–32 , 1933–34 1947–48 1950
Tatabánya 4 1947–48, 1949–50, 1955, 2004–05
Vasas 4 1915, 1941–42, 2014–15, 2021–22
Volán 4 1978–79, 1982–83, 1984–85, 1989–90
Békéscsaba 3 1945, 1991–92, 2001–02
BKV Előre 3 1942–43, 1948–49, 2000–01
BVSC 3 1942–43, 1957–58, 1990–91
Eger 3 1968, 1983–84, 2011–12
Győr 3 1942–43, 1957–58, 1959–60
Ózd 3 1954, 1960–61, 1980–81
Salgótarján 3 1939–40, 1964, 1977–78
Szegedi VSE 3 1940–41, 1942–43, 1957
Szegedi AK 3 1943–44, 1945, 1949–50
Törekvés 3 1906–07, 1938–39, 1941–42
Videoton 3 1957, 1969, 1999–00
Budapesti Vörös Meteor 2 1954, 1967
Dorog 2 1945, 1948–49
Elektromos 2 1945, 1946–47
Kaposvár 2 1979–80, 1986–87
Kecskemét 2 1945, 2007–08
Komló 2 1956, 1960–61
MAFC 2 1913–14, 1921–22
Nagykanizsa 2 1981–82, 1993–94
Nemzeti 2 1908–09, 1935–36
Puskás Akadémia 2 2012–13, 2016–17
Somogy 2 1927–28, 1930–31
Szolnok 2 1937–38, 2009–10
Terézváros 2 1903, 1917–18
Újpest 2 1904, 1911–12
Bőripari Dolgozók 1 1949–50
Budafok FC 1 1934–35
Budafoki MTE 1 1951
BAK 1 1905
BEAC 1 1923–24
Budapest Honvéd 1 2003–04
BSE 1 1920–21
Erzsébetfalva 1 1919–20
ESMTK 1 1946–47
Ferencváros 1 2008–09
FŐSPED 1 1970
Gázművek 1 1953
Kazincbarcika 1 1981–82
Kiskőrös 1 1993–94
Kisvárda 1 2024–25
Kőbányai Dózsa 1 1954
Mezőkövesd 1 2012–13
Miskolci AK 1 1926–27
Miskolci VSC 1 1957–58
Nagykanizsai MAORT 1 1948–49
Nagyvárad 1 1940–41
Nyíregyházi Építők 1 1957
Oroszlány 1 1957
Paks 1 2005–06
Pécs-Baranya 1 1928–29
Pécsi Bányász 1 1970
Phöbus 1 1932–33
Postás 1 1902
Sabaria 1 1929–30
Sajószentpéteri Tárna 1 1950
Sepsiszentgyörgyi Textil 1 1940–41
Soproni VSE 1 1945
Szentlőrinc 1 1943–44
Szürketaxi 1 1936–37
Testvériség 1 1918–19
Tiszakécske 1 1996–97
Vasas Izzó 2 1952, 1953
VM Egyetértés 2 1963, 1970–71
Tisztviselők 1 1906
Tokod 1 1939–40
Újpest-Rákospalota 1 1914
Újpesti Törekvés 1 1922–23
Ungvár 1 1943–44
VAC 1 1920–21
Vác 1 2005–06
Veszprém 1 1987–88
VII. Kerület 1 1919–20
Vörös Lobogó Keltex 1 1951
Zalaegerszeg 1 2018–19
Zuglói SE 1 1937–38

Name changes:

  • BKV Előre – BSzKRT, Előre SC
  • Budafoki MTE – Budapesti Gyárépítők (in 1951)
  • Budafok FC – Gamma FC (Please note that Budafok FC and Budafok MTE are two distinct teams)
  • Budapesti Vörös Meteor – Egyetértés
  • Csepel – Weisz-Manfréd FC (in 1939–40), Csepel SC (in 1962–63, 1979–80, 1988–89, 1991–92),
  • Diósgyőr – Diósgyőri Vasas TK (in 1945), Diósgyőri Vasas (in 1949–50, 1953), Diósgyőri VTK (in 1956, 1962–63, 1973–74, 2010–11, 2022–23)
  • Soroksár – Soroksári Textil, Er-So MaDISz
  • Szeged EAC – Szegedi EOL
  • Szombathely – Szombathelyi Haladás VSE (in 1938–39, 1941–42), Haladás (in 1944–45), Szombathelyi Haladás (in 1961–62), Haladás VSE (in 1972–73), Haladás Vasutas SE (in 1980–81), Haladás VSE (in 1990–91, 1992–93, 1994–95), Haladás (in 2007–08)
  • Terézváros – Fővárosi TC
  • Vasas Izzó – Tunsgram SC
  • Vörös Lobógó Keltex – Kelenföldi Textilgyár

See also

References

  1. ^ "Hungary 2004/05". RSSSF. 25 July 2005. Retrieved 9 April 2008.
  2. ^ "MLSZ: elmarad az NB II-es létszámcsökkentés". Nemzeti Sport. 2 February 2017. Retrieved 3 February 2017.