Nemzeti Bajnokság II explained

Pixels:	300px
Country:	Hungary
Teams:	16
Promotion:	NB I
Relegation:	NB III
Levels:	2
Domest Cup:	Hungarian Cup
Champions:	Nyíregyháza (5th title)
Season:	2023–24
Current:	2024–25 Nemzeti Bajnokság II

NB II, 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] The champion and the runner-up will ascend to the first division while the two lowest teams in NB II are relegated to NB III.

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.

History

The second league was founded in 1901, having 8 teams. The first two teams would participate in a promotion playoff with the last 2 teams from the first league.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.

In 2013, the format was changed and there is one division again with 16 teams, then increase to 20 teams from 2015 to 2023.

In 2023, the league was reduce to 18 teams for 2023–24 and again to 16 teams from 2024–25 onwards.

List of champions

	Year	Champions	Runners-up	Third place
1 group, 14 teams
54.	2004–05^[3]	! style="background:#D0F0C0;"	Tatabánya	! style="background:#D0F0C0;"	Rákospalota	Vác
2 groups, 16 teams
55.	2005–06^[4]	! style="background:#D0F0C0;"	Vác	Szolnok	Jászapáti
		! style="background:#D0F0C0;"	Paks	Felcsút	Gyirmót
56.	2006–07^[5]	! style="background:#D0F0C0;"	Nyíregyháza	Ferencváros	Orosháza
		! style="background:#D0F0C0;"	Siófok	Szombathely	Felcsút
57.	2007–08^[6]	! style="background:#D0F0C0;"	Kecskemét	Szolnok	Ferencváros
		! style="background:#D0F0C0;"	Szombathely	Felcsút	Gyirmót
58.	2008–09^[7]	! style="background:#D0F0C0;"	Ferencváros	Debrecen II	Makó
		Gyirmót	! style="background:#D0F0C0;"	Pápa	Pécs
59.	2009–10^[8]	! style="background:#D0F0C0;"	Szolnok	DEAC	Makó
		! style="background:#D0F0C0;"	Siófok	Pápa	Pécs
60.	2010–11^[9]	! style="background:#D0F0C0;"	Diósgyőr	Mezőkövesd	Nyíregyháza
		! style="background:#D0F0C0;"	Pécs	Gyirmót	Puskás Akadémia
61.	2011–12^[10]	! style="background:#D0F0C0;"	Eger	Szolnok	Békéscsaba
		! style="background:#D0F0C0;"	MTK	Kozármisleny	Gyirmót
62.	2012–13^[11]	! style="background:#D0F0C0;"	Mezőkövesd	Vasas Budapest	Békéscsaba
		! style="background:#D0F0C0;"	Puskás Akadémia	Kozármisleny	Gyirmót
1 group, 16 teams
63.	2013–14^[12]	! style="background:#D0F0C0;"	Nyíregyháza	! style="background:#D0F0C0;"	Dunaújváros	Gyirmót
64.	2014–15^[13]	! style="background:#D0F0C0;"	Vasas	! style="background:#D0F0C0;"	Békéscsaba	Gyirmót
65.	2015–16^[14]	! style="background:#D0F0C0;"	Gyirmót	! style="background:#D0F0C0;"	Mezőkövesd	Zalaegerszeg
1 group, 20 teams
66.	2016–17^[15]	! style="background:#D0F0C0;"	Puskás Akadémia	! style="background:#D0F0C0;"	Balmazújváros	Kisvárda
67.	2017–18^[16]	! style="background:#D0F0C0;"	MTK	! style="background:#D0F0C0;"	Kisvárda	Békéscsaba
68.	2018–19^[17]	! style="background:#D0F0C0;"	Zalaegerszeg	! style="background:#D0F0C0;"	Kaposvár	Gyirmót
69.	2019–20^[18]	! style="background:#D0F0C0;"	MTK	! style="background:#D0F0C0;"	Budafok	Vasas
70.	2020–21^[19]	! style="background:#D0F0C0;"	Debrecen	! style="background:#D0F0C0;"	Gyirmót	Vasas
71.	2021–22^[20]	! style="background:#D0F0C0;"	Vasas	! style="background:#D0F0C0;"	Kecskemét	Diósgyőr
72.	2022–23^[21]	! style="background:#D0F0C0;"	Diósgyőr	! style="background:#D0F0C0;"	MTK	Ajka
1 group, 18 teams
73.	2023–24^[22]	! style="background:#D0F0C0;"	Nyíregyháza	! style="background:#D0F0C0;"	Győr	Vasas
1 group, 16 teams
74.	2024–25	! style="background:#D0F0C0;"	TBD	! style="background:#D0F0C0;"	TBD	TBD

External links

• Official page (Hungarian)
• NB II on www.soccerway.com

See also

• Nemzeti Bajnokság I
• Nemzeti Bajnokság III

Notes and References

1. Web site: Hungary 2004/05 . . 25 July 2005 . 9 April 2008.
2. Web site: MLSZ: elmarad az NB II-es létszámcsökkentés . . 2 February 2017 . 3 February 2017.
3. Web site: 2004–05 Nemzeti Bajnokság II. Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. en. 1 July 2005. 2 August 2019.
4. Web site: 2005–06 Nemzeti Bajnokság II. Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. en. 1 July 2006. 2 August 2019.
5. Web site: 2006–07 Nemzeti Bajnokság II. Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. en. 1 July 2007. 2 August 2019.
6. Web site: 2007–08 Nemzeti Bajnokság II. Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. en. 1 July 2008. 2 August 2019.
7. Web site: 2008–09 Nemzeti Bajnokság II. Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. en. 1 July 2009. 2 August 2019.
8. Web site: 2009–10 Nemzeti Bajnokság II. Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. en. 1 July 2010. 2 August 2019.
9. Web site: 2010–11 Nemzeti Bajnokság II. Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. en. 1 July 2011. 2 August 2019.
10. Web site: 2011–12 Nemzeti Bajnokság II. Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. en. 1 July 2012. 2 August 2019.
11. Web site: 2012–13 Nemzeti Bajnokság II. Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. en. 1 July 2013. 2 August 2019.
12. Web site: 2013–14 Nemzeti Bajnokság II. Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. en. 1 July 2014. 2 August 2019.
13. Web site: 2014–15 Nemzeti Bajnokság II. Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. en. 1 July 2015. 2 August 2019.
14. Web site: 2015–16 Nemzeti Bajnokság II. Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. en. 1 July 2016. 2 August 2019.
15. Web site: 2016–17 Nemzeti Bajnokság II. Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. en. 1 July 2017. 2 August 2019.
16. Web site: 2017–18 Nemzeti Bajnokság II. Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. en. 1 July 2018. 2 August 2019.
17. Web site: 2018–19 Nemzeti Bajnokság II. Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. en. 1 July 2019. 2 August 2019.
18. Web site: 2019–20 Nemzeti Bajnokság II. Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. en. 1 June 2020. 2 June 2020.
19. Web site: 2020–21 Nemzeti Bajnokság II. 31 May 2021. Soccerway.com.
20. Web site: 2021–22 Nemzeti Bajnokság II. 29 May 2022. Soccerway.com.
21. Web site: 2022–23 Nemzeti Bajnokság II. 30 May 2023. Soccerway.com.
22. Web site: 2023–24 Nemzeti Bajnokság II. 26 May 2024. Soccerway.com.