The Unpromotables: Germany's league champions who can't go up

Image source, 1. FC Lok Leipzig By Matt Ford BBC Sport Djamal Ziane is a three-time league champion – but he does not always feel like it.

This summer, for the second year in a row and for the third time in seven seasons, the Lokomotive Leipzig captain hoisted the trophy into the air having led his team to the title in the Regional League Northeast, the fourth tier of German football.

But the memory is tinged with frustration because, just as in 2025 and 2020, Lokomotive's league title did not lead to promotion.