2019–20 season, FC Ingolstadt 04 competed in the 3. Liga (the third tier of German football) following their relegation from the 2. Bundesliga the previous year. Managed primarily by Jeff Saibene and later Tomas Oral, Die Schanzer mounted a strong campaign to bounce straight back up, finishing 4th in the league standings with a record of 17 wins, 12 draws, and 9 losses for a total of 63 points. Because the second-place finisher was Bayern Munich II (who were ineligible for promotion), Ingolstadt's 4th-place finish advanced them directly into the 2. Bundesliga promotion play-offs. However, their promotion bid ended in heartbreak when they were narrowly defeated on away goals by 1. FC Nürnberg after a dramatic 3–3 aggregate tie in the two-legged playoff.