FC Union Berlin was the league's top scorer with 14 goals,[5] while René Müller of 1.
FC Lokomotive Leipzig took out the seasons East German Footballer of the year award.
[6] On the strength of the 1985–86 title BFC Dynamo qualified for the 1986–87 European Cup where the club was knocked out by Brøndby IF in the second round.
FC Lokomotive Leipzig qualified for the 1986–87 European Cup Winners' Cup as the seasons FDGB-Pokal winners and advanced all the way to the final where it lost to Ajax.
Third-placed FC Carl Zeiss Jena qualified for the 1986–87 UEFA Cup where it was knocked out by Bayer 05 Uerdingen in the first round while fourth-placed 1.