1. FC Kaiserslautern

1. FC Kaiserslautern

Full name	1. Fußball-Club Kaiserslautern
Nickname(s)	Die roten Teufel (the Red Devils)
Founded	2 June 1900
Ground	Fritz Walter Stadion Kaiserslautern Germany (Capacity: 48,500)
Chairman	Stefan Kuntz
Manager	Marco Kurz
League	Bundesliga
2009–10	2. Bundesliga, 1st (Promoted)
Home colours Away colours Third colours

1. Fußball-Club Kaiserslautern, also known as 1. FCK or simply FCK, is a German football club based in Kaiserslautern, Rhineland-Palatinate. On 2 June 1900, Germania 1896 and FG Kaiserslautern merged to create FC 1900. In 1909, the club went on to join FC Palatia (founded in 1901) and FC Bavaria (founded in 1902) to form FV 1900 Kaiserslautern. In 1929 they merged with SV Phönix to become FV Phönix-Kaiserslautern before finally taking on their current name three years later.

History

Early years to World War II

Two of the clubs predecessors, Bavaria and FC 1900, were part of the new Westkreis-Liga (I) when this league was formed in 1908, with the later taking out the first league title there. From 1909 onwards, the new FV Kaiserslautern performed well in this league, finishing runners-up in 1910 and 1912. The team passed largely unremarked through the following years, it reached the tier-one Kreisliga Saar in 1919, the Kreisliga Pfalz in 1920 and the Bezirksliga Rhein-Saar in 1931 and spent the rest of the 30's bouncing up and down between the Bezirksliga and the upper level Gauliga Südwest, one of sixteen top flight divisions formed in the re-organization of German football under the Third Reich.

The club's performance was indifferent in the years leading up to World War II, but improved after 1939. They captured the Gauliga Südwest/Staffel Saarpfalz title, but lost the overall division title to Staffel Mainhessen winners Kickers Offenbach. In the 1941–42 season the Gauliga Südwest was split into the Gauliga Hessen-Nassau and the Gauliga Westmark, and Kaiserslautern took the Westmark title, going on to play for the first time in the national final rounds. They were decisively put out 3:9 by eventual champions FC Schalke 04, the dominant side in this era of German football.

The performance of the team slipped and they finished last in their division in 1944. The following year saw the collapse of league play in this part of Germany as the Reich crumbled under the advance of Allied armies.

Postwar play

After the war, southwestern Germany was part of the occupation zone held by the French. Teams there were organized into northern and southern divisions and played to determine which of them would join the new Oberliga being put together. French authorities were slow to loose their control over play in their zones of occupation – in the Saarland in particular – and teams in those areas were longer in joining the re-established German national league. 1. FC Kaiserslautern resumed play in the Oberliga Südwest in 1945 and finished the season just one point behind 1. FC Saarbrücken. The next season they easily won the Gruppe Nord in 1947 due in large part due to the play of Fritz Walter and his brother Ottmar: the duo scored 46 goals between them – more than any other single team.

Historical logos of 1. FC and its predecessors. PC Palatia ca. 1901, FV Kaiserslautern (2) ca. 1909–1929, SV Phönix ca. 1910–1929, FV Phönix ca. 1929–1931, and 1. FC 1932–1955(?) and 1955(?)–1969.

Logo 1969–2010

Success in the 1950s and entry to the Bundesliga

This marked the beginning of the club's dominance of the Oberliga Südwest as they went on to capture the division title eleven times over the next twelve seasons. FCK advanced to Germany's first post-war national final in 1948, but lost 1:2 to 1. FC Nuremberg.

Kaiserslautern became a presence on the national scene through the early 50's, capturing their first German championship in 1951 with a 2:1 victory of their own, this time over SC Preußen Münster. They won a second title in 1953, followed by two losing final appearances in 1954 and 1955. The club also sent five players to the national side for the 1954 World Cup which West Germany won in what became popularly known as The Miracle of Bern.

Kaiserslautern's performance fell off late in the decade and into the early 60's, highlighted only by an advance to the 1961 German Cup final, where they lost 0–2 to Werder Bremen. The side recovered its form in time to again win their division on the eve of the formation in 1963 of the Bundesliga, Germany's new professional football league. This secured them one of sixteen places in the new top flight circuit. However, the club's next honours would be some time in coming: they made failed German Cup final appearances in 1972, 1976, and 1981 before finally winning in the Cup in 1990. They followed up the next season with their first Bundesliga championship.

Fall from the top flight

1. FCK won a second German Cup in 1996, but that victory was soured since the team was relegated to 2.Bundesliga with a 16th place finish just one week before the Cup Final. At the time, Kaiserslautern was one of only four of the original sixteen teams that had played in each Bundesliga season since the inception of the league, never having been relegated. This group included Kaiserslautern, Eintracht Frankfurt who went down in the same season, 1. FC Köln down in 1998, and "the Dinosaur", unrelegated Hamburger SV.

The Red Devils came storming back in 1998 with an accomplishment unique in Bundesliga history by winning re-promotion to the first division from the 2.Bundesliga and immediately going on to win the national championship under famous coach Otto Rehhagel. They also played in 1998–99 UEFA Champions League in the same group with PSV Eindhoven, SL Benfica and HJK Helsinki.

The club found itself in serious trouble soon after. The construction of a new stadium, incompetent management and financial misdeeds resulted in a heavy debt load and the fielding of incapable sides built out of anonymous mercenary players. In 2002, Kaiserslautern found itself on the brink of bankruptcy and at the centre of controversy being played out publicly. The club's management – Jürgen Friedrich, Robert Wieschemann and Gerhard Herzog – were forced out. A new team president, Rene C. Jäggi, sold the debt-ridden Fritz-Walter-Stadion to an entity owned by the Land Rheinland-Pfalz and the city of Kaiserslautern, thus saving the club from financial disaster, while a new coach, Erik Gerets, led a run after the winter break that moved the footballers out of last place and saved them from relegation.

The club started the 2003–04 season under the burden of a three-point penalty imposed by the German Football Association for its financial misdeeds. After a faltering start to the season, Gerets was fired and replaced by Kurt Jara. Jara was unpopular with the FCK faithful for his defensive soccer philosophy, but with him at the helm, the club had a safe season. However, Jara quit the position before the season ended, citing irreconcilable differences with club management.

Current

In 2005, Michael Henke, who served as long-time assistant to Germany's most successful coach Ottmar Hitzfeld, became coach. FCK was initially successful, but then suffered a string of reverses and crashed to the bottom of the table. Henke was fired, and FCK alumnus Wolfgang Wolf took up the trainer's role. Wolf brought in many young, home-grown players, but despite winning over fans and experts alike, the 2005–06 season ended in failure as FCK was once again relegated to the 2nd Bundesliga after a nine-year stay at the top flight. They finished the 2006/2007 season in sixth place in the 2. Bundesliga, seven points out of the promotion places.

On 20 May 2007, the club announced the Norwegian manager Kjetil Rekdal, formerly with Belgian side Lierse, as their new head coach. Rekdal took over the reigns on 1 July. Due to very bad results (the club lying in 16th place in the standings with only three wins in 19 games), Rekdal was sacked and replaced by Milan Šašić in February 2008.

They saved themselves from relegation to the new 3. Liga on the final day of 2007–2008 with a win over already promoted 1. FC Köln.

On 25 April 2010 the club secured promotion and thus will play in the Fußball-Bundesliga in the 2010–11 season for the first time in four years.

Recent seasons

As of 15 July 2010 (2010 -07-15)^[update][1]
P = Played; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points; Cup = DFB-Pokal; CWC = European Cup Winners' Cup; EL = UEFA Europa League; CL = UEFA Champions League.
in = Still in competition; — = Not attended; 1R = 1st round; 2R = 2nd round; 3R = 3rd round; 1/8 = Round of sixteen; QF = Quarterfinals; SF = Semifinals.

Honours

• Fußball-Bundesliga: 1950–51, 1952–53, 1990–91, 1997–98
• 2. Bundesliga: 1996–97, 2009–10
• DFB-Pokal: 1990, 1996
• DFB-Supercup: 1991
• DFB-Pokal: Runners-up: 1961, 1972, 1976, 1981, 2003
• UEFA Cup: Semi-final: 1982, 2001
• UEFA Champions League: Quarter-final: 1999
• Westkreis-Liga (I) champions: 1909
• South West Cup winners: 1979, 1997, 2008

Youth

• German Under 19 champions: 1992
• German Under 19 championship runners-up: 1984, 1991, 1993
• German Under 17 champions: 1983
• German Under 17 championship runners-up: 1992

Stadium

FCK plays its home fixtures in the Fritz Walter Stadion first built in 1920. The stadium and the adjacent street are named for the player who brought the club to prominence after the war. The facility is built on the Betzenberg, literally the "Betzenmountain", a steep sandstone hill that requires some stamina to scale if you take in an FCK match.

The stadium has a capacity of 48,500 and was a 2006 World Cup venue, hosting four preliminary round and one Group of 16 round matches. The facility underwent a major refurbishment for the tournament with addition of new grandstands and a roof.

2006 FIFA World Cup matches at the Fritz Walter Stadion

• Australia 3–1 Japan
• Italy 1–1 United States
• Paraguay 2–0 Trinidad and Tobago
• Saudi Arabia 0–1 Spain
• Italy 1–0 Australia

Club culture

Kaiserslautern's Fritz-Walter-Stadion has long been a feared away venue given the rabid ferocity of Kaiserslautern fans: the most faithful of these supporters are located in the stadium's "Westkurve" (Westside, literally "West Curve", since the stands used to be shaped in a semicircle behind the goals). Most famously, FC Bayern Munich once lost a match here in a charged atmosphere by a score of 7–4 after leading 4–1 at halftime. The club has friendly ties to TSV 1860 München and SV Werder Bremen and are bitter rivals of Waldhof Mannheim and FC Bayern Munich. They also have lesser local rivalries with Eintracht Frankfurt and, more recently, with 1. FSV Mainz 05 and Karlsruher SC.

Kaiserslautern also has friendly ties to Kilmarnock FC after playing them in the UEFA Cup in the 1999–2000 season

Current squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player 1 GK Tobias Sippel 2 DF Jan Šimůnek 3 DF Leon Jessen 4 MF Bastian Schulz 5 DF Martin Amedick (co-captain) 6 DF Mathias Abel 7 MF Oliver Kirch 8 MF Christian Tiffert 9 FW Srđan Lakić (co-captain) 10 FW Chadli Amri 11 FW Iliyan Mitsanski 13 MF Athanasios Petsos (on loan from Bayer 04 Leverkusen) 14 DF Manuel Hornig 15 MF Clemens Walch 16 MF Jan Morávek (on loan from FC Schalke 04)

No. Position Player 17 DF Alexander Bugera 18 MF Danny Fuchs 19 MF Jiří Bílek 20 DF Rodnei 21 MF Pierre de Wit 22 MF Ivo Iličević 23 DF Florian Dick 25 MF Stiven Rivić 27 GK Marco Knaller 28 DF Marcel Correia 29 GK Kevin Trapp 32 FW Adam Nemec 33 FW Erwin Hoffer (on loan form S.S.C. Napoli) 38 MF Alan Stulin

1. FC Kaiserslautern II squad

As of 16 July 2010 (2010 -07-16)^[update]

Manager: Alois Schwartz

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player 1 GK Emilio Fioranelli 2 DF Dario Damjanovic 3 DF Boris Becker 4 DF Marcel Correia 5 DF Fabian Herchenhan 6 DF Steven Zellner 7 MF Jonas Marz 8 MF Enis Saiti 9 FW Fait-Florian Banser 10 MF Ricky Pinheiro 11 FW Michael Reith 12 GK Bastian Becker 13 DF Sebastian Eicher

No. Position Player 14 MF Benjamin Himmel 15 DF Marco Gietzen 16 MF Hendrick Zuck 17 DF Denis Linsmayer 18 FW Dima Nazarov 19 DF Mathias Tillschneider 20 FW Andrew Wooten 21 MF Giuliano Modica 22 MF Thomas Hartmann 23 MF Anel Dzaka 24 FW Patrick Freyer 26 MF Torsten Reuter

Famous players and contributors

Kaiserslautern has sent more than twenty players to the national side, including five who played on West Germany's 1954 World Cup "Miracle of Bern" side: Horst Eckel, Werner Kohlmeyer, Werner Liebrich, Fritz Walter and Ottmar Walter.

Former players

Famous players

Former managers

Notable facts

• Kaiserslautern is the smallest city (pop. 99,000) to ever have a German Bundesliga championship team (in 1991 and 1998).
• FVK played in black in white until their 1929 merger with SV Phönix when the newly merged club adopted the city colours of red and white.

Memorable matches

1. FC Kaiserslautern 7–4 Bayern Munich

• Date: 20 October 1973

After 56 minutes, Bayern Munich led 1:4. But within 180 seconds, 1. FCK strikers Toppmöller and Pirrung had made the score 3:4, and ten minutes from the end of the game, Pirrung scored the 4:4. The Betzenberg erupted when Diehl scored the 5:4 for the Red Devils in the 84th minute, and Laumen added two late goals to make it 7:4. This game is considered to be the finest Betzenberg comeback ever.

1. FC Kaiserslautern 5–0 Real Madrid

• Date: 17 March 1982

After losing the first game with 1:3, 1. FCK had to win with 2:0 at least. After 17 minutes already, Friedhelm Funkel had scored two goals. The Spaniards, who also featured German star sweeper Uli Stielike saw San Jose and Cunningham sent off before the 40th minute. Eilenfeldt and Geye made the score 5:0, only interrupted by the third Real player sent off (Pineda).

1. FC Kaiserslautern 3–1 FC Barcelona

• Date: 6 November 1991

After surprisingly winning the German Championship, 1. FCK played the European Cup I. Barça convincingly won the first game 2:0. In the first half, 1. FCK striker Demir Hotic scored two goals, and in the 76th minute, the Fritz Walter Stadium erupted, after Bjarne Goldbaek scored the 3:0. But in injury time, a desperation cross by Ronald Koeman found José Maria Bakero. The small striker took a header from nearly outside the box, which somehow went in.

References

External links

• Official website
• Abseits Guide to German Soccer
• Kaiserslautern statistics