Kickers Offenbach

Kickers Offenbach
Full name Offenbacher Fußball-Club Kickers 1901 e. V.
Nickname(s) OFC
Founded 27 May 1901
Ground Stadion am Bieberer Berg
(Capacity: 26,500)
Chairman Dieter Müller
Manager Arie van Lent
League 3rd Liga
2010–11 7th
Home colours
Away colours

Kickers Offenbach is a German association football club in Offenbach am Main, Hesse. The club was founded on 27 May 1901 in the Rheinischer Hof restaurant by footballers who had left established local clubs including Melitia, Teutonia, Viktoria, Germania and Neptun. From 1921 to 1925 they were united with VfB 1900 Offenbach as VfR Kickers Offenbach until resuming their status the separate side Offenbacher FC Kickers.[1]

Contents

History

The club became one of the founding members of the Nordkreis-Liga in 1909, where it played until the outbreak of the war. In post-First World War Germany, Kickers played in the Kreisliga Südmain (I), winning this league in 1920, 1922 and 1923.

The club played as a mid-table side in the Bezirksliga Main-Hessen through the late 1920s and early 1930s. German football was re-organized in 1933 under the Third Reich into sixteen first division Gauligen. Kickers joined the Gauliga Südwest, where the team immediately captured the title and entered the national playoffs for the first time. They fared poorly there, but did manage to raise their overall level of play in the following seasons, going on to win five consecutive divisional championships from 1940 to 1944.[2]

In the early 1940s the Gauliga Südwest had been split into the Gauliga Westmark and the Gauliga Hessen-Nassau, where Kickers played. Their best post-season result came in 1942 when the team was able to advance as far as the semi-finals in the national championship rounds before they were decisively put out 0:6 by Schalke 04, who were on their way to their sixth championship as the era's most dominant side. By 1944, Allied armies were rolling through Germany and the Gauliga Hessen-Nassau did not play the 1944–45 season.

Entry to the Bundesliga and scandal

The club found itself in the new Regionalliga Süd (II) and play in the Bundesliga would have to wait until 1968. The team was immediately relegated, but returned to the upper league for play in 1970–71. In addition to their return to the Bundesliga, the club would win its one of its few honours in 1970 with a 2:1 German Cup victory over 1. FC Köln.

However, the end of the 1971 season would find Kickers Offenbach at the centre of the Bundesliga scandal. The club president, Horst Canellas, went to the German Football Association (Deutsche Fussball Bund or German Football Association) after being approached by a player from another team looking for a cash bonus for that club's effort in beating one of Offenbach's rivals in the fight against relegation. Receiving no help from league officials, Canellas began gathering evidence of how widespread the payoffs were. In the end more than fifty players from seven clubs, two coaches, and six game officials were found guilty of trying to influence the outcome of games through bribes, but Canellas was unable to save his club from relegation. The club central to the scandal – Arminia Bielefeld – would not be punished until the following season, too late to save Offenbach.[3]

The scandal had a strongly negative effect on the young league and contributed to plummeting attendance figures. One outcome of the whole affair was the further evolution of German football; salary restrictions were removed and the 2. Bundesliga also became a professional league. For the players it meant that having one's club sent down no longer also meant losing one's status as a paid professional.

Decline and recovery

Kickers would spend the next seven years in the second division before making a return to the Bundesliga for just a single season in 1983–84. In 1985, financial problems led to the club being penalized points and driven into the third division Amateur Oberliga Hessen. They recovered themselves only to be denied a license in 1989 and be sent back down again. By the mid-1990s they slipped as far as Oberliga Hessen (IV), but remained competitive. They appeared in the final of the national amateur championship in 1994 where they lost 0:1 to Preußen Münster. After a failed attempt to advance in 1998, Offenbach returned to play in the 2. Bundesliga in 1999 and were immediately sent down after a 17th place result there. In each of these seasons the team took part in the nation amateur championship winning the title in 1999.

The club next appeared in second division play in 2005. After two lower table finishes, Kickers were relegated to 3. Liga on the final day of the 2007–08 season following a 0:3 defeat to fellow strugglers VfL Osnabrück. Despite their mixed fortunes the team remain a fan favorite and are well supported.

Recent seasons

Year Division Position
1994–95 Regionalliga Süd (III) 15th (relegated)
1995–96 Hessenliga (IV) 3rd
1996–97 Hessenliga (IV) 2nd (promoted)
1997–98 Regionalliga Süd (III) 2nd
1998–99 Regionalliga Süd 2nd (promoted)
1999–2000 2. Bundesliga (II) 17th (relegated)
2000–01 Regionalliga Süd (III) 10th
2001–02 Regionalliga Süd 8th
2002–03 Regionalliga Süd 8th
2003–04 Regionalliga Süd 13th
2004–05 Regionalliga Süd 1st (promoted)
2005–06 2. Bundesliga (II) 11th
2006–07 2. Bundesliga 14th
2007–08 2. Bundesliga 15th (relegated)
2008–09 3. Liga (III) 7th
2009–10 3. Liga 7th
2010–11 3. Liga 7th
2011–12 3. Liga

Current squad

As of 11 November 2011 (2011 -11-11)

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
3 DF Marc Stein
4 DF Markus Husterer
5 DF Stefan Kleineheismann
6 DF Stefan Hickl
7 FW Pascal Testroet
8 MF Sead Mehić
9 FW Thomas Rathgeber
10 FW Elton da Costa
11 MF Markus Heyer
13 DF Christopher Lamprecht
14 MF Lars Bender
15 FW André Hahn
16 GK Daniel Endres
No. Position Player
17 DF Stefano Cincotta
18 MF Daniel Henrich
19 MF Nicolas Feldhahn
20 MF Jannik Sommer
21 DF Christian Telch
22 MF Baris Odabas
23 DF Marcel Stadel
25 GK Maurice Paul
26 FW Kai Hesse
27 MF Daniel Gunkel
28 GK Robert Wulnikowski
30 FW Stefan Vogler (on loan from Greuther Fürth )
31 MF Matthias Schwarz
32 DF Stefano Maier

Coaches

The managers of the club:[4]

Name Period
Franz Nagy 1922
Rudolf Keller 1926
Mac Pherson 1927
Rudolf Keller 1928
Paul Oßwald 1946–1958
Bodgan Cuvaj 1958–1962
Hans Merkle 1962–1964
Radoslav Momirski 1964–1965
Kurt Baluses 1965 – Feb. 1968
Kurt Schreiner Mar. – Jun. 1968
Paul Oßwald Jul. 1968 – Nov. 1969
Kurt Schreiner Dec. 1969
Willi Keim Dec. 1969
Zlatko Čajkovski Jan – Jul. 1970
Kurt Schreiner Aug. 1970
Aki Schmidt Sep. 1970
Rudi Gutendorf Sep. 1970 – Feb. 1971
Kuno Klötzer Feb. 1971 – Jun. 1972
Guyla Lorant Jul. 1972 – Mar. 1974
Otto Rehhagel Apr. 1974 – Dec. 1975
Zlatko Čajkovski Jan. – Oct. 1976
Udo Klug Nov. 1976 – Jun. 1978
Horst Heese Jul. 1978 – Jun. 1980
Franz Brungs Jul. 1980 – May 1982
Lothar Buchmann Jun. 1982 – Mar. 1984
Hermann Nuber Mar. 1984 – Jun. 1984
Fritz Fuchs Jul – Dec 1984
Horst Heese Dec 1984 – Jun 1985
Wilfried Kohls Jul 1985 – Jun 1986
Franz Brungs Jul 1986 – May 1987
Robert Jung May 1987 – Jun 1987
Dieter Renner Jul 1987 – Mar 1989
Nikolaus Semlitsch Mar 1989 – Dec 1989
Hans-Günter Neues Dec 1989 – Apr 1990
Kurt Geinzer Apr 1990 – Jun 1992
Lothar Buchmann Jul 1992 – Oct 1994
Valentin Herr Oct 1994 – Apr 1995
Wilfried Kohls Maz 1995 – Jun 1995
Wolfgang Uschek Jul 1995 – Dec 1995
Ronald Borchers Jan 1996 – Apr 1997
Wilfried Kohls/Jörg Hambückers Apr 1997 – Jun 1997
Hans-Jürgen Boysen Jul 1997 – Oct 1999
Peter Neururer Oct 1999 – Aug 2000
Dragoslav Stepanovic Aug 2000 – Sep 2000
Knut Hahn Sep 2000 – Oct 2000
Wilfried Kohls Oct 2000 – Oct 2000
Knut Hahn Nov 2000 – Nov 2000
Dieter Müller/Oliver Roth Nov 2000 – Dec 2000
Ramon Berndroth Dec 2000 – Aug 2003
Lars Schmidt Aug 2003 – Mar 2004
Hans-Jürgen Boysen Mar 2004 – Jan 2006
Wolfgang Frank Jan 2006 – Oct 2007
Jørn Andersen Nov 2007 – May 2008
Hans-Jürgen Boysen May 2008 – Oct 2009
Steffen Menze Oct 2009 – Feb 2010
Wolfgang Wolf Feb 2010 – Feb 2011
Thomas Gerstner Feb 2011 – May 2011
Arie van Lent May 2011 –

Source: Book "Kickers Offenbach – die ersten hundert jahre" ("Kickers Offenbach – the first hundred years")

Notable players

Past (and present) players who are the subjects of Wikipedia articles can be found here.

Honours

League

Cup

Reserve team

Youth

Kickers Offenbach II

Kickers second team played in the Amateurliga Hessen (III) from 1971–74 until being disbanded after the 1973–74 season. The reconstituted side reappeared in the Amateuroberliga Hessen (III) in 1984, but were sent down after the relegation of the senior side from the 2. Bundesliga. The amateur's last appearance of note was in the Oberliga Hessen (IV) in 1999 in a campaign that ended in relegation after a 15th place finish. In 2008–09, it returned to the Hessenliga and finished in fourth place, remaining a top side since.[5]

Recent managers

Recent managers of the team:[6]

Manager Start Finish
Steffen Menze 1 July 2005 30 June 2006
Ramon Berndroth 1 July 2006 30 June 2008
Steffen Menze 1 July 2008 30 June 2009
Jürgen Baier 1 July 2009 30 June 2010
Günter Stiebig 1 July 2011 Present

Recent seasons

The recent season-by-season performance of the team:[7][8]

Season Division Tier Position
1999–2000 Oberliga Hessen IV 15th ↓
2000–01 Landesliga Hessen-Süd V 3rd
2001–02 Landesliga Hessen-Süd 11th
2002–03 Landesliga Hessen-Süd 3rd
2003–04 Landesliga Hessen-Süd 5th
2004–05 Landesliga Hessen-Süd 3rd
2005–06 Landesliga Hessen-Süd 9th
2006–07 Landesliga Hessen-Süd 3rd
2007–08 Landesliga Hessen-Süd 1st ↑
2008–09 Hessenliga 4th
2009–10 Hessenliga 5th
2010–11 Hessenliga 5th
2011–12 Hessenliga

References

  1. ^ Grüne, Hardy (2001). Vereinslexikon. Kassel: AGON Sportverlag ISBN 3-89784-147-9
  2. ^ Grüne, Hardy (1996). Vom Kronprinzen bis zur Bundesliga. Kassel: AGON Sportverlag ISBN 3-928562-85-1
  3. ^ Ulrich Hesse-Lichtenberger (2002). Tor! The Story of German Football. WSC Books ISBN 0-9540134-5-X
  4. ^ Kickers Offenbach .:. Trainer von A-Z (German) weltfussball.de, accessed: 5 December 2011
  5. ^ Kickers Offenbach II at Weltfussball.de (German) accessed: 5 December 2011
  6. ^ Kickers Offenbach II .:. Trainer von A-Z (German) weltfussball.de, accessed: 5 December 2011
  7. ^ Das deutsche Fußball-Archiv (German) Historical German domestic league tables
  8. ^ Fussball.de - Ergebnisse (German) Tables and results of all German football leagues

External links