1. Fußball-Club Kaiserslautern, also known as
1. FCK,
FCK or simply
Kaiserslautern, is a
German association football clubAssociation football is the most popular sport in Germany. The German Football Association is the sport's national governing body, with 6.6 million members organized in over 26,000 football clubs. There is a league system, with the 1. and 2. Bundesliga on top, and the winner of the first...
based in
KaiserslauternKaiserslautern is a city in southwest Germany, located in the Bundesland of Rhineland-Palatinate at the edge of the Palatinate forest . The historic centre dates to the 9th century. It is from Paris, from Frankfurt am Main, and from Luxembourg.Kaiserslautern is home to 99,469 people...
,
Rhineland-PalatinateRhineland-Palatinate is one of the 16 states of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has an area of and about four million inhabitants. The capital is Mainz. English speakers also commonly refer to the state by its German name, Rheinland-Pfalz ....
. 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.
Early years to World War II
Two of the clubs predecessors, Bavaria and FC 1900, were part of the new
Westkreis-LigaThe Westkreis-Liga was the highest association football league in the Bavarian region of Palatinate, the northern parts of the Grand Duchy of Baden, the southern parts of the Prussian Rhine Province and parts of Lorraine from 1908 to 1918...
(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 SaarThe Kreisliga Saar was the highest association football league in the German state of Saarland and parts of the Bavarian region of Palatinate and the Prussian Rhine Province from 1919 to 1923...
in 1919, the
Kreisliga PfalzThe Kreisliga Pfalz was the highest association football league in the Bavarian region of Palatinate from 1919 to 1923...
in 1920 and the
Bezirksliga Rhein-SaarThe Bezirksliga Rhein-Saar was the highest association football league in the German state of Saarland, the Bavarian region of Palatinate and the northern-most part of Baden from 1927 to 1933...
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 OffenbachKickers 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...
. 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 04Fußball-Club Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04, commonly known as simply FC Schalke 04 or Schalke , is a German, association-football club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. Schalke has long been one of the most popular football teams in Germany, even though major...
, 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
SaarlandSaarland is one of the sixteen states of Germany. The capital is Saarbrücken. It has an area of 2570 km² and 1,045,000 inhabitants. In both area and population, it is the smallest state in Germany other than the city-states...
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 SüdwestThe Oberliga Südwest was the highest level of the German football league system in the southwest of Germany from 1945 until the formation of the Bundesliga in 1963. It covered the two states of Rheinland-Pfalz and Saarland.-Overview:...
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
OttmarOttmar Kurt Herrmann Walter is a former German footballer.He played together with his brother, Fritz Walter, at the club 1. FC Kaiserslautern. They also played together for the Germany national football team in the 1954 FIFA World Cup. Ottmar scored 4 goals in the tournament as West Germany won...
: the duo scored 46 goals between them – more than any other single team.
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 MünsterSC Preußen Münster are a German association football club based in Münster, North Rhine-Westphalia.-History:The club was founded as FC Preussen in 1906 and has its roots in a group formed at the Johann-Conrad-Schlaun Grammar School...
. 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 CupThe 1954 FIFA World Cup, the fifth staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Switzerland from 16 June to 4 July. Switzerland was chosen as hosts in July 1946. The tournament set a number of all-time records for goal-scoring, including the highest average goals scored per game...
which
West GermanyWest Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
won in what became popularly known as
The Miracle of BernThe Miracle of Bern is a 2003 film by Sönke Wortmann, which tells the story of a German family and the unexpected West German miracle victory in the 1954 World Cup Final in Bern, Switzerland.The film can be regarded as a portrait of post-war Germany...
.
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
BundesligaThe Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. 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- Changes in division set-up :* Number of clubs: currently 18. From 1974 to 1981 there were two conferences, each of 20 teams. In 1981–91 it had 20...
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 FrankfurtEintracht Frankfurt is a German sports club, based in Frankfurt, Hesse that is best known for its association football club.- Club origins :...
who went down in the same season,
1. FC Köln1. FC Köln is a German association football club based in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia. It was formed in 1948 as a merger of the clubs Kölner Ballspiel-Club 1901 and SpVgg Sülz 07....
down in 1998, and "the Dinosaur", unrelegated
Hamburger SVHamburger Sport-Verein, usually referred to as HSV in Germany and Hamburg in international parlance, is a German multi-sport club based in Hamburg, its largest branch being its football department...
.
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 RehhagelOtto Rehhagel is a German football coach and former football player. Along with Helmut Schön, Ottmar Hitzfeld, Udo Lattek and Hennes Weisweiler, he is considered one of the most successful German managers....
. They also played in 1998–99 UEFA Champions League in the same group with
PSV Eindhoven,
SL BenficaSport Lisboa e Benfica , commonly known as simply Benfica or occasionally as Benfica Lisbon, is a Portuguese multi-sports club based in Lisbon. Although they successfully compete in a number of different sports, Benfica is mostly known for its association football team...
and
HJK HelsinkiHelsingin Jalkapalloklubi , internationally known as HJK Helsinki, is a Finnish football club, based in the capital Helsinki...
.
The club found itself in serious trouble soon after. The construction work necessary for the Fritz-Walter-Stadium to be a 2006 world cup venue, 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 FriedrichJürgen "Atze" Friedrich is a retired German football player. He spent 11 seasons in the Bundesliga with Eintracht Frankfurt and 1. FC Kaiserslautern.He spent three stints as the president of 1. FC Kaiserslautern from 1970s to 1990s....
, 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 AssociationThe German Football Association is the governing body of football in Germany. A founding member of both FIFA and UEFA, the DFB organises the German football leagues, including the national league, the Bundesliga, and the men's and women's national teams. The DFB is based in Frankfurt and is...
for its financial misdeeds. After a faltering start to the season, Gerets was fired and replaced by
Kurt JaraKurt Jara is a retired Austrian footballer.-Club career:Jara started his professional career with local side FC Wacker Innsbruck before moving to Spanish outfit Valencia CF in 1973. After two seasons in La Liga he joined German Bundesliga team MSV Duisburg where he spent 5 seasons and reached the...
. 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.
2005-present
In 2005,
Michael HenkeMichael Henke is a German football coach and a former player. His most notable post was managing 1. FC Kaiserslautern in the 2005/06 season for 14 games. He has spent much of his career working as assistant to Ottmar Hitzfeld. After spending the 2009 season with Koln, Henke moved to Iran in order...
, who served as long-time assistant to Germany's most successful coach
Ottmar HitzfeldOttmar Hitzfeld is a German former football player and manager, nicknamed der General ....
, 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 WolfWolfgang Wolf is a German football coach and a former player.-Career:As a player, he spent 12 seasons in the Bundesliga with 1. FC Kaiserslautern and Stuttgarter Kickers.-Coaching career:...
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 2006–07 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 RekdalKjetil André Rekdal is a Norwegian football coach and a former footballer. He is currently managing Aalesund in Norwegian Tippeligaen. His previous tenure was at Kaiserslautern of the 2...
, formerly with Belgian side Lierse, as their new head coach. Rekdal took over the reins on 1 July. Due to very bad results (the club being in 16th place in the standings with only three wins in 19 games), Rekdal was sacked and replaced by
Milan ŠašićMilan Šašić is a Croatian football manager, most recently in charge of MSV Duisburg.-Coaching career:Šašić was coach of TuS Koblenz when the club were promoted from the Regionalliga to the 2. Bundesliga....
in February 2008. In April 2008, the club hired
Stefan KuntzStefan Kuntz is a former German professional footballer and since April 2008 chairman of the German football team 1. FC Kaiserslautern....
as Chairman, and with new leadership at the helm, managed to save themselves from relegation to the new 3. Liga with a win over already promoted
1. FC Köln1. FC Köln is a German association football club based in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia. It was formed in 1948 as a merger of the clubs Kölner Ballspiel-Club 1901 and SpVgg Sülz 07....
on the final day of the 2007–08 season.
Milan Sasic lasted almost the entire 2008–09 season but was dismissed on 4 May 2009 after run of poor results in the in the second half of the season and three days after a 1–5 defeat by Hansa Rostock. Alois Schwartz was named interim coach and he managed the club to a seventh place finish on the season. The club eventually hired
Marco KurzMarco Kurz is a retired German footballer who is now a coach of 1. FC Kaiserslautern.-External links:*...
as Head Coach.
Under Kurz the club secured promotion to the 1. Bundesliga on 25 April 2010 after four years in the second league. At the start of the 2010–11 season, newly promoted 1. FCK had a promising two straight wins, including a 2–0 victory over the previous year's 1. Bundesliga Champions, Bayern Munich. However after a hard fought 2–1 defeat at 1. FSV Mainz 05 and a 5–0 drubbing at eventual season champions, Borussia Dortmund, the club began to struggle and fell back to just ahead of the relegation zone. The club then had a poor start to the second half of the season – dropping into the relegation zone for several weeks – but managed to coalesce and eventually earned seven victories in their last 10 matches against only two defeats and one draw. They capped this run with four straight victories to end the season and reached seventh place in the final table for the season.
Recent seasons
| Season |
Division |
Rank |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
GD |
Pts |
Cup |
CWC |
EL |
CL |
| 1989–90 |
Bundesliga |
12 |
34 |
10 |
11 |
13 |
42 |
55 |
−13 |
31:37 |
|
|
|
|
| 1990–91 |
Bundesliga |
1 |
34 |
19 |
10 |
5 |
72 |
45 |
+27 |
48:20 |
|
|
|
|
| 1991–92 |
Bundesliga |
5 |
34 |
17 |
10 |
11 |
58 |
42 |
+16 |
44:24 |
|
|
|
|
| 1992–93 |
Bundesliga |
8 |
34 |
13 |
9 |
12 |
50 |
40 |
+10 |
35:33 |
|
|
|
|
| 1993–94 |
Bundesliga |
2 |
34 |
18 |
7 |
9 |
64 |
36 |
+28 |
43:25 |
|
|
|
|
| 1994–95 |
Bundesliga |
4 |
34 |
17 |
12 |
5 |
58 |
41 |
+17 |
46:22 |
|
|
|
|
| 1995–96 |
Bundesliga |
16 |
34 |
6 |
18 |
10 |
31 |
37 |
−6 |
36 |
|
|
|
|
| 1996–97 |
2. Bundesliga |
1 |
34 |
19 |
11 |
4 |
74 |
28 |
+46 |
68 |
|
|
|
|
| 1997–98 |
Bundesliga |
1 |
34 |
19 |
11 |
4 |
63 |
39 |
+24 |
68 |
|
|
|
|
| 1998–99 |
Bundesliga |
5 |
34 |
19 |
6 |
9 |
62 |
37 |
25 |
63 |
|
|
|
|
| 1999–00 |
Bundesliga |
5 |
34 |
15 |
5 |
14 |
54 |
59 |
−5 |
50 |
|
|
|
|
| 2000–01 |
Bundesliga |
8 |
34 |
15 |
5 |
14 |
49 |
54 |
−5 |
50 |
|
|
|
|
| 2001–02 |
Bundesliga |
7 |
34 |
17 |
5 |
12 |
62 |
53 |
+9 |
56 |
|
|
|
|
| 2002–03 |
Bundesliga |
14 |
34 |
10 |
10 |
14 |
40 |
42 |
−2 |
40 |
|
|
|
|
| 2003–04 |
Bundesliga |
13 |
34 |
11 |
6 |
17 |
39 |
62 |
−23 |
36 |
|
|
|
|
| 2004–05 |
Bundesliga |
12 |
34 |
12 |
6 |
16 |
43 |
52 |
−9 |
42 |
|
|
|
|
| 2005–06 |
Bundesliga |
16 |
34 |
8 |
9 |
17 |
47 |
71 |
−24 |
33 |
|
|
|
|
| 2006–07 |
2. Bundesliga |
6 |
34 |
13 |
14 |
7 |
48 |
34 |
+14 |
53 |
|
|
|
|
| 2007–08 |
2. Bundesliga |
13 |
34 |
9 |
12 |
13 |
37 |
37 |
0 |
39 |
|
|
|
|
| 2008–09 |
2. Bundesliga |
7 |
34 |
15 |
7 |
12 |
53 |
48 |
+5 |
52 |
|
|
|
|
| 2009–10 |
2. Bundesliga |
1 |
34 |
19 |
10 |
5 |
56 |
28 |
+28 |
67 |
|
|
|
|
| 2010–11 The 2010–11 season of 1. FC Kaiserslautern began on 13 August 2010 with a DFB-Pokal Match against VfL Osnabrück, and ended on 14 May 2011, the last matchday of the Bundesliga, with a match against Werder Bremen...
|
Bundesliga |
7 |
34 |
13 |
7 |
14 |
48 |
51 |
-3 |
46 |
|
|
|
|
P = Played; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points; Cup = DFB-PokalThe DFB-Pokal or DFB Cup is a German knockout football cup competition held annually. 64 teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2nd Bundesliga. It is considered the second most important national title in German football after the Bundesliga...
; CWC = European Cup Winners' Cup; EL = UEFA Europa League; CL = UEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
.
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
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
: 1950–51, 1952–53, 1990–91, 1997–98
- 2. Bundesliga
- Changes in division set-up :* Number of clubs: currently 18. From 1974 to 1981 there were two conferences, each of 20 teams. In 1981–91 it had 20...
: 1996–97, 2009–10-Personnel and sponsorship:-Managerial changes:-League table:-Results:...
- DFB-Pokal
The DFB-Pokal or DFB Cup is a German knockout football cup competition held annually. 64 teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2nd Bundesliga. It is considered the second most important national title in German football after the Bundesliga...
: 1990, 1996
- DFB-Supercup
The DFL-Supercup is a match between the winner of the Bundesliga championship and the DFB-Pokal. In 1997, this was superseded by a league cup called DFB-Ligapokal. In 2008, although not officially sanctioned by the DFB, the match returned as the T-Home Supercup featuring Bundesliga champions FC...
: 1991The DFL-Supercup is a match between the winner of the Bundesliga championship and the DFB-Pokal. In 1997, this was superseded by a league cup called DFB-Ligapokal. In 2008, although not officially sanctioned by the DFB, the match returned as the T-Home Supercup featuring Bundesliga champions FC...
- DFB-Pokal
The DFB-Pokal or DFB Cup is a German knockout football cup competition held annually. 64 teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2nd Bundesliga. It is considered the second most important national title in German football after the Bundesliga...
: Runners-up: 1961, 1972, 1976, 1981, 2003
- UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
: Semi-final: 1982, 2001
- UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
: Quarter-final: 1999
- Westkreis-Liga
The Westkreis-Liga was the highest association football league in the Bavarian region of Palatinate, the northern parts of the Grand Duchy of Baden, the southern parts of the Prussian Rhine Province and parts of Lorraine from 1908 to 1918...
(I) champions: 1909
- South West Cup
The South West Cup is one of the 21 regional cup competitions of German football. The winner of the competition gains entry to the first round of the German Cup. It is limited to clubs from the Rheinhessen-Pfalz region of Rhineland-Palatinate, however, teams from the Fußball-Bundesliga and 2nd...
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 StadionThe Fritz-Walter-Stadion is the home to the Bundesliga club 1. FC Kaiserslautern and is located in the city of Kaiserslautern, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is also one of the stadiums used in the 2006 World Cup...
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 49,780 and was a
2006 World CupThe 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
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 MunichFC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
once lost a match here in a charged atmosphere by a score of 7–4 after leading 4–1 at the 58th minute.
The club has friendly ties to
TSV 1860 MünchenTurn- und Sportverein München von 1860, commonly known as TSV 1860 München or 1860 Munich, is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. The club's football team plays in the Second Bundesliga, after relegation from the Bundesliga following the 2003–04 season...
and
SV Werder BremenSV Werder Bremen is a German sports club best known for its association football team playing in Bremen, in the northwest German federal state of the same name. The club was founded on 4 February 1899 as Fußballverein Werder by a group of sixteen vocational high school students who had won a prize...
and are bitter rivals of Waldhof Mannheim and
FC Bayern MunichFC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
. They also have lesser local rivalries with
Eintracht FrankfurtEintracht Frankfurt is a German sports club, based in Frankfurt, Hesse that is best known for its association football club.- Club origins :...
and, more recently, with
1. FSV Mainz 051. Fußball- und Sportverein Mainz 05 e. V., usually shortened to 1. FSV Mainz 05, Mainz 05, or simply Mainz, is a 1905 founded German association football club based in Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate. In addition to the football section the 1. FSV Mainz 05 has a handball and table tennis department...
and
Karlsruher SCKarlsruher SC is a German association football club, based in Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg. KSC rose out of the consolidation of a number of predecessor clubs. They currently play in the 2...
.
Kaiserslautern also has friendly ties to Kilmarnock FC after playing them in the UEFA Cup in the 1999–2000 season
Current squad
- As of 1 July, 2011
1. FC Kaiserslautern II squad
Manager:
Alois SchwartzAlois Schwartz is a German former football player and now football manager.-Coaching career:...
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 CupThe 1954 FIFA World Cup, the fifth staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Switzerland from 16 June to 4 July. Switzerland was chosen as hosts in July 1946. The tournament set a number of all-time records for goal-scoring, including the highest average goals scored per game...
"
Miracle of Bern- External links :* - fifa.com, FIFA, 2002.*...
" side:
Horst EckelHorst Eckel is a former German footballer.In the 1954 FIFA World Cup qualifying, Eckel became the first substitute in the history of football. He was part of the West German team that won the 1954 FIFA World Cup. He also participated in the 1958 FIFA World Cup. In total he earned 32 caps. During...
,
Werner KohlmeyerWerner Kohlmeyer was a German footballer.He was part of the West German team that won the 1954 FIFA World Cup. In total he earned 22 caps for West Germany. He also played for 1. FC Kaiserslautern from 1941 to 1957.His position was that of a left full back...
,
Werner LiebrichWerner Liebrich was a German footballer who played in the centre back position. He is notable for his role in West Germany's triumph in the 1954 FIFA World Cup, and spending his entire playing career of almost twenty years with hometown club Kaiserslautern, with whom he also briefly coached.-Early...
,
Fritz WalterFriedrich "Fritz" Walter was a German footballer. In his time with the German national team, he won 61 caps and scored 33 goals.-Early club career:...
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Ottmar WalterOttmar Kurt Herrmann Walter is a former German footballer.He played together with his brother, Fritz Walter, at the club 1. FC Kaiserslautern. They also played together for the Germany national football team in the 1954 FIFA World Cup. Ottmar scored 4 goals in the tournament as West Germany won...
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Former players
Famous players
Halil AltıntopHalil Altıntop is a German-born Turkish national footballer. He currently plays for Trabzonspor. He is the identical twin brother of Hamit Altıntop who plays for Real Madrid.-Career:...
Andrija AnkovićAndrija Anković was a Croatian footballer.Anković started his career with GOŠK Gabela before moving to NK Neretva Metković. He later played for top Croatian side Hajduk Split in the Yugoslavian First League. He played 326 matches and scored 250 goals for Hajduk, becoming one of the club's legends...
Michael BallackMichael Ballack is a German professional footballer, who is currently playing for Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen. He is among the top goal scorers in the history of his international team. Ballack has worn the number 13 shirt for every team he has played for except for Kaiserslautern...
Mario BaslerMario Basler is a German former football winger and current manager.- Career :...
Andreas BrehmeAndreas "Andy" Brehme is a German football coach and former football defender. He is best known for scoring the winning goal for Germany in the 1990 FIFA World Cup Final against Argentina on a 85th minute penalty kick....
Hans-Peter BriegelHans-Peter Briegel is a former German football player and manager.One of the most popular players in his days, Hans-Peter Briegel's original sport was athletics, being successful in various events such as long jump , triple jump and specifically in heptathlon-forerunner pentathlon...
Andreas BuckAndreas Buck is a retired German football player.-Honours:* Bundesliga champion: 1991–92, 1997–98* DFB-Pokal winner: 1996–97-External links:* at transfermarkt.de...
Thomas Dooley Youri DjorkaeffYouri Raffi Djorkaeff is a former French international footballer who played as a forward or as an attacking midfielder. With the French national team, Djorkaeff won the 1998 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2000...
Michael DusekMichael Dusek is a German football coach and a former player. As a player, he spent nine seasons in the Bundesliga with 1. FC Kaiserslautern.-External links:...
Horst EckelHorst Eckel is a former German footballer.In the 1954 FIFA World Cup qualifying, Eckel became the first substitute in the history of football. He was part of the West German team that won the 1954 FIFA World Cup. He also participated in the 1958 FIFA World Cup. In total he earned 32 caps. During...
Gerald EhrmannGerald "Gerry" Ehrmann is a German football coach and former player who is currently a goalkeeping coach with 1...
Jan ErikssonJan Jonas Jakob Eriksson is a former footballer from Sweden. He played 35 matches and scored four goals for the national team. Two of those goals came at the Euro 1992. He was selected for the 1990 FIFA World Cup squad, but did not play...
Marco HaberMarco Haber is a retired German footballer who played mainly as a central midfielder.-Football career :...
Tamas HajnalTamás Hajnal is a Hungarian football midfielder currently playing for German Bundesliga side VfB Stuttgart.-Ferencvárosi TC and Dunakanyar Vác FC :...
Ronnie HellströmRonnie Carl Hellström is a former Swedish football goalkeeper.He played most of his career in Germany; being considered one of the world's top goalkeepers in the 70's, he won the Golden ball twice, in 1971 and 1978...
Demir HotićDemir Hotić , is a former Yugoslavian and Bosnian footballer.- Career :His most successful period was while he was playing in 1. FC Kaiserslautern, but he also played for 1...
Marian HristovMarian Hristov is a Bulgarian footballer, who is currently playing for PFC Balkan Botevgrad of the Bulgarian B PFG.-Career:Hristov's first club was PFC Balkan Botevgrad...
Miroslav KadlecMiroslav Kadlec is a former Czech football defender.During his career, Kadlec played for four Czech clubs, and also had an 8-year stint with Bundesliga's 1...
Samir Kamouna Samir Ibrahim Kamouna is a retired Egyptian professional football player and international defender. He last played for Petrojet Club.-Clubs:Al Arab Al-Ahly 1...
Miroslav KloseMiroslav Josef Klose is a German footballer who plays as a striker for Lazio in the Serie A. Since bursting onto the international stage at the 2002 World Cup, he has become well known for his knack of scoring headers, front-flip goal celebrations, and decisive short passing.Klose holds German...
Harry KochHarry Koch is a former German football central defender, and a current coach.-Football career:Koch arrived in the German top flight at already 26, with 1. FC Kaiserslautern, after having played amateur football, and quickly became an undisputed starter...
Werner KohlmeyerWerner Kohlmeyer was a German footballer.He was part of the West German team that won the 1954 FIFA World Cup. In total he earned 22 caps for West Germany. He also played for 1. FC Kaiserslautern from 1941 to 1957.His position was that of a left full back...
Pavel KukaPavel Kuka is a former Czech football forward.Kuka started and finished his career at Slavia Praha, playing with the club from 1989–93 and then from 2000–05. He has also played for 1. FC Kaiserslautern , 1. FC Nuremberg , and VfB Stuttgart...
Stefan KuntzStefan Kuntz is a former German professional footballer and since April 2008 chairman of the German football team 1. FC Kaiserslautern....
Werner LiebrichWerner Liebrich was a German footballer who played in the centre back position. He is notable for his role in West Germany's triumph in the 1954 FIFA World Cup, and spending his entire playing career of almost twenty years with hometown club Kaiserslautern, with whom he also briefly coached.-Early...
Roger LutzRoger Lutz is a former German football player.Roger Lutz didn't moved from FK Clausen to 1. FC Kaiserslautern in 1988, where he spent the rest of his Bundesliga career up to 2000...
Olaf MarschallOlaf Marschall is a retired German footballer and a football sports manager.-Club career:Marschall's career started in the GDR at BSG Chemie Torgau and was soon transferred to 1. FC Lok Leipzig. There, he rose to stardom, becoming one of the most prolific scorers in the East German league and...
Werner MelzerWerner Melzer is a German football coach and a former player. He spent 12 seasons in the Bundesliga with 1. FC Kaiserslautern. He holds the record for most appearances in the Bundesliga for 1. FC Kaiserslautern with 374 games played....
Lucien MettomoLucien Mettomo is a Cameroonian football player who last played for Veria FC .Formerly, he has played for Tonnerre Yaoundé, Saint-Étienne, Manchester City, Kaiserslautern, Kayseri Erciyesspor and Lucerne...
Michael MifsudMichael Mifsud is a Maltese footballer. He is the captain of the Malta national football team, and currently plays for Valletta. He was voted Maltese Sports Person of the Year in 2001 and 2003.-Sliema Wanderers:...
Torbjörn NilssonTorbjörn Anders Nilsson is a Swedish former football striker and coach. He is considered to be one of the best Swedish footballers of all time, having won the Swedish championship twice and the UEFA Cup once with IFK Göteborg, where he spent most of his career...
Jörgen PetterssonJörgen Pettersson is a former football striker from Sweden who has played 27 international matches for the national team...
Josef PirrungJosef Pirrung was a German football player. He spent 14 seasons in the Bundesliga with 1. FC Kaiserslautern. He represented Germany in two UEFA Euro 1976 qualifiers against Greece and Malta.-Honours:...
Hany RamzyHany Guda Ramzy is an Egyptian international football defender. He is the current Head Coach of the Egypt U23 national football team.-Early life:...
RatinhoEverson Rodrígues, known as Everson Ratinho or simply Ratinho is a Brazilian football coach and a former player, he manages the youth team of 1. FC Kaiserslautern.-External links:...
Marco ReichMarco Reich is a German footballer currently playing for SK Austria Klagenfurt.-Club career:He made his professional debut in October 1996 with Kaiserslautern in the Second Bundesliga and subsequently played five seasons for the club, four of them in the Bundesliga after they were promoted there...
Thomas RiedlThomas Riedl is a German footballer who is currently a free agent. He is the son of Hannes Riedl, who played for 1. FC Kaiserslautern in the 1970s.-Honours:* Bundesliga champion: 1998.* DFB-Pokal winner: 1996....
Aki RiihilahtiAki Pasinpoika Riihilahti is a Finnish footballer currently playing for HJK Helsinki in the Finnish Veikkausliiga. He is known as a hard working, defensive midfielder.- Club career :...
Axel RoosAxel Roos is a German football coach and a former player.He started his professional career in 1984 when he first signed a contract for the German Bundesliga-Team 1. FC Kaiserslautern. He went on to win the Bundesliga in 1991 and 1998, the German DFB-Pokal in 1990 and 1996, as well as the Supercup...
Wynton RuferWynton Alan Whai Rufer, CNZM, , is a retired New Zealand footballer, who played as a striker. He spent most of his professional career in Germany with Werder Bremen, winning a total of six titles. He also appeared for the New Zealand national team in its first FIFA World Cup participation, in 1982...
Oliver SchäferOliver Schäfer is a German football coach and a former player who is currently an assistant coach with 1. FC Kaiserslautern II.-Honours:* Bundesliga champion: 1998.* Bundesliga runner-up: 1994.* DFB-Pokal winner: 1996....
Michael SchjønbergMichael Schjønberg Christensen is a Danish Association football manager, club official, and former player, who most recently was the manager of FC Vestsjælland....
Dietmar SchwagerDietmar Schwager is a retired German football coach and player. As a player, he spent 12 seasons in the Bundesliga with 1. FC Kaiserslautern.-External links:...
Mark SchwarzerMark Schwarzer OAM is an Australian association football player who plays as a goalkeeper. He currently plays for Premier League club Fulham. He rose to prominence during his time at North-East England football club Middlesbrough...
Ciriaco SforzaCiriaco Sforza is a Swiss former professional football player and is the coach of Grasshopper-Club Zürich.-Biography:He most notably played for 1. FC Kaiserslautern and FC Bayern Munich in Germany...
Ervin Skela-Albania:Skela started his playing career in Albania, from a young age he was involved in football. He started his professional career with his local team KS Flamurtari Vlorë, who at the time were one of the best teams in Albania...
Jeff StrasserJeff Strasser is a Luxembourgian footballer, who currently manages CS Fola Esch. - Club career :As one of the rare successful professional footballers from Luxembourg, Strasser has made a fairly successful career in French and German first divisions...
Igli TareIgli Tare is an Albanian former football striker. He is currently the technical area coordinator of Lazio.-Career:...
Bill TchatoBill Jackson Tchato Mbiayi is a Cameroonian footballer who last played for Strasbourg as a defender.-Club career:Tchato began his career in France with Caen in 1995, and made 18 league appearances in his debut season which ended with the club being promoted to Division 1 as champions...
Klaus ToppmöllerKlaus Toppmöller is a former football player and the coach of Georgia national football team from 2006 to April 1, 2008.He earned 3 caps and scored 1 goal during his international career for Germany.-Coaching career:...
Martin WagnerMartin Wagner is a former German football player who is currently running player agency MaWa Consult.- Honours :* Bundesliga champion: 1998* Bundesliga runner-up: 1994* DFB-Pokal winner: 1996- External links :*...
Fritz WalterFriedrich "Fritz" Walter was a German footballer. In his time with the German national team, he won 61 caps and scored 33 goals.-Early club career:...
Ottmar WalterOttmar Kurt Herrmann Walter is a former German footballer.He played together with his brother, Fritz Walter, at the club 1. FC Kaiserslautern. They also played together for the Germany national football team in the 1954 FIFA World Cup. Ottmar scored 4 goals in the tournament as West Germany won...
Roman WeidenfellerRoman Weidenfeller is a German footballer who plays for Fußball-Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund as a goalkeeper.-Early career:...
Tim WieseTim Wiese is a German goalkeeper who currently plays for Werder Bremen and the German national team. He joined Werder Bremen in 2005 from Kaiserslautern in the Bundesliga.-Fortuna Köln:...
Ferydoon ZandiFerydoon Zandi is an Iranian-German professional footballer who is currently playing for Esteghlal in Iran Pro League.- Childhood :Zandi was born in the city of Emden, in northern Germany, to an Iranian father and a German mother. He speaks German and Persian...
1. FC Kaiserslautern 7–4 Bayern Munich
After 56 minutes,
Bayern MunichFC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
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
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 StielikeUlrich "Uli" Stielike is a German football manager and former player.-Club career:Stielike was a West Germany youth international for hometown club SpVgg Ketsch when he got signed by UEFA Cup runner-up Borussia Mönchengladbach in 1973, first coming to action as a full back for the then two times...
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
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 KoemanRonald Koeman is a former Dutch footballer, and the current manager of Feyenoord. He is the younger brother of former Feyenoord coach Erwin Koeman and the son of former Dutch international Martin Koeman...
found José Maria Bakero. The small striker took a header from nearly outside the box, which somehow went in.
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