Alemannia Aachen
Encyclopedia
Alemannia Aachen is a German football club
from the western city of Aachen
, North Rhine-Westphalia
. A long term fixture of the country's second division, Alemannia enjoyed a three-year turn in the top flight
in the late 1960s and, after a successful 2005–06 campaign, returned to first division play for a single season.
Alemannia carries the strange nickname "the Potato Beetles" (Kartoffelkäfer) because of their striped yellow-black jerseys, which make them look like the particular insects.
The city of Aachen is near the Belgian
and Dutch
borders and as a result Alemannia has had frequent contact with clubs from those countries. Their first game was against the Belgian side R. Dolhain F.C., one of that country's earliest clubs. The team played in the Rhineland-Westphalia FA and won its first championship there in 1907, before joining the newly formed Westdeutsche Fussball Verband in 1909. The club grew steadily as interest in football increased. They qualified for the Rheingauliga in 1921, built their own stadium in 1928, and earned admittance to the Oberliga the following year.
The club enjoyed some success in the early 30s by advancing to the final four of the Westdeutsche championship playoffs. In 1933, German football was re-organized under the Third Reich into sixteen top-flight Gauligen. Alemannia played several seasons in the Gauliga Mittelrhein
in the late 30s and early 40s. They finished atop their division in 1938 and advanced to the national final rounds. This was in spite of a protest by SV Beuel 06
which ultimately saw that club awarded the division championship, but too late to allow Beuel to play in the national playoff in Aachens stead.
Alemannia is known as one of the few of this dark era to offer any challenge to the Nazi
regime's purge of Jews from the country's sports organizations by demanding the release of a jailed Jewish member.
Aachens first measure of success came with an advance to the German Cup final in 1953 where they lost a 1:2 decision to Rot-Weiss Essen
.
After the formation of the Bundesliga, Germany's new professional football league, in 1963, Alemannia found themselves in Regionalliga West (II). In 1965, they had another good run in German Cup competition, earning another final appearance – but were once again unsuccessful – this time losing 0:2 to Borussia Dortmund
.
The club captured their division in 1967 and were promoted to the Bundesliga (I) for the 1967–68 season. They enjoyed their best ever result the next year with a second place finish behind champion Bayern Munich. However, the following season was a disaster: the team earned only one point in play away from home and toppled to an 18th place finish. They returned to play in the Regionalliga West (II), and in 1990 fell still further to the third division.
rejuvenated the Alemannia squad by playing 4–4–2 without a libero (sweeper), creating a side that played an attractive, fluid offense. In 1999, the team played well and delivered an especially strong second half. They were atop the table, just weeks away from the end of the season, when tragedy struck with the unexpected death of Fuchs. The whole city was in shock, but the club managed to pull through, dedicating their promotion to their late trainer and winning the Regionalliga West/Südwest
(III).
The first years in the 2.Bundesliga were tough for Aachen, both on the field and financially. The club struggled for several seasons and the situation was worsened when financial irregularities were uncovered showing the club was near bankruptcy.
The turnaround came with a new executive board under president Horst Heinrichs, trainer Dieter Hecking
and manager Jörg Schmadtke
. Through improved financial management, shrewd player signings, and clever game tactics, Aachen became a power once again in the 2003–04 season. They played their way to their third German Cup final appearance, knocking off 1860 München, Bayern Munich, and Borussia Mönchengladbach
, before losing 2:3 to Bundesliga champions Werder Bremen. As league champions Bremen already held a place in the UEFA Champions League
, thereby making room for Aachen to take part in the UEFA Cup
competition. They delivered a decent performance, advancing to the Round of 16 before going out to eventual semi-finalists AZ Alkmaar. The club's participation in the German Cup and UEFA Cup play helped to significantly improve their financial situation.
as manager trainer, who was curiously fired after only 14 matches. After a short interim with Alemannias Sportsmanger Jörg Schmadtke as headcoach, he was then replaced by Jürgen Seeberger
, hardly known in Germany, in the winter break of the season.
Ralf Außem
– 1987 Peter Neururer
– 1987–1989 Rolf Grünther – 1989 Mustafa Denizli
– 1989–1990 Eckhard Krautzun
– 1990 Norbert Wagner – 1990–1991 Mateusz Lafi – 1991 Michael Schleiden – 1991 Wilfried Hannes
– 1991–1994 Helmut Graf – 1994 Gerd vom Bruch
– 1994–1996 Werner Fuchs
– 1996–1999 André Winkhold
– 1999 Eugen Hach – 1999–2001 Jörg Berger
– 2001–2004 Dieter Hecking
– 2004–2006 Michael Frontzeck
– 2006–2007 Guido Buchwald
– 2007 Jörg Schmadtke
– 2007 Jürgen Seeberger
– 2008–2009 Willi Kronhardt 2009 Michael Krüger
2009–2010
RheinEnergieStadion
in order to meet the stadium capacity requirements in place for the competition.
In August 2009 Aachen opened a new stadium, the New Tivoli, which has a capacity of 32,960 spectators (11,681 in standing areas).
Football in Germany
Association 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...
from the western city of Aachen
Aachen
Aachen has historically been a spa town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Aachen was a favoured residence of Charlemagne, and the place of coronation of the Kings of Germany. Geographically, Aachen is the westernmost town of Germany, located along its borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, ...
, North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
. A long term fixture of the country's second division, Alemannia enjoyed a three-year turn in the top flight
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...
in the late 1960s and, after a successful 2005–06 campaign, returned to first division play for a single season.
Alemannia carries the strange nickname "the Potato Beetles" (Kartoffelkäfer) because of their striped yellow-black jerseys, which make them look like the particular insects.
Foundation to World War II
The club was founded on 16 December 1900 by a group of eighteen high school students. Knowing that another team had already taken the name 1. FC Aachen the new club was christened FC Alemannia using the old Latin name for Germany. The First World War devastated the club: the pre-war membership of 200 was reduced to just 37 by the conflict. In early 1919 Alemannia merged with Aachener Turnverein 1847 to become TSV Alemannia Aachen 1900. Their new partner's interest was primarily in gymnastics and the union was short-lived, with the clubs splitting again in 1924.The city of Aachen is near the Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
borders and as a result Alemannia has had frequent contact with clubs from those countries. Their first game was against the Belgian side R. Dolhain F.C., one of that country's earliest clubs. The team played in the Rhineland-Westphalia FA and won its first championship there in 1907, before joining the newly formed Westdeutsche Fussball Verband in 1909. The club grew steadily as interest in football increased. They qualified for the Rheingauliga in 1921, built their own stadium in 1928, and earned admittance to the Oberliga the following year.
The club enjoyed some success in the early 30s by advancing to the final four of the Westdeutsche championship playoffs. In 1933, German football was re-organized under the Third Reich into sixteen top-flight Gauligen. Alemannia played several seasons in the Gauliga Mittelrhein
Gauliga Mittelrhein
The Gauliga Mittelrhein was the highest football league in the central and southern part of the Prussian Rhine Province from 1933 to 1945. Shortly after the formation of the league, the Nazis reorganised the administrative regions in Germany, and the Gaue Köln-Aachen and Moselland replaced the...
in the late 30s and early 40s. They finished atop their division in 1938 and advanced to the national final rounds. This was in spite of a protest by SV Beuel 06
SV Beuel 06
SV Beuel 06 is a German association football club that plays in Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia.-History:The club's origins are as a group of high school students who were playing football in an informal association as early as 1903. They were known briefly as the Rapiditas or Rapidas after a...
which ultimately saw that club awarded the division championship, but too late to allow Beuel to play in the national playoff in Aachens stead.
Alemannia is known as one of the few of this dark era to offer any challenge to the Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
regime's purge of Jews from the country's sports organizations by demanding the release of a jailed Jewish member.
Postwar and entry to the Bundesliga
In 1946, after World War II and the lifting of the ban placed by Allied occupation authorities on most types of organizations in Germany, Alemannia re-constituted itself and began play in second tier Rheinbezirk. They returned to first division play in the Oberliga West the next year, but ran into financial difficulty. They remained a steady, but unspectacular second division side, generally finishing mid-table.Aachens first measure of success came with an advance to the German Cup final in 1953 where they lost a 1:2 decision to Rot-Weiss Essen
Rot-Weiss Essen
Rot-Weiss Essen is a German association football club based in Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia.- Early years :The club was formed as SV Vogelheim on 1 February 1907 out of the merger of two smaller clubs: SC Preussen and Deutsche Eiche. In 1910, Vogelheim came to an arrangement with Turnerbund...
.
After the formation of the Bundesliga, Germany's new professional football league, in 1963, Alemannia found themselves in Regionalliga West (II). In 1965, they had another good run in German Cup competition, earning another final appearance – but were once again unsuccessful – this time losing 0:2 to Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund
Ballspielverein Borussia Dortmund, commonly BVB, are a German sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. Dortmund are one of the most successful clubs in German football history. Borussia Dortmund play in the Bundesliga, the top league of German football...
.
The club captured their division in 1967 and were promoted to the Bundesliga (I) for the 1967–68 season. They enjoyed their best ever result the next year with a second place finish behind champion Bayern Munich. However, the following season was a disaster: the team earned only one point in play away from home and toppled to an 18th place finish. They returned to play in the Regionalliga West (II), and in 1990 fell still further to the third division.
Road to recovery
After several mediocre seasons in the second half of the 1990s, trainer Werner FuchsWerner Fuchs
Werner Fuchs was a German football player and trainer.-Playing career:The centre forward began his professional career in 1967 with a professional contract at 1. FC Kaiserslautern, where is older brother Fritz also played professionally...
rejuvenated the Alemannia squad by playing 4–4–2 without a libero (sweeper), creating a side that played an attractive, fluid offense. In 1999, the team played well and delivered an especially strong second half. They were atop the table, just weeks away from the end of the season, when tragedy struck with the unexpected death of Fuchs. The whole city was in shock, but the club managed to pull through, dedicating their promotion to their late trainer and winning the Regionalliga West/Südwest
Regionalliga West/Südwest
The Regionalliga West/Südwest was the third tier of the German football league system in the states of Saarland, Rheinland-Pfalz and Nordrhein-Westfalen from 1994 to 2000.- Overview :...
(III).
The first years in the 2.Bundesliga were tough for Aachen, both on the field and financially. The club struggled for several seasons and the situation was worsened when financial irregularities were uncovered showing the club was near bankruptcy.
The turnaround came with a new executive board under president Horst Heinrichs, trainer Dieter Hecking
Dieter Hecking
Dieter Hecking is a German football manager and former professional player who works as head coach of 1. FC Nuremberg. He played for both Hannover 96 and Eintracht Braunschweig...
and manager Jörg Schmadtke
Jörg Schmadtke
Jörg Schmadtke is a German football coach and former player.-External links:...
. Through improved financial management, shrewd player signings, and clever game tactics, Aachen became a power once again in the 2003–04 season. They played their way to their third German Cup final appearance, knocking off 1860 München, Bayern Munich, and Borussia Mönchengladbach
Borussia Mönchengladbach
Borussia Mönchengladbach is a German association football club based in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia. The team plays in the Bundesliga and is one of the country's most well-known, well-supported, and successful teams. Borussia Mönchengladbach has over 40,000 members and is the sixth...
, before losing 2:3 to Bundesliga champions Werder Bremen. As league champions Bremen already held a place in the UEFA Champions League
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...
, thereby making room for Aachen to take part in the UEFA Cup
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...
competition. They delivered a decent performance, advancing to the Round of 16 before going out to eventual semi-finalists AZ Alkmaar. The club's participation in the German Cup and UEFA Cup play helped to significantly improve their financial situation.
Current
On 16 April 2006 Alemannia became the first team to earn promotion to the Bundesliga in 2005–06, ending Aachen's 36-year absence from top-flight football. However, they stayed up only a single season as they took only one point from their last eight matches of the campaign. In summer 2007, the club appointed former German international defender and 1990 FIFA World Champion Guido BuchwaldGuido Buchwald
Guido Ulrich Buchwald is a German former football defender and manager.The best game of Buchwald's career was probably the final of the 1990 FIFA World Cup when he effectively marked the skilled footballer, Diego Maradona, earning him the nickname "Diego"...
as manager trainer, who was curiously fired after only 14 matches. After a short interim with Alemannias Sportsmanger Jörg Schmadtke as headcoach, he was then replaced by Jürgen Seeberger
Jürgen Seeberger
Jürgen Seeberger is a German football manager currently managing VfB Stuttgart II.- Coaching career :He started his managerial career at FC Schaffhausen in Switzerland in 2000 and coached the club until 2007, when he was let go due to bad results...
, hardly known in Germany, in the winter break of the season.
Recent seasons
| Year | Division | Position |
| 1999–00 | 2. Bundesliga 2. Fußball-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... (II) |
8th |
| 2000–01 | 2. Bundesliga | 10th |
| 2001–02 | 2. Bundesliga | 14th |
| 2002–03 | 2. Bundesliga | 6th |
| 2003–04 | 2. Bundesliga | 6th |
| 2004–05 | 2. Bundesliga | 6th |
| 2005–06 | 2. Bundesliga | 2nd (promoted) |
| 2006–07 | Bundesliga 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... (I) |
17th (relegated) |
| 2007–08 | 2. Bundesliga 2. Fußball-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... (II) |
7th |
| 2008–09 | 2. Bundesliga | 4th |
| 2009–10 | 2. Bundesliga | 13th |
| 2010–11 | 2. Bundesliga | 10th |
Current squad
(captain)Out on loan
Alemannia Aachen II squad
Manager: Ralf AußemRalf Außem
Ralf Außem is a former German footballer and currently manager of Alemannia Aachen II.- Career :His Bundesliga debut came on 24 May 1980 against Werder Bremen, though he only played two minutes in his debut performance. He made his name in the eighties with Fortuna Köln.- Management career :In...
Staff
- Head coach: Friedhelm Funkel
- Co-Trainer: Christoph JohnChristoph JohnChristoph John is a German football manager and former player.-External links:...
- Goalkeeper-Trainer:
Hans SpillmannHans SpillmannJohannes Spillmann is a retired Dutch professional footballer who last plays as a goalkeeper for NRW-Liga team Alemannia Aachen II.-Career:Spillmann signed 31 January 2008 with Alemannia Aachen, he comes from .... - Ben MangaBen MangaBienvenido “Ben” Manga Ubenga is an Equatoguinean football scout and former player. Manga played as a midfielder.-Career:Manga managed three scoreless Bundesliga appearances for Fortuna Düsseldorf in the 1995–96 season....
(Scout) - Erik Meijer (Manager)
- Herbert Becker (Advisor)
- Hermann Grümmer (Advisor)
- Oliver Dipper (Advisor)
- Nils Haacke (Advisor)
Honours
- BundesligaFußball-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...
: Runner-up 1968–69 - 2. Fußball-Bundesliga2. Fußball-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...
: Runner-up 2005–06 - DFB-PokalDFB-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...
: Runner-up 1952–53, 1964–65, 2003–04
Notable players
- Past (and present) players who are the subjects of Wikipedia articles can be found here.
Former managers
Diethelm FernerDiethelm Ferner
Diethelm Ferner is a German football coach and a former player. As a player, he spent eight seasons in the Bundesliga with SV Werder Bremen and Rot-Weiss Essen...
– 1987 Peter Neururer
Peter Neururer
Peter Neururer is a German football manager.-Career:Neururer had a minor playing career in the lower leagues before moving into coaching at TuS Haltern and SG Weitmar...
– 1987–1989 Rolf Grünther – 1989 Mustafa Denizli
Mustafa Denizli
Mustafa Denizli is a former Turkish football player and coach. He has won the Turkish League title five times, all with the 'Istanbul Big Three' . He is currently the only manager in history to win the Turkish league with three different clubs...
– 1989–1990 Eckhard Krautzun
Eckhard Krautzun
Eckhard Krautzun is a German football coach and former football player.-Managerial career:As a player, Krautzun turned out for Union Solingen, Rheydter SV, 1. FC Kaiserslautern, Young Fellows Zürich and TeBe Berlin. As well as a manager, Krautzun has acted as a technical director and scout...
– 1990 Norbert Wagner – 1990–1991 Mateusz Lafi – 1991 Michael Schleiden – 1991 Wilfried Hannes
Wilfried Hannes
Wilfried Hannes is a former German football player and manager, known for achieving his career despite being visually impaired after a pupil-tumor had caused him to lose his sight in his right eye as a child....
– 1991–1994 Helmut Graf – 1994 Gerd vom Bruch
Gerd vom Bruch
Gerd vom Bruch is a retired German football player and coach. He is currently a player agent.-External links:...
– 1994–1996 Werner Fuchs
Werner Fuchs
Werner Fuchs was a German football player and trainer.-Playing career:The centre forward began his professional career in 1967 with a professional contract at 1. FC Kaiserslautern, where is older brother Fritz also played professionally...
– 1996–1999 André Winkhold
André Winkhold
André Winkhold is a German football coach and a retired player who is currently managing Borussia Brand.-External links:...
– 1999 Eugen Hach – 1999–2001 Jörg Berger
Jörg Berger
Jörg Berger was a German football manager and player, who last managed Arminia Bielefeld.- Coaching career :...
– 2001–2004 Dieter Hecking
Dieter Hecking
Dieter Hecking is a German football manager and former professional player who works as head coach of 1. FC Nuremberg. He played for both Hannover 96 and Eintracht Braunschweig...
– 2004–2006 Michael Frontzeck
Michael Frontzeck
Michael Frontzeck is a German football coach and former footballer. For the Germany national football team, he earned 19 caps and was in the squad for Euro 1992.- Player career :...
– 2006–2007 Guido Buchwald
Guido Buchwald
Guido Ulrich Buchwald is a German former football defender and manager.The best game of Buchwald's career was probably the final of the 1990 FIFA World Cup when he effectively marked the skilled footballer, Diego Maradona, earning him the nickname "Diego"...
– 2007 Jörg Schmadtke
Jörg Schmadtke
Jörg Schmadtke is a German football coach and former player.-External links:...
– 2007 Jürgen Seeberger
Jürgen Seeberger
Jürgen Seeberger is a German football manager currently managing VfB Stuttgart II.- Coaching career :He started his managerial career at FC Schaffhausen in Switzerland in 2000 and coached the club until 2007, when he was let go due to bad results...
– 2008–2009 Willi Kronhardt 2009 Michael Krüger
Michael Krüger
Michael Krüger is a German football coach and former football player.- Coaching career :Krüger began his coaching career as assistant-coach from Peter Neururer with FC Schalke 04, in September 1989 was named as the new head coach of the 2 Football League club Hannover 96, after one year was...
2009–2010
Stadium
Alemannia Aachen used to play at the Old Tivoli which had a capacity of 21,632 spectators (3,632 seats). One of Germany's better known stadiums, it was built in 1908 and was renovated several times. The club played its 2004 UEFA Cup matches, however, in Cologne'sKOLN
KOLN, digital channel 10, is the CBS affiliate in Lincoln, Nebraska. It operates a satellite station, KGIN, on digital channel 11 in Grand Island. KGIN repeats all KOLN programming, but airs separate commercials...
RheinEnergieStadion
RheinEnergieStadion
The RheinEnergieStadion is a football stadium in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It was built on the site of the two previous Müngersdorfer stadiums. It is the home of the local Bundesliga team, 1. FC Köln. The stadium was one of the 12 hosting the 2006 FIFA World Cup...
in order to meet the stadium capacity requirements in place for the competition.
In August 2009 Aachen opened a new stadium, the New Tivoli, which has a capacity of 32,960 spectators (11,681 in standing areas).