1. FC Kaiserslautern
Encyclopedia
1. Fußball-Club Kaiserslautern, also known as 1. FCK, FCK or simply Kaiserslautern, is a German association 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.
(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.
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.
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.
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 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 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.
, 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 2006–07 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 Rekdal
, 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 Šašić
in February 2008. In April 2008, the club hired Stefan Kuntz
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 Köln
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 Kurz
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.
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.
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 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.
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 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
Manager:
Alois Schwartz
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
.
Halil Altıntop
Andrija Anković
Michael Ballack
Mario Basler
Andreas Brehme
Hans-Peter Briegel
Andreas Buck
Thomas Dooley Youri Djorkaeff
Michael Dusek
Horst Eckel
Gerald Ehrmann
Jan Eriksson
Marco Haber
Tamas Hajnal
Ronnie Hellström
Demir Hotić
Marian Hristov
Miroslav Kadlec
Samir Kamouna
Miroslav Klose
Harry Koch
Werner Kohlmeyer
Pavel Kuka
Stefan Kuntz
Werner Liebrich
Roger Lutz
Olaf Marschall
Werner Melzer
Lucien Mettomo
Michael Mifsud
Torbjörn Nilsson
Jörgen Pettersson
Josef Pirrung
Hany Ramzy
Ratinho
Marco Reich
Thomas Riedl
Aki Riihilahti
Axel Roos
Wynton Rufer
Oliver Schäfer
Michael Schjønberg
Dietmar Schwager
Mark Schwarzer
Ciriaco Sforza
Ervin Skela
Jeff Strasser
Igli Tare
Bill Tchato
Klaus Toppmöller
Martin Wagner
Fritz Walter
Ottmar Walter
Roman Weidenfeller
Tim Wiese
Ferydoon Zandi
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.
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).
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.
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...
based in Kaiserslautern
Kaiserslautern
Kaiserslautern 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-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-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-LigaWestkreis-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) 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
Kreisliga Saar
The 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 Pfalz
Kreisliga Pfalz
The Kreisliga Pfalz was the highest association football league in the Bavarian region of Palatinate from 1919 to 1923...
in 1920 and the Bezirksliga Rhein-Saar
Bezirksliga Rhein-Saar
The 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 Offenbach
Kickers Offenbach
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...
. 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
FC Schalke 04
Fußball-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
Saarland 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 Südwest
Oberliga Südwest (1945-63)
The 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 Ottmar
Ottmar Walter
Ottmar 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 Münster
SC Preußen Münster
SC 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 Cup
1954 FIFA World Cup
The 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 Germany
West Germany
West 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 Bern
The Miracle of Bern
The 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 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...
, 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. 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...
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
Eintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht 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 Köln
1. FC Köln
1. 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 SV
Hamburger SV
Hamburger 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 Rehhagel
Otto Rehhagel
Otto 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 Benfica
SL Benfica
Sport 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 Helsinki
HJK Helsinki
Helsingin 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 Friedrich
Jürgen Friedrich
Jürgen "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 Association
German Football Association
The 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 Jara
Kurt Jara
Kurt 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
Michael 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 Hitzfeld
Ottmar Hitzfeld
Ottmar 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 Wolf
Wolfgang Wolf
Wolfgang 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 Rekdal
Kjetil Rekdal
Kjetil 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 Šašić
Milan Šašic
Milan 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 Kuntz
Stefan Kuntz
Stefan 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 Köln
1. FC Köln
1. 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 Kurz
Marco Kurz
Marco 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 2010–11 1. FC Kaiserslautern season 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-Pokal
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...
; CWC = European Cup Winners' Cup; EL = UEFA Europa League; CL = 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...
.
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-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...
: 1950–51, 1952–53, 1990–91, 1997–98 - 2. 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...
: 1996–97, 2009–102009–10 2. Fußball-Bundesliga-Personnel and sponsorship:-Managerial changes:-League table:-Results:... - 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...
: 1990, 1996 - DFB-SupercupDFB-SupercupThe 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...
: 1991DFB-SupercupThe 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-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...
: Runners-up: 1961, 1972, 1976, 1981, 2003 - UEFA CupUEFA CupThe 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 LeagueUEFA 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...
: Quarter-final: 1999 - Westkreis-LigaWestkreis-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) champions: 1909 - South West CupSouth West CupThe 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 StadionFritz Walter Stadion
The 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 Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 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
FC 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 München
TSV 1860 München
Turn- 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 Bremen
SV Werder Bremen
SV 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 Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC 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 Frankfurt
Eintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht 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 05
1. FSV Mainz 05
1. 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 SC
Karlsruher SC
Karlsruher 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
Alois 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 Cup
1954 FIFA World Cup
The 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
1954 FIFA World Cup Final
- External links :* - fifa.com, FIFA, 2002.*...
" side: Horst Eckel
Horst Eckel
Horst 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 Kohlmeyer
Werner Kohlmeyer
Werner 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 Liebrich
Werner Liebrich
Werner 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 Walter
Fritz Walter
Friedrich "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:...
and Ottmar Walter
Ottmar Walter
Ottmar 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...
.
Former players
Famous playersHalil Altıntop
Halil Altintop
Halil 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 Anković
Andrija Ankovic
Andrija 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 Ballack
Michael Ballack
Michael 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 Basler
Mario Basler
Mario Basler is a German former football winger and current manager.- Career :...
Andreas Brehme
Andreas Brehme
Andreas "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 Briegel
Hans-Peter Briegel
Hans-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 Buck
Andreas Buck
Andreas 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 Djorkaeff
Youri Djorkaeff
Youri 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 Dusek
Michael Dusek
Michael 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 Eckel
Horst Eckel
Horst 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 Ehrmann
Gerald Ehrmann
Gerald "Gerry" Ehrmann is a German football coach and former player who is currently a goalkeeping coach with 1...
Jan Eriksson
Jan Eriksson
Jan 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 Haber
Marco Haber
Marco Haber is a retired German footballer who played mainly as a central midfielder.-Football career :...
Tamas Hajnal
Tamás Hajnal
Tamás Hajnal is a Hungarian football midfielder currently playing for German Bundesliga side VfB Stuttgart.-Ferencvárosi TC and Dunakanyar Vác FC :...
Ronnie Hellström
Ronnie Hellström
Ronnie 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 Hotić
Demir Hotic
Demir 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 Hristov
Marian Hristov
Marian 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 Kadlec
Miroslav Kadlec
Miroslav 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 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 Klose
Miroslav Klose
Miroslav 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 Koch
Harry Koch
Harry 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 Kohlmeyer
Werner Kohlmeyer
Werner 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 Kuka
Pavel Kuka
Pavel 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 Kuntz
Stefan Kuntz
Stefan Kuntz is a former German professional footballer and since April 2008 chairman of the German football team 1. FC Kaiserslautern....
Werner Liebrich
Werner Liebrich
Werner 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 Lutz
Roger Lutz
Roger 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 Marschall
Olaf Marschall
Olaf 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 Melzer
Werner Melzer
Werner 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 Mettomo
Lucien Mettomo
Lucien 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 Mifsud
Michael Mifsud
Michael 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 Nilsson
Torbjörn Nilsson
Torbjörn 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 Pettersson
Jörgen Pettersson (footballer)
Jörgen Pettersson is a former football striker from Sweden who has played 27 international matches for the national team...
Josef Pirrung
Josef Pirrung
Josef 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 Ramzy
Hany Ramzy
Hany Guda Ramzy is an Egyptian international football defender. He is the current Head Coach of the Egypt U23 national football team.-Early life:...
Ratinho
Ratinho
Everson 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 Reich
Marco Reich
Marco 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 Riedl
Thomas Riedl
Thomas 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 Riihilahti
Aki Riihilahti
Aki 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 Roos
Axel Roos
Axel 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 Rufer
Wynton Rufer
Wynton 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 Schäfer
Oliver Schäfer
Oliver 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 Schjønberg
Michael Schjønberg
Michael Schjønberg Christensen is a Danish Association football manager, club official, and former player, who most recently was the manager of FC Vestsjælland....
Dietmar Schwager
Dietmar Schwager
Dietmar 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 Schwarzer
Mark Schwarzer
Mark 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 Sforza
Ciriaco Sforza
Ciriaco 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
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 Strasser
Jeff Strasser
Jeff 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 Tare
Igli Tare
Igli Tare is an Albanian former football striker. He is currently the technical area coordinator of Lazio.-Career:...
Bill Tchato
Bill Tchato
Bill 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 Toppmöller
Klaus Toppmöller
Klaus 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 Wagner
Martin Wagner (footballer)
Martin 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 Walter
Fritz Walter
Friedrich "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 Walter
Ottmar Walter
Ottmar 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 Weidenfeller
Roman Weidenfeller
Roman Weidenfeller is a German footballer who plays for Fußball-Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund as a goalkeeper.-Early career:...
Tim Wiese
Tim Wiese
Tim 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 Zandi
Ferydoon Zandi
Ferydoon 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
- Date: 20 October 1973
After 56 minutes, Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC 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
- 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
Uli Stielike
Ulrich "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
- 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
Ronald Koeman
Ronald 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.