Arminia Bielefeld facts for kids
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| Full name | Deutscher Sport-Club Arminia Bielefeld | |||
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| Nickname(s) | Die Arminen, Die Blauen (The Blues) | |||
| Founded | 3 May 1905 as 1. Bielefelder FC Arminia |
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| Ground | Bielefelder Alm (SchücoArena), Bielefeld |
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| Capacity | 27,332 | |||
| President | Rainer Schütte | |||
| Head coach | Michél Kniat | |||
| League | Bundesliga | |||
| 2020–21 | Bundesliga, 15th of 18 | |||
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DSC Arminia Bielefeld, often called Arminia Bielefeld, is a German sports club from Bielefeld, Germany. It's famous for its professional football team. The club has played in the Bundesliga, Germany's top football league, for 19 seasons. Besides football, Arminia Bielefeld also has teams for field hockey, figure skating, and cue sports (like billiards).
The club has over 15,000 members. Their team colors are black, white, and blue. The name "Arminia" comes from Arminius, a famous German chieftain who defeated a Roman army long ago.
Currently, the football team plays in the 3. Liga, which is the third level of German football. Arminia is known as a "Yo-yo club" (or Fahrstuhlmannschaft in German). This means they often get promoted to a higher league and then relegated back down. In 2020, they set a record by being promoted to the Bundesliga for the eighth time, sharing this record with 1. FC Nürnberg.
Arminia Bielefeld had strong periods in the 1980s and 2000s, playing five years in the Bundesliga each time. In the 1920s, they won two West German Championships. In 2025, the team reached the final of the DFB-Pokal (German Cup) for the first time. They beat the previous champion, Bayer 04 Leverkusen, 2-1. They were the first third-division club since 2001 to reach the final. They also knocked out four higher-ranked Bundesliga teams in one season.
Arminia has played its home games at the Bielefelder Alm Stadium since 1926. The stadium has been rebuilt over the years. The last big changes were finished in 2008. It can hold 27,332 fans. Since 2004, the stadium has been called SchücoArena because of a sponsorship deal.
Arminia's fans mainly come from the Eastern Westphalia and Lippe regions of Germany. As of 2020, the club had 241 active fan groups. The first organized fan group started in 1974. Fans often gather in the south stand of the stadium to cheer on their team.
Contents
Club History: From Founding to Today
Early Days and First Success (1905–1933)
Arminia Bielefeld was founded on May 3, 1905. Fourteen men from the local area started the club. Two weeks later, they played their first football match. The club joined the German Football Association in the same year. They started playing in a league in 1906.
In 1910, Arminia moved to a new home ground called Pottenau. They won their first league championship in the 1912–13 season. They became Westphalian champions by beating BV 04 Dortmund 5–1. World War I stopped their progress for a while.
After the war, Arminia won the West German championship in 1922. They played in the German Championships for the first time but lost in the quarter-finals. In 1923, Arminia won their second West German championship. They came back from being down 1–3 at halftime to win 4–3 in extra time. Walter Claus-Oehler became Arminia's first player to play for the German national team. On January 30, 1926, the club took its current name, Deutscher Sportclub Arminia Bielefeld.
Challenges and Comebacks (1933–1970)
In 1933, Arminia joined the Gauliga Westfalen, a top league at the time. They were relegated after one season. They returned to the top league in 1938. Their best finish in the Gauliga was second place in 1939–40.
After World War II, Arminia faced tough times. They were relegated to the third division in 1947–48. However, they quickly bounced back. They won their league and were promoted to the Oberliga West. This was a big step up for the club.
In 1954, Arminia was relegated to the third tier again. But in 1962, they became a second-division team once more. This allowed them to join the new Regionalliga West, which was just below the new Bundesliga. In 1966, Arminia won the West German Cup. In 1970, they finished second in their league. This led to their first promotion to the Bundesliga after winning a play-off match.
Bundesliga Years and Financial Struggles (1980–2015)
Arminia stayed in the Bundesliga for five years in the 1980s. They finished eighth twice, in 1983 and 1984. However, financial problems grew in the mid-1980s. In 1985, Arminia was relegated from the Bundesliga.
By 1987, the club had large debts. This led to them being relegated to the Oberliga Westfalen, the third tier. Ernst Middendorp became the new manager and built a young team. Arminia won the Oberliga in 1990 but missed out on promotion in the play-offs. In 1991, they won the Westphalian Cup.
In 1994, Arminia signed some experienced players. They became champions of the new Regionalliga West/Südwest in 1995. In 1996, they were promoted back to the Bundesliga. They signed famous players like Stefan Kuntz and later Ali Daei and Karim Bagheri from Iran. Despite this, they were relegated in 1998.
Arminia quickly bounced back, winning the 2. Bundesliga in 1999 and returning to the Bundesliga. But financial issues continued, and they were relegated again in 2000. They were promoted to the Bundesliga again in 2002 and 2004. They managed to stay in the top league until 2009. During this time, they reached the semi-finals of the DFB-Pokal twice, in 2005 and 2006.
In 2010, Arminia faced more financial trouble. They were deducted four points in the league. In 2011, they were relegated to the 3. Liga. A new team was formed with players like Fabian Klos and Stefan Ortega Moreno. In 2013, Arminia was promoted back to the 2. Bundesliga. However, they were relegated again in 2014 after losing a play-off.
The 2014–15 season was exciting. As a 3. Liga club, Arminia reached the semi-finals of the 2014–15 DFB-Pokal by beating three Bundesliga teams. They also won the 3. Liga title, securing promotion back to the 2. Bundesliga.
Recent Years: Ups and Downs (2015–Present)
The 2015–16 season was stable, with Arminia finishing 12th in the 2. Bundesliga. The next season was harder, but they avoided relegation. In 2017–18, they finished 4th in the league. The club also made progress in reducing its debts. Fabian Klos became the club's all-time top scorer.
In 2018, Arminia became almost debt-free but had to sell its stadium. The team struggled at first, but new coach Uwe Neuhaus helped them improve. The 2019–20 2. Bundesliga season was fantastic. Arminia stayed at the top of the league for most of the season. They finished with 68 points, 10 points ahead of the second-place team. This earned them promotion back to the Bundesliga.
In the 2020–21 season, Arminia had the lowest budget in the Bundesliga. They managed to stay in the league by winning their final match. However, in the 2021–22 season, they finished 17th and were relegated to the 2. Bundesliga. The next season, 2022–23, they finished 16th and lost a play-off, leading to another relegation to the 3. Liga. In the 2023–24 season, team captain Fabian Klos announced he would retire from professional football, ending his 13 years with the club.
Club Colors and Crest
Arminia Bielefeld chose blue, white, and black as its club colors when it was founded in 1905. These colors have remained the same, though the order is now black, white, and blue. Interestingly, Arminia played its first match in an orange uniform! The home uniform has usually been a blue shirt with white shorts and socks. The away uniform was mostly all white.
The club's crest (logo) shows a flag with the club's colors: black, white, and blue. The white part of the flag has a large letter "A" for Arminia. A laurel wreath surrounds the flag.
Crest History
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1. FC Arminia Bielefeld1905–1922 -
1922–1949 -
1975–2000
Crest Variations
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Crest inside Shield1975–1985
Stadium: The Bielefelder Alm
Arminia Bielefeld played its first home games in downtown Bielefeld. In 1926, the club leased a piece of land from a farmer. A club member said the area looked like an "Alm" (German for "alpine grassland"). So, the stadium became known as the Alm. Arminia played its first match there on May 1, 1926.
The first stands for fans were built in 1954. When Arminia was promoted to the Bundesliga in 1970, the Alm was greatly improved. A main stand with seats was built, and the northern and eastern stands were made bigger. The stadium could then hold 30,000 people, and floodlights were installed. In 1978, a roof was added to the main stands, and the stadium's capacity grew to 35,000.
When Arminia was relegated in 1988, some stands were taken down or made smaller to meet new safety rules. The capacity was reduced to about 15,000. After Arminia was promoted to the Bundesliga in 1996, the main, northern, and southern stands were completely rebuilt. In 2004, the stadium was renamed SchücoArena due to a sponsorship deal. The most recent big change was rebuilding the Eastern Stand in 2008.
The Bielefelder Alm can now hold 27,300 people, including over 20,000 seats. It was even considered as a possible host for matches in the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup.
Arminia Supporters
Arminia has many loyal fans. Even when the team was in the 3. Liga in 2011–12, they had an average of 8,930 fans at home games, which was the highest in the league. In 2014–15, the average attendance was 14,540, the second highest in the 3. Liga. The most passionate fans often gather in the Southern Stand.
Most of Arminia's fans come from the Ostwestfalen-Lippe region, within about 100 kilometers of Bielefeld. There are around 140 fan clubs, mostly from this area. However, there are also fan clubs in places like Berlin, London, and the Netherlands.
Arminia has a traditional rivalry with SC Preußen Münster. A match against them in March 2012, the first in Bielefeld in almost 20 years, had 21,203 spectators. This was the highest attendance for any match in the 3. Liga at that time. Another rival is VfL Bochum.
Arminia fans also have friendly relationships with supporters of Hamburger SV. Both clubs share the colors black, white, and blue. Fans often chant, "Schwarz, weiß, blau – Arminia und der HSV" (Black, white, blue – Arminia and HSV). This friendship sometimes extends to Hannover 96 fans as well. These three clubs are sometimes called the "Nordallianz" (Northern Alliance).
Local radio station Radio Bielefeld regularly broadcasts the team's games.
Arminia Players: Current Squad and National Team Stars
Current Squad
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Players on Loan
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100 Year Team
To celebrate the club's 100th anniversary, fans voted for the greatest starting team of all time. Here are the players chosen:
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Starting XI
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Substitutes
Manager
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Arminia Players in National Teams
Some Arminia players have also played for their national teams. Karim Bagheri from Iran played 28 international games while at the club (1997-2000). He and his teammate Ali Daei played for Iran in the 1998 FIFA World Cup. They are the only Arminia players to have played in a World Cup.
Four players were chosen for the German national team while playing for Arminia:
- Walter Claus-Oehler (1923)
- Stefan Kuntz (1996)
- Ronald Maul (1999)
- Patrick Owomoyela (2004 and 2005)
Patrick Owomoyela played six matches for Germany, which is a club record.
Club Achievements and Trophies
Arminia Bielefeld has not won any major national trophies like the Bundesliga title. However, they have won several important titles at lower levels and in regional competitions.
League Titles
- 2. Bundesliga: (Second Division)
- Champions: 1977–78, 1979–80, 1998–99, 2019–20
- 3. Liga: (Third Division)
- Champions: 2014–15, 2024–25
- Regionalliga West/Südwest: (Third Division)
- Champions: 1994–95
- Oberliga Westfalen: (Third Division)
- Champions: 1989–90
Regional Titles
- Western German football championship
- Winners: 1922, 1923
Cups
- West German Cup
- Winners: 1966, 1974
- Westphalian Cup
- Winners: 1908, 1932, 1991, 2012, 2013, 2024
- DFB-Pokal (German Cup)
- Runners-up: 2024–25
Club Management and Staff
Current Staff
| Coaching staff | |
|---|---|
 Michél Kniat |
Head coach |
 Daniel Jara |
Assistant coaches |
| Oliver Döking |
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| Janik Steringer |
Assistant coach and Video-Analyst |
| Steffan Süssner |
Goalkeeping coach |
| Fitness coaches | |
| Niklas Klasen |
Fitness Coach |
| Malte Hornemann |
Rehabilitation Coach |
| Medical department | |
| Dr. Andreas Elsner |
Team doctors |
| Dr. Tim Niedergassel |
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| Dr. Stefan Budde |
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| Mario Bertling |
Physiotherapists |
| Arne Böker |
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| Sport management and organisation | |
| Sandra Hausberger |
Team Manager |
| Rainer Schonz |
Kit Manager |
| Sebastian Wolf |
Bus Driver |
Images for kids
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Historical chart of Arminia Bielefeld league performance
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Ewald Lienen coached the team for most parts of the 2010–11 season.
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Stefan Ortega Moreno in the 2013–14 season
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Uwe Neuhaus brought Arminia back into the Bundesliga.
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See also
In Spanish: Arminia Bielefeld para niños
