FC Ingolstadt 04 facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
FC Ingolstadt 04

Full name	Fußball-Club Ingolstadt 04 e.V.
Nickname(s)	Die Schanzer
Founded	5 February 2004; 21 years ago (2004-02-05)
Ground	Audi Sportpark
Ground Capacity	15,800
Chairman	Peter Jackwerth
Head coach	Sabrina Wittmann
League	2. Bundesliga
2020–21	3. Liga, 3rd of 20 (promoted)
Home colours Away colours

FC Ingolstadt 04 is a German football club. It is based in the city of Ingolstadt, in Bavaria. The club was started in 2004. It was formed by joining two older football teams: ESV Ingolstadt and MTV Ingolstadt.

Club History

How FC Ingolstadt and its older teams have done in their leagues over time.

FC Ingolstadt 04 has an interesting history. It was created from two older clubs that used to be rivals. Let's learn about them!

ESV Ingolstadt: The Railway Club

ESV Ingolstadt was founded in 1919 as FC Viktoria. Over the years, it changed names a few times. In 1953, it became ESV Ingolstadt. The "E" stood for Eisenbahner, which means "railway workers".

This club played in Germany's second-highest league in the 1960s and 70s. They even spent two seasons in the 2. Bundesliga Süd from 1979 to 1981. Later, the club faced financial problems. In 2004, its football players joined to form FC Ingolstadt 04.

MTV Ingolstadt: The City's Big Club

MTV Ingolstadt started in 1881. It is the biggest sports club in the city. They began playing football in 1905. The football players even formed their own club for a while. But they rejoined MTV in 1933.

After World War II, the club was restarted. They got their original name back in 1948. MTV also played in the 2. Bundesliga Süd for two seasons in the late 1970s. When ESV had problems in 2004, MTV allowed its football players to help create FC Ingolstadt.

FC Ingolstadt 04: The New Beginning

FC Ingolstadt started playing in the fourth-highest league in 2004. They finished second in their first season. In 2006, they won their league and moved up! They kept doing well, finishing fifth in the next league.

In 2008, they finished second in their league. This meant they moved up to the 2. Bundesliga, which is a very exciting step!

Ups and Downs in the Leagues

Ingolstadt won their first game in the 2. Bundesliga. But the rest of the season was tough. They ended up in 17th place and went down to the 3. Liga.

However, they didn't give up! In the 3. Liga, they finished third. This earned them a play-off match to get back to the 2. Bundesliga. They won both games against Hansa Rostock and returned to the second division right away!

On May 17, 2015, FC Ingolstadt won the 2. Bundesliga title! This was a huge moment. It meant they were promoted to the Bundesliga for the first time ever. The Bundesliga is Germany's top football league!

They finished 11th in their first Bundesliga season. But the next year, they finished 17th and went back down to the 2. Bundesliga.

In 2019, they lost a play-off match and went down to the 3. Liga again. The next year, they almost got promoted but lost in the play-offs because of an away goal rule. It was a tough loss!

But in 2021, they tried again. They won their play-off against VfL Osnabrück and got promoted back to the 2. Bundesliga! Sadly, they were relegated again in 2022.

Sabrina Wittmann: A Historic Coach

In May 2024, something amazing happened. The club announced that Sabrina Wittmann would coach the men's team. She was the first female head coach in German professional football history! Under her, FC Ingolstadt won the Bavarian State Cup for the first time. They beat Würzburger Kickers 2-1 in the final.

The Name Die Schanzer

The club's nickname is Die Schanzer. This name connects the club to the city of Ingolstadt's history. Ingolstadt was once a strong fortress city. People called it die Schanz. This name reminds everyone of Ingolstadt's past as a protected city.

Home Stadiums

FC Ingolstadt has played in a few different stadiums.

The MTV Ingolstadt Stadium

The MTV Ingolstadt stadium, where FC Ingolstadt 04 played its regional league home matches until 2008.

• Name: District Sports Centre Ingolstadt
• Opened: 1971
• Capacity: 8,000 seats
• FC Ingolstadt 04 played here until 2008.

The ESV Stadium

The ESV stadium, also known as Tuja Stadium.

• Name: ESV Stadium Ingolstadt
• Opened: 1932
• Capacity: 11,418 seats
• This stadium was used for a short time when the club needed a bigger place. It met the rules for higher leagues.

Audi Sportpark: The Current Home

The Audi Sportpark, home of FC Ingolstadt 04 since 2010.

• Name: Audi Sportpark Ingolstadt
• Opened: July 24, 2010
• Capacity: 15,200 seats
• This is the current home of FC Ingolstadt 04. It's a modern stadium. The car company Audi helped pay for it and has the naming rights.

Club Culture and Fans

FC Ingolstadt 04 has a special club culture.

Fan Scene

When FC Ingolstadt 04 was formed, fans from both old clubs came together. They used to be rivals, but now they are friends! The fan base has grown a lot. Especially since the club moved to the Audi Sportpark. There are now over 40 official fan clubs.

Some well-known fan groups include the "Supporters Ingolstadt" and "Black Red Company". The main fan section is called the "Südtribüne Ingolstadt". It has about 3,000 standing places.

Fan Friendships and Rivalries

FC Ingolstadt fans have friendships with fans from other clubs. These include SV Wehen Wiesbaden, SpVgg Unterhaching, and SM Caen from France. Fans often visit each other's games. They also have contact with fans of Raith Rovers F.C. from Scotland.

The biggest rivalries are with SSV Jahn Regensburg and FC Augsburg. Matches against these teams are always very exciting!

Club Symbols

• Mascot: Since 2012, the club's mascot is named Schanzi. Schanzi is a red panther, which is a cool fantasy creature!
• Anthem: The official club song is "Schanzer Herz". It's performed by the hard rock band Bonfire. When the team scores a goal at home, they play "Esellied" by Volxrock. Before the game starts, you'll hear "Thunderstruck" by AC/DC.

Players

Current Squad

Here are the players currently on the FC Ingolstadt 04 team:

No. Position Player 1 GK Marius Funk 2 DF Mattis Hoppe 6 DF Leon Guwara 7 FW Dennis Borkowski 8 MF Benjamin Kanuric 9 FW Tim Heike 10 FW Maximilian Dittgen 11 FW Sebastian Grønning 16 DF Ryan Malone 17 MF Max Besuschkow 18 DF Niclas Dühring 19 DF Mladen Cvjetinović

No. Position Player 20 MF Yannick Deichmann 22 DF Marcel Costly 23 DF Moritz Seiffert 29 MF David Kopacz 30 FW Ognjen Drakulic 32 DF Simon Lorenz Fs player|no=34 |pos=MF |nat=GER |name=Lukas Fröde|other=captain}} 37 FW Pascal Testroet 38 FW Deniz Zeitler 41 GK Simon Simoni (on loan from Eintracht Frankfurt) 43 MF Felix Keidel 46 GK Maurice Dehler

Players on Loan

Some players are currently playing for other teams to gain more experience:

No. Position Player GK Markus Ponath (at FV Illertissen until 30 June 2025) DF Donald Nduka (at KSV Hessen Kassel until 30 June 2025)

No. Position Player MF Bryang Kayo (at VfL Osnabrück until 30 June 2025)

Club Achievements

FC Ingolstadt 04 has won several titles and honors:

• ^‡ This means the reserve team achieved this.

Coaching Staff

Here are some of the key people who help run the club and coach the team:

Position	Name
Head Coach	Sabrina Wittmann
Assistant Head Coach	Fabian Reichler Iliya Gruev
Goalkeeping Coach	Robert Wulnikowski
Sporting Director	Ivica Grlić
Team Manager	Lisa Deutschmann

Recent Head Coaches

Here is a list of the head coaches FC Ingolstadt 04 has had over the years:

FC Ingolstadt 04 Seasons

This table shows how the first team has performed in different leagues each season:

Key

DFB Cup Appearances

The club has played in the first round of the German Cup many times. Here are some of their results:

Images for kids

• 

  The MTV Ingolstadt stadium, where FC Ingolstadt 04 played its regional league home matches until 2008.

• 

  The ESV stadium, also known as Tuja Stadium.

• 

  The Audi Sportpark, home of FC Ingolstadt 04 since 2010.

See also

In Spanish: FC Ingolstadt 04 para niños