FC Würzburger Kickers facts for kids
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| Full name | Fußball-Club Würzburger Kickers e.V. | ||
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| Nickname(s) | Rothosen (Red Shorts) | ||
| Founded | 17 November 1907 | ||
| Ground | Akon Arena | ||
| Capacity | 13,090 | ||
| President | Daniel Sauer | ||
| Manager | Martin Lanig | ||
| League | Regionalliga Bayern | ||
| 2022–23 | Regionalliga Bayern, 2nd of 18 | ||
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The Fußball-Club Würzburger Kickers e.V. is a German football club from Würzburg, Bavaria. They are often called the Kickers or the Rothosen (Red Shorts). The club was founded in 1907.
Before World War II, the Kickers played in the top football leagues for a short time. After the war, they played in professional football once in 1977–78. For many years, the club played in amateur leagues, even dropping to the seventh level of German football. But then, they started to get better! The Kickers returned to professional football in 2014–15. They were promoted to the 3. Liga and then to the 2. Bundesliga the very next season.
Contents
Club History
How the Club Started
FC Würzburger Kickers was created on November 17, 1907. It was started by high school students in Würzburg. Georg Beer was the first chairman, but Alfred Günzburger soon took over.
In 1912, the club moved up to the Kreisliga Bayern. They quickly became a strong team in that league.
Playing Before World War II
From 1930 to 1933, the Kickers played three seasons in the Bezirksliga Bayern. They also played two single seasons in the Gauliga Bayern (1940–41 and 1942–43). The Gauliga was one of the top leagues in Germany at that time.
Until World War II, the Kickers were the main football team in Würzburg. Their rivals, FV 04 Würzburg, only caught up to them in the late 1920s.
In the 1922–23 season, the club was moved down a league. This meant they missed out on joining the new Bezirksliga Bayern. But the Kickers worked hard and were promoted back to the top division for the 1930–31 season. They stayed there until the league ended in 1933.
The Kickers were not chosen for the new Gauliga Bayern at first. They didn't reach the top division again until 1940–41, but they were quickly moved down again. Towards the end of World War II, the Kickers had to join with FV 04 Würzburg. They played together as KSG Würzburg. Their stadium was also completely destroyed by bombs during the war.
After the War: Reaching the 2. Bundesliga
After World War II, another club, TSV Würzburg, joined the Kickers. The club changed its name to SV Würzburger Kickers. They played in the Landesliga Bayern (which was the second-highest league then).
In the 1950s, they played well in the Amateurliga Bayern. In 1967, the club moved to a new stadium called Stadion am Dallenberg. Finally, in 1976–77, the club was promoted to the 2. Bundesliga Süd. This was a big achievement! However, they were moved back down to the Bayernliga the very next season (1977–78).
From the 1980s to 2012
The Kickers stayed in the Bayernliga until 1983. They faced money problems and were moved down to the Landesliga Bayern-Nord. This league later became the fifth level of football. The club stayed in the lower amateur leagues for a long time. They only briefly returned to the Bayernliga in 1990–91 and 1997–98.
Between 2002 and 2004, the club went through a tough time. They dropped down to the seventh level of football. But the Kickers fought back! They returned to the Oberliga Bayern in 2007–08. They even played against their local rival, Würzburger FV, for the first time in many years.
The 2008–09 season wasn't great, and the Kickers were moved down again. They had to wait until 2012 to win the Landesliga again. This win helped them get promoted to the new Regionalliga Bayern (the fourth level). This meant they jumped from the sixth level to the fourth without playing in the fifth!
Recent Successes and Promotions
Since 2012, the Kickers have had a lot of success.
- In 2013–14, they won the Bavarian Cup. They beat SV Schalding-Heining in a penalty shootout. This win allowed them to play in the 2014–15 DFB-Pokal (German Cup).
- In the 2014–15 German Cup, the Kickers surprised everyone by beating Fortuna Düsseldorf. They were later defeated by Eintracht Braunschweig.
- In the 2014–15 season, the Kickers won the Regionalliga Bayern. They then played against 1. FC Saarbrücken for a spot in the 3. Liga. They won the match after a penalty shootout and were promoted!
In March 2016, fans protested against the idea of merging with their local rival, Würzburger FV. The Mayor of Würzburg had asked the Kickers to talk about joining with other local clubs. This was to get city support for expanding their stadium.
The Kickers finished their first season in the 3. Liga in third place. This meant they could play for promotion to the 2. Bundesliga. They won against MSV Duisburg and were promoted to the 2. Bundesliga for the first time in almost 40 years! Even though they started strong, they were moved back down to the 3. Liga at the end of the season.
In 2019, the club won the Bavarian Cup again. They beat Viktoria Aschaffenburg 3–0 in the final.
In January 2020, it was announced that Felix Magath would become the sporting director for the Flyeralarm Global Soccer group. This group includes Würzburger Kickers.
The Kickers returned to the 2. Bundesliga after the 2019–20 season. They finished second in the 3. Liga.
Return to Regionalliga
After being promoted to the 2. Bundesliga in 2020, the Würzburger Kickers faced a tough time. They were moved down a league after just one season in the 3. Liga in 2021. Then, they were moved down again in the 2021–22 season. This meant they returned to the fourth-tier Regionalliga.
Club Achievements
The Würzburger Kickers have won several titles and achieved high rankings:
- 3. Liga (Third Division)
- Second place: 2019–20
- Third place: 2015–16 (Promoted after play-off)
- Bayernliga (Third Division)
- Champions: 1977
- Regionalliga Bayern (Fourth Division)
- Champions: 2014–15
- Landesliga Bayern-Nord (Fourth/Fifth Division)
- Champions: 1990, 1997, 2012
- Bavarian Cup
- Winners: 2014, 2016, 2019
Current Players
Here are some of the players currently on the team:
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Club Managers
Here are some of the recent managers who have led the Würzburger Kickers:
| Manager | Start Date | End Date |
|---|---|---|
| Predrag Uzelac | 1 April 2009 | 1 October 2009 |
| Dieter Wirsching | 1 October 2009 | 30 June 2010 |
| Anton Kramer | 1 July 2010 | 2 March 2011 |
| Dieter Wirsching | 3 March 2011 | 30 June 2014 |
| Bernd Hollerbach | 1 July 2014 | 30 June 2017 |
| Stephan Schmidt | 1 July 2017 | 2 October 2017 |
| Michael Schiele | 2 October 2017 | 29 September 2020 |
| Marco Antwerpen | 30 September 2020 | 8 November 2020 |
| Bernhard Trares | 9 November 2020 | 2 April 2021 |
| Ralf Santelli Sebastian Schuppan |
2 April 2021 | 30 June 2021 |
| Torsten Ziegner | 1 July 2021 | 4 October 2021 |
| Danny Schwarz | 13 October 2021 | 10 February 2022 |
| Ralf Santelli | 10 February 2022 | 30 June 2022 |
| Marco Wildersinn | 1 July 2022 | 30 June 2024 |
| Markus Zschiesche | 1 July 2024 | 9 September 2024 |
| Martin Lanig | 22 September 2024 | Present |
Home Stadium
The Kickers have played in three different home stadiums.
- They started at Galgenberg (also called Kugelfang) for two years. They shared this field with their rivals, Würzburger FV.
- From 1909 to 1967, the club played at the Randersacker Straße stadium. They had to move because the city was growing.
- Since 1967, the team has played at the Stadion am Dallenberg. This stadium can hold 13,090 people, with 4,000 seats.
In 2013, a company called flyeralarm bought the rights to name the stadium. So, it's now known as the flyeralarm Arena. The stadium was updated in 2005. In 2014, floodlights were added. For the 2016–17 season, the stadium was made bigger. They also added heating under the field, which cost about €2 million.
Rivalries and Supporters
The Würzburg derby is a big local rivalry between Würzburger Kickers and Würzburger FV. Fans also have a strong rivalry with the fans of 1. FC Schweinfurt 05.
Reserve Team
The club also has a reserve team. This team won promotion to the fifth-tier Bayernliga for the first time in 2016–17.
The Würzburg Derby
The Würzburg derby is a football match between Würzburger Kickers and FV Würzburg 04. The first derby was played in 1908, and the Kickers won 5–0. The two clubs have played in the same league many times since 1963. The derby has only been played at a professional level once. This was in the 1977–78 2. Bundesliga Süd season.
Derby Results Since 1963
| Season | League | Teams | Home Score | Away Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964–65 | Amateurliga Bayern | Würzburger FV – Würzburger Kickers | 2–1 | 1–5 |
| 1965–66 | Amateurliga Bayern | Würzburger FV – Würzburger Kickers | 0–1 | 1–1 |
| 1970–71 | Amateurliga Bayern | Würzburger FV – Würzburger Kickers | 3–1 | 2–1 |
| 1971–72 | Amateurliga Bayern | Würzburger FV – Würzburger Kickers | 1–3 | 4–1 |
| 1972–73 | Amateurliga Bayern | Würzburger FV – Würzburger Kickers | 1–0 | 3–1 |
| 1973–74 | Amateurliga Bayern | Würzburger FV – Würzburger Kickers | 2–1 | 0–0 |
| 1974–75 | Amateurliga Bayern | Würzburger FV – Würzburger Kickers | 3–0 | 1–0 |
| 1975–76 | Amateurliga Bayern | Würzburger FV – Würzburger Kickers | 3–0 | 1–1 |
| 1977–78 | 2. Bundesliga Süd | Würzburger FV – Würzburger Kickers | 4–0 | 2–2 |
| 1980–81 | Amateur Oberliga Bayern | Würzburger FV – Würzburger Kickers | 0–0 | 1–1 |
| 1991–92 | Landesliga Bayern-Nord | Würzburger FV – Würzburger Kickers | 1–2 | 1–3 |
| 1992–93 | Landesliga Bayern-Nord | Würzburger FV – Würzburger Kickers | 5–1 | 3–0 |
| 1993–94 | Landesliga Bayern-Nord | Würzburger FV – Würzburger Kickers | 3–3 | 0–5 |
| 1994–95 | Landesliga Bayern-Nord | Würzburger FV – Würzburger Kickers | 4–1 | 1–5 |
| 1996–96 | Landesliga Bayern-Nord | Würzburger FV – Würzburger Kickers | 3–0 | 1–1 |
| 1996–97 | Landesliga Bayern-Nord | Würzburger FV – Würzburger Kickers | 3–2 | 0–0 |
| 1998–99 | Landesliga Bayern-Nord | Würzburger FV – Würzburger Kickers | 4–0 | 0–1 |
| 2008–09 | Bayernliga | Würzburger FV – Würzburger Kickers | 1–2 | 2–5 |
| 2009–10 | Landesliga Bayern-Nord | Würzburger FV – Würzburger Kickers | 4–1 | 0–2 |
| 2012–13 | Bavarian Cup | Würzburger FV – Würzburger Kickers | 5–4 (pen) | |
| 2018–19 | Bavarian Cup | Würzburger FV – Würzburger Kickers | 0–4 | |
German Cup Appearances
The Würzburger Kickers have played in the first round of the German Cup (DFB-Pokal) ten times:
| Season | Round | Date | Home Team | Away Team | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978–79 | First round | 4 August 1978 | SC Herford | Würzburger Kickers | 2–1 | |
| 1980–81 | First round | 30 August 1980 | Würzburger Kickers | TSV Hirschaid | 2–1 (a.e.t) | |
| Second round | 4 October 1980 | Würzburger Kickers | Fortuna Düsseldorf | 0–2 | ||
| 1981–82 | First round | 28 August 1981 | SV Neckargerach | Würzburger Kickers | 4–2 | |
| 2014–15 | First round | 17 August 2014 | Würzburger Kickers | Fortuna Düsseldorf | 3–2 (a.e.t) | 10,500 |
| Second round | 28 October 2014 | Würzburger Kickers | Eintracht Braunschweig | 0–1 | 12,000 | |
| 2015–16 | First round | 8 August 2015 | Würzburger Kickers | SV Werder Bremen | 0–2 (a.e.t) | 9,706 |
| 2016–17 | First round | 20 August 2016 | Würzburger Kickers | Eintracht Braunschweig | 1–0 (a.e.t) | 6,384 |
| Second round | 25 October 2016 | Würzburger Kickers | TSV 1860 Munich | 3–4 | 12,142 | |
| 2017–18 | First round | 12 August 2017 | Würzburger Kickers | SV Werder Bremen | 0–3 | 8,090 |
| 2019–20 | First round | 10 August 2019 | Würzburger Kickers | TSG 1899 Hoffenheim | 4–5 (p) | 10,000 |
| 2020–21 | First round | 14 September 2020 | Würzburger Kickers | Hannover 96 | 2–3 | 0 |
| 2021–22 | First round | 8 August 2021 | Würzburger Kickers | SC Freiburg | 0–1 | 2,820 |
Images for kids
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A chart showing how Würzburger Kickers have performed in different leagues over the years.
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The Flyeralarm Arena, home of the Würzburger Kickers.
See also
In Spanish: Wurzburgo Kickers para niños
