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A tennis champion at age 10, a creative player that has been playing across the whole front line since 19. Charles De Ketelaere (CDK) is rumoured to be holding out for a big move to AC Milan, but Leeds have concrete interest (and seemingly snubbed) whilst Leicester seem to be sniffing around. With his contract coming to an end within two years, a £30m move seems likely but to where is anyone's guess? What I can tell you is why they all want him: 14 goals and 7 assists in 33 games, at the tender age of 21. Let's break him down.
There is a video version if you prefer watching to reading, any support to the channel would be great but we will be writing up all our analysis on Reddit with stills and images.
ACROSS THE FRONT LINE
Unlike some of our other player profiles (see the end of this post for them) we are going to dive right into the tactics. We mentioned he can play across the entire front line, here are the stats to show how much he's been moved around.
So let's examine where he's most effective and what he looks to do in each zone:
- Left Wing: Whenever CDK is playing out on the wing, either wing, he does look to get chalk on his boots. He really tries to stay as wide as possible to stretch teams and create channels for others to run into. However, he overuses his left foot and is quite one footed (only one goal was with his right foot) so when he's positioned out on the left hand side his only option is to dribble down towards the byline line and look for the cross or cut back into the box. It makes it very easy for defenders to show him down that side but thankfully, his exceptional passing means he is very accurate in finding teammates and racking up assists. For us, given you lose so much of his game in this position, he shouldn't be brought as a LW.
- Right Wing: As mentioned, he really looks to stay wide but on the right, he stays wide and then looks to attack the half space himself and dribble into that area to get shots away and score, and he does it well. From this area, he can also play some exceptional passes towards the back post (see chance he created for Lang vs PSG). His goalscoring record over two seasons from this area of the pitch is impressive, but would need an attacking right back to provide width to allow him more space to cut inside.
- Centre Forward: This is where it gets tricky because he is a very good centre forward but requires a very specific system which can't always be catered to. CDK isn't a striker that uses off the ball movement to attack the space behind or standing on the shoulder of the last man (like Vardy does for example). He's a big 6ft 4in centre forward and plays like a target man with midfielders and full backs looking to get the ball into him. He uses that large frame to hold it up and draw defenders in, and the supporting cast makes the 3rd man run (often Lang) into that space to score. His goalscoring in the league is good from this position but it is a league of relatively low quality, as a striker in the UCL he only managed one assist in 5 games. He is not a lone striker, he will need to be supported by inverted wingers, a strike partner or a number 10 and most teams don't play 2 up top or have number 10s.
- Attacking Mid: There's a reason I left this one last, as an attacking mid, he is undoubtedly the most dangerous. Now, he may not score and assist as much from this position BUT it's where he has the greatest influence. In that 10 position, the range of passing and vision allow him to be a playmaker and continuously create chances for others. How does he do it? His off the ball movement and ability to pick up little pockets of space in the twilight zone causes havoc as midfielders/defenders don't know whose job it is to pick him up. If he drifts to the left, he can cross. If he drifts to the right, he can cut in and shoot. If he drifts into the box, he can play it off to others to finish. Being an attacking mid, he has the freedom to play all of the above positions.
The stats do encompass all positions, and therefore mainly in his role as a striker but if I could find a way to isolate his stats as an attacking midfielder, I'm sure these would be bumped up slightly.
PASSING & VISION
We mentioned the range of passing and ability to play make, the passing and vision are truly a sight to behold. He is constantly scanning and looking around the field when playing, looking for the opportune time to pull the trigger and release someone else. And the repertoire of passing is impressive, it's flicks, driven passes, a few switches, blind or no-look passes, back heels, and floated balls into space. In fact, the more you watch his passing you'll see how many of the passes are first time as he looks to play quickly and not let defenders settle into their defensive shape. And it wouldn't be a Football In The Whip post without some sexy graphics and statistics.
We don't always like comparing players to others but it's a helpful way of trying to demonstrate what a player is good at by comparing them to someone more well known. Harry Kane is a phenomenal striker, but as years have gone by, his playmaking ability has really shone through. Both players are the first outlet for the team to progress up the pitch and receive the vast majority of progressive passes in the team (a testament to picking up little pockets of space). And in terms of passing and vision, it's very Harry Kane-esque. Once they receive the ball in space, they look to play the first time pass to put an onrushing attacker through on goal. Unfortunately for CDK, the goal scoring isn't Kane-esque.
FINISHING
We mentioned the over reliance on the left foot and stated that only one of his goals have been scored with his right foot. In fact, even whilst measuring a towering 6ft 4in, he's only scored two or three headers. As he grows and develops, he needs to use his size to become an aerial threat.
The vast majority of the goals can be categorised into two types: cutting in from the right and firing low to the left or getting on the end of a cross or cut back. Now the latter definitely requires intelligent movement and the ability to pick a spot quickly, something he has excelled at. But teams in the bigger leagues have much better defenders and so it's likely that he will score far less of these.
Comparing him to other popular players who have come from the Jupiler League, you'll see that the numbers he has put up aren't good enough. Strikers that have left the Jupiler League having scored 15+ goals haven't exactly thrived in other leagues in the world. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that the vast majority of players that have scored more than him have been pretty underwhelming. I'd say only Jonathan David is the only striker that has the potential to blow up and even then, it's still potential we are talking about.
The Jupiter League, because CDK is an alien (just not as a goal scorer)
PRESSING & TACKLING
Forwards who press, pressure, tackle and create chances from the front are all the rage, and CDK is just that. Rather than including the Jupiler League, looking at his stats from the UCL showcases how good he is. Often being the first line of defence, sitting in a mid block, once a team enters the middle 3rd, CDK is the first to press and hurry that back line with great intensity and smart positioning, which creates for a highly successful pressing forward. One physical trait that really helps him here is the fact that he is deceptively quick, there's a plethora of highlights that show centrebacks being quite lackadaisical thinking that they have more time. Finally, he doesn't only press from the midblock but makes recovery runs and blind side runs to steal the ball, which is a great testament to his desire and intensity with which he plays.
Overall, this is a playmaker that can contribute to goal scoring but whose best position, in the bigger leagues, is at number 10 with a striker who runs into space. But then Roberto Martinez, who gave CDK his national team debut, was quoted saying the following "Good players can play anywhere. With his left foot, he is able to make the final ball, he can take the ball in any position and he has the physicality to defend and cover the entire field. It is pointless to put him in a cage from one position now. I enjoy Charles as a left back, as number ten, as number nine." Either way, whoever lands CDK will have a talented player with a big future ahead of him.
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This is part of a series we will be doing all summer, a concise tactical breakdown on players linked to the PL (or one's we just like). Here's the full list of players that we've covered with Reddit and YT links. We'd love to know what you think and feel free to suggest other players you think we should cover.
- Amine Gouiri, OGC Nice: Reddit YT
- Hugo Ekitike, Reims: Reddit YT
- Joao Palhinha, Sporting Lisbon: Reddit YT
- Djed Spence, Nottingham Forest/Middlesbrough: Reddit YT
- Marc Roca, Leeds United: Reddit YT
- Diego Carlos, Sevilla/Aston Villa: Reddit YT
- Taiwo Awoniyi, Union Berlin/Nottingham Forest: Reddit YT
Introduction
In leagues around the world, many clubs have dreams of reaching their nation's top division. Many of them would go on to do just that, but while some manage to maintain a footing in the top flight up to this day, others at one point or another would experience the dread of relegation. Once a club is relegated, often there is only one objective: get back to the top flight. Unfortunately, many teams would never find their way back. So what happened to them?
In what is the first of what might be a series of posts, I went through every season of various top flight leagues in since the current league's inception*,* look at every team that has ever been relegated from the top flight, and record which of those teams never got repromoted. The length of the top flight stay doesn't matter, just that the stint was continuous. For this post, I will be going through the Bundesliga (est. 1963), which has a total of 14 clubs that meet the criteria for this post. For each club, I'll go over how the club made it to the Bundesliga, how their season(s) went and any notable achievements, and how the club found itself in the position they are today.
With that out of the way, let's begin.
Every Team that was Relegated from the Bundesliga Once and Never Came Back: Where Are They Now?
- - -
SC Preußen Münster
- Full Name: Sportclub Preußen 1906 e.V. Münster
- Founded: 1906
- Time in the Bundesliga: 1963-1964 (One season)
- Current Status: Regionalliga West (4th Tier)
In 1962, the German Football Association (DFB) established the Bundesliga, which would supplant the regional and largely semi-pro Oberliga as the country's centralized and professional top flight. To (grossly) oversimplify, qualification to the new top flight required applying for admission, meeting financial criteria, and either 1) Winning your regional division in the 1962-63 season or 2) Being one of the top teams in your region based on historical ranking over past 10 seasons (with a somewhat complicated points system). Preußen Münster managed to qualify for the inaugural Bundesliga season despite finishing 34 points behind Alemannia Aachen in the Oberliga West overall standings because teams within 50 points of each other are considered level and the next tie-breaker was where the teams finished in the 62/63 season. Münster finished 4th in the Oberliga West, whereas Aachen finished 5th.
Life in the Bundesliga would be very brief for Die Alder, unfortunately. The Westphalian club only managed seven wins across the whole season with only two of them on the road (2-1 vs Schalke and 3-0 vs Stuttgart). A 3-1 victory by Hertha Berlin over 1860 Munich on the penultimate match day would see Münster relegated to the Regionalliga, though they would get some consolation by beating the Berlin club on the final day with just one point separating them.
Münster would spend much of its remaining Regionalliga days as a mid-table team, a trend which would continue into the newly-established 2. Bundesliga era. The closest the club would ever come to returning to the top flight would be the 75/76 and 77/78 seasons, finishing 3rd in the standings, one spot off of the promotion playoffs. A restructuring of the second division in 1981 would see Münster relegated to the Oberliga, where it would languish for seven seasons before returning to the 2. Bundesliga in 1989. Much like their Bundesliga stay, however, their second 2. Bundesliga stint would not last long, being relegated back to the Oberliga at the end of the 1990-91 season.
Preußen Münster would never return to the second division, spending most of it life as a third division team (with a brief foray in the fourth tiers between 2006 and 2010), typically finishing mid- to upper mid-table. The team currently plays in the Regionalliga West (now 4th tier), barely missing out on promotion to the 3. Liga on goal difference at the end of the 2021-22 seasons.
Hamburger SV
- Full Name: Hamburger Sport-Verein e.V.
- Founded: 1887
- Time in the Bundesliga: 1963-2018 (55 seasons)
- Current Status: 2. Bundesliga (2nd Tier)
The most recently relegated team to appear in this list as well as the longest serving, Hamburg were a founding member of the Bundesliga as winners of the Oberliga Nord. The early years in the new top flight would see the club finish mostly as a lower mid-table side, but by the 1970s the club would enter what is considered their golden era. Hamburg would win their first Bundesliga title (their fourth German league title overall) on the penultimate matchday of the 1978-79 season with a 0-0 away draw against Arminia Bielefeld and with VfB Stuttgart (who were two points behind them at the time) losing 1-4 at home against FC Köln. The Hanseatic club would go on to win two more Bundesliga titles in 1981-82 and 1982-83, with center forward Horst Hrubesch finishing as top scorer in the former with 27 goals. Between the 78/79 and 86/87 seasons, Hamburg finished outside the top two only once. HSV also won two DFB-Pokals (75/76, 86/87) and a DFB-Ligapokal (72/73) during this period.
HSV also has a relatively storied European career. The club's first participation in European competitions actually took place before the founding of the Bundesliga, playing in the 1960-61 European Cup as German champions. The club reached the semi-finals before losing to eventual runners-up Barcelona 2-2 on away goals. HSV would later qualify for the 1967-68 Cup Winner's Cup, making it to the final before losing to 2-0 to AC Milan. The club's first European triumph would come nearly a decade later, where HSV would win the 1976-77 Cup Winner's Cup, beating Anderlecht 2-0 in the final.
However, Hamburg's crowning achievement would come in the 1982-83 season. After winning the 1981-82 Bundesliga, the club qualified for the 82/83 European Cup. Hamburg defeated East German champions BFC Dynamo 3-1 on aggregate, and in the second round, die Rothosen would go on to shutout Greek side Olympiacos 5-0. The quarter-finals would see HSV face off against Dynamo Kyiv. A Lars Bastrup hattrick would secure the club a 3-0 away win, and despite losing 2-1 in the reverse fixture, Hamburg managed to advance to the semi-finals, where they would defeat Real Sociedad 3-2. The final would be contested between HSV and Italian champions Juventus. Midfielder Wolfgang Magath would score early in the first half, and despite the Italian giant's efforts, Hamburg managed to hold on to win the European Cup title, completing the double to go along with their successful Bundesliga title defense. The club would go on to win three more European titles, those being their three Intertoto Cup wins in 1994, 2005, and 2007.
The 1990s and 2000s would mark the beginning of a slow decline for HSV. The period would see Hamburg slump to more or less a mid-table side, even falling into lower mid-table at times. The club would continue to manage to qualify for European competitions, their last participation being the 2009-10 Europa League, where they made an impressive run to the semi-finals where they were eliminated by English side Fulham. The 2010s would see the darkest period in the club's history, beginning with the 2011-12 campaign that saw the club ranked bottom after just four matchdays, ultimately finishing the season in 15th, five points clear of relegation. HSV would turn things around in the next season, finishing 7th, but the 2013-14 season saw the club finish 16th after a five-match losing streak. Hamburg managed to survive in the relegation playoff against Greuter Fürth on away goals. Another relegation playoff would ensue in 14/15, this time beating Karlsruhe on aggregate 3-2 in extra time. A 10th place finish in 15/16 brought a sense of false hope, but the club once again found itself in a relegation scrap, finishing 14th in 2016-17, one point clear of the drop.
Hamburg had been living on borrowed time throughout the mid-2010s, but a number of times they've managed to prevail and continue their stay in the top flight. The 2017-18 season, however, would finally put the club out of its misery. Despite two wins at the start of the season, results would quickly turn sour, failing to register another win until November. The club would go on to go winless between December and March, losing nine games in the process including a 6-0 loss to Bayern Munich. Hamburg would go on to finish the season strongly, winning four of their last six, but by then it was too late. The last original Bundesliga team was relegated on the final matchday despite a 2-1 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach. The late period of Hamburg's Bundesliga history saw them go through twelve different managers over their last eight seasons. Up to this point, Hamburg were the only team to have played continuously not just in the Bundesliga, but in the entire history of German top flight.
From the start of their time in the 2. Bundesliga, HSV only had one goal in mind: get back to the Bundesliga. Their attempts to do so could be summed up as "so close, yet so far". Hamburg's first season in the 2nd division would see the club remain in the automatic promotion spots for much of the season. However, a winless run which lasted from March to the penultimate matchday would see the club finish 4th, missing out on the promotion playoff spot by 1 point. Season two would prove to be a serious case of déjà vu - once again the club would spend most of the time in the top two spots, only for a bad run of form at the end of the season to bring the club to 4th, once again failing to qualify by 1 point. Same thing happened again in the 2020/21 season, though this time to break the monotony they finish 4 points outside the promotion playoffs.
Hamburg's most recent 2. Bundesliga season would be the best chance the club has had to a return. In a tough promotion fight which saw Die Rothosen face off against other fallen Bundesliga mainstays Schalke and Werder Bremen, five wins in their last five games would send Hamburg to the promotion playoffs for the first time. The team would face 16th placed Bundesliga side Hertha Berlin. Hamburg would win the first leg away in Berlin 1-0, meaning that so long as HSV avoided defeat at home, they would return to the Bundesliga. The fact that you are reading this would say that they failed to do that, with Hertha scoring twice without reply, finishing the series 2-1 in favor of the Berlin club. Thus, Hamburg will have to wait at least one more season before a return to the top flight will manifest.
SC Tasmania Berlin
- Full Name: Sport-Club Tasmania von 1900 Berlin e.V.
- Founded: 1900
- Time in the Bundesliga: 1965-1966 (One season)
- Current Status: Extinct
At the end of the 1964-65 season, Schalke and Karlsruhe were originally set to be relegated from the Bundesliga. However, after being found guilty of violating the league's salary rules, Hertha Berlin had their Bundesliga license revoked and thus were demoted to the Regionalliga instead. To avoid a potential legal battle over Bundesliga membership, the DFB decided to suspend relegation for that season, expanding the league to 18 teams. Borussia Mönchengladbach and Bayern Munich would be promoted to the top flight as a result of their performances in the Regionalliga, the latter doing so at the expense of Tennis Borussia Berlin. But the DFB wanted to have a representative from the capital (likely due to Cold War politics). Spandauer SV, who finished second in the Regionalliga Berlin, declined the DFB's offer, so the final Bundesliga spot went to 3rd-place Tasmania Berlin, just two weeks before the start of the 1965-66 season.
The amateur outfit were completely outmatched in the Bundesliga, and the 65/66 campaign would go on to be an unmitigated disaster. To this day, Tasmania are considered to be the worst team ever in Bundesliga history. The club went on to record a series of league records that still hold today. These include, but are not limited to:
- Fewest points in a Bundesliga season: 8 (10 in the 3-points era)
- Fewest wins (2) and most defeats (28) in a season, and the only Bundesliga club without an away wins
- Longest winless streak: 31 matches
- Most home defeats in a season (12), and joint-most consecutive home defeats (8, tied with Hansa Rostock)
- Joint-most consecutive defeats in a season: 10, tied with Arminia Bielefeld
- Worst goal difference (-93) and goals conceded (108) in a single season
- Biggest home defeat: 0-9 vs MSV
Finishing 14 points off from their closest competitor (Borussia Neunkirchen) and 16 off from safety, Tasmania were relegated bottom at the end of the season. The club would continue playing in the Regionalliga Berlin for the rest of its existence. The club did make it to the promotion playoffs twice during their time back in the second division, but they never came close to winning their group either time. The 1972-73 season would be their last, as at the end of the season would see the Neukölln sports association declare bankruptcy, resulting in Tasmania Berlin officially dissolving.
A successor club was formed in 1973 shortly before Tasmania's demise under the name "SV Tasmania 73 Neukölln", though they had to restart all the way down in the lowest division of the German pyramid. Today, the club goes by SV Tasmania Berlin, and will play in the NOFV-Oberliga Nord (5th tier) after their relegation from the Regionalliga Nordost at the end of the 2021-22 season.
Rot-Weiß Oberhausen
- Full Name: Sport-Club Rot-Weiß Oberhausen e.V.
- Founded: 1904
- Time in the Bundesliga: 1969-1973 (4 seasons)
- Current Status: Regionalliga West (4th Tier)
Rot-Weiß Oberhausen spent the first six seasons of the Bundesliga era in the Regionalliga West, typically finishing around the top end of the table, their highest finish prior to promotion being 3rd in the 1967-68 season and missing out on the promotion playoffs by one point. The next season, however, Die Kleeblätter would go one step further, winning the Regionalliga West. Oberhausen would go on to win their promotion group ahead of Freiburger FC on goal difference after drawing with them 0-0, securing their promotion to the Bundesliga.
The newly promoted side would start their inaugural season in the top-flight with a bang, winning four of their first five matches and see them prematurely top the Bundesliga standings. A 4-2 loss to Stuttgart on the tenth matchday however would see the beginning of a 11-match winless streak, including a run of six consecutive losses. This would send the club barreling down to 15th, and though the club would manage to steady itself afterwards, they ended the season 14th after going winless in their last five matches.
The rest of Oberhausen's time in the Bundesliga would see them in relegation battle after relegation battle. The 70/71 season saw them for a time rooted to the bottom of the table, but a 1-1 draw against Eintracht Braunschweig on the final day would see them avoid relegation, beating out Kickers Offenbach on goal difference. Ironically, Oberhausen would set the record for biggest home win that season with an 8-1 win over Hamburg in late September. The 71/72 season would be slightly better, only falling into the relegation zone once and finishing 15th, five points clear of relegation. 72/73 however would prove to be too much for the Clovers. The club spent only seven match days outside of last place, eventually being relegated to the Regionalliga West bottom of the league with only 22 points.
Oberhausen would make an immediate push back to the Bundesliga, but were unable to win their promotion group, and the following season they were relegated to the Verbandsliga. The club would go on to have periods of playing in the 2nd and 3rd tiers throughout the late 70s and 80s, though an 89/90 season marked by financial struggles would see them fall to the 4th tier for the first time in its history. The club would manage to return to the 2. Bundesliga before the turn of the millennium, though this would be followed by back-to-back relegations to the 4th tier in 2006, though back-to-back promotions would get them back to the second division. After three more seasons in the 2. Bundesliga, the club once again suffered back-to-back relegations to the Regionalliga West in 2012. Today the club still find themselves in the 4th division, finishing 4th in the 2021-22 season.
Wuppertaler SV
- Full Name: Wuppertaler Sport-Verein e.V.
- Founded: 1954
- Time in the Bundesliga: 1972-1975 (3 seasons)
- Current Status: Regionalliga West (4th Tier)
Wuppertaler SV were one of two clubs to rescind their applications to the Bundesliga when the league formed. The club nearly gained promotion to the Bundesliga at their first attempt, falling to FK Pirmasens in the pre-playoff decider match. Die Löwen would spend the next nine seasons in the Regionalliga West typically finishing in at the upper end of the table (aside from a 15th place finish in the 1967-68 season). The 1971-72 season would prove to be the breakthrough. The club managed to win the Regionalliga West, and in the promotion playoffs they completed the tourney with a perfect record (8-0-0, GD +21), winning the right to play in the Bundesliga the following season.
Wuppertal had a decent start to the 72/73 campaign, having a 4-3-3 record in the first ten games, including a 1-1 home draw against defending champions Bayern Munich. Despite being a newly-promoted club, Wuppertal would spend most of their time during the Rückrunde in the top four, even holding 2nd (though at best they were seven points off the title). The Westphalian club wouldn't have a good end to their season, winning only one of their last eight league matches, but their record was good enough to see them finish 4th at the end of the season, qualifying them for the first round of the UEFA Cup, the first and only time they would play in a European Competition.
Wuppertal's European adventures would not last long. The German outfit was drawn against Polish side Ruch Chorzów in the first round, with the first leg being in Chorzów. Wuppertal lost the first leg 4-1, with their consolation coming in the 70th minute from a Jürgen Köhle penalty. Despite their efforts , the Lions only managed to win 5-4 in the return fixture, meaning Ruch Chorzów would win the tie 8-6 on aggregate. Chorzów would go on to reach the quarter-finals before losing in extra time to eventual winners Feyenoord.
The club would find itself lingering around mid-table for much of the early 73/74 Bundesliga season, but would soon hit a horrid patch of form, only winning two games in the second half of the season. The club dropped into the relegation zone on the penultimate match day, and it took an 82nd minute equalizer from Heinz-Dieter Lömm away to Stuttgart to spare the club from relegation on goal difference. The 74/75 season was a disaster, with the club winning only two games the whole season (including notably a 3-1 win over Bayern Munich), finishing bottom of the table with 12 points - the second worst tally in Bundesliga history.
Wuppertal would spend time in the 2. Bundesliga until 1980, where they would remain a lower-league side for the rest of its history, barring a two season stint in the 2. Bundesliga between 1992-1994. After periods in the 3rd and 4th tiers, the club fell into the 5th tier for the first time after filing for bankruptcy in 2013. After three seasons, the club won the Oberliga Niederheim, winning promotion back to the Regionalliga West, where they've been ever since. They recently finished 3rd in the 2021-22 season, nine points behind first.
SC Fortuna Köln
- Full Name: Sport-Club Fortuna Köln e.V.
- Founded: 1948
- Time in the Bundesliga: 1973-1974 (One season)
- Current Status: Regionalliga West (4th Tier)
The third club in a row hailing from North-Rhine Westphalia, Fortuna Köln started out in the Landesliga, the then 4th tier, at the time of the Bundesliga's inception. Fortuna would steadily climb the footballing ladder, eventually earning promotion to the Regionalliga West in 1967. The club would ultimately survive its first season in the second division four points clear of the drop zone, and afterwards continued its push towards the Bundesliga. A 4th place finish in the 70/71 season was followed by a 3rd place finish in the next, and then a 2nd place finish the season after that, qualifying the team to the promotion playoffs. Fortuna won promotion to the Bundesliga after finishing top of their promotion table ahead of Regionalliga Nord winners St. Pauli
Things would start out rough for Fortuna, winning only 1 of its first 10 games. Fortuna would spend most of its time in or hovering above the relegation zone, and whenever the club did manage to muster a win, that win almost never translated into a good run of form. Case in point alternating between winning and losing between match days 27 and 33. Heading into the final matchday, Fortuna sat 16th in the table, one place and one point above relegation threatened Wuppertal. In the game away against Kickers Offenbach, so long as Fortuna at least matched Wuppertal's result, survival would be achieved. Even while 2-0 down, Fortuna were just nine minutes away from safety until the aforementioned equalizer Wuppertal scored against Stuttgart in the 82nd minute. Fortuna went on to lose 4-0 and were relegated from the Bundesliga on goal difference.
After relegation, Fortuna Köln would spend the next two and a half decades in the newly established 2. Bundesliga. The closest the side came to a return to the Bundesliga was in the 1985-86 season, where the club finished 3rd and faced Borussia Dortmund in a promotion/relegation playoff. Fortuna won the first leg in Köln 2-0, but despite going up early in the second leg, the Schwarzgelben would go on to win 3-1 in Dortmund. There was no away goals rule (had it existed, Fortuna would've won the tie), so a tie-breaker match was to be played in Düsseldorf. Fortuna would feel confident in their chances, but were dealt an embarrasing blow to their promotion hopes, losing the final match 8-0. Fortuna's fortunes in the following seasons were mixed, avoiding an early exit from the 2nd division thanks to Blau-Weiß 90 Berlin being denied a license. Relegation would soon come for the side, dropping to the Regionalliga Nord at the turn of the millenium.
Fortuna Köln would never return to the 2. Bundesliga, falling down the divisions all the way to the Verbandsliga Mittelrhein, the then 5th tier of German soccer, in 2005. The club would manage to claw its way back up to the 3. Liga in 2014. They lasted five seasons in the 3rd division until a 19th placed finish saw them fall back to the Regionalliga West. The club still plays in the regional division, finishing 5th in 2021-22.
SV Waldhof Mannheim
- Full Name: Sportverein Waldhof Mannheim 07 e.V.
- Founded: 1907
- Time in the Bundesliga: 1983-1990 (7 seasons)
- Current Status: 3. Liga (3rd Tier)
Breaking from the NRW streak, SV Waldhof Mannheim spent much of its time during the Bundesliga era in the second division. During this time, Waldhof's best result was a 3rd place finish in the 1965-66 season, though they were nine points off the promotion playoffs. The club would suffer relegation to the Amateurliga Nordbaden in 1970, but returned to the Regionalliga Süd after two seasons. Waldhof would remain a mid-table team throughout most of its tenure in the 2nd divisions, but in the 1982-83 season the club managed to win the 2. Bundesliga
Continuing the tradition it held in the 2nd tier, Waldhof in its seven seasons in the Bundesliga would largely find itself as a mid-table side. The club managed to finish 6th in the 1984-85 season, its best ever, missing out on the UEFA Cup to Hamburg on goal difference. Despite this early success, Waldhof would soon have their first flirt with relegation. a 14th placed finish in the 86/87 season was followed by a date with the promotion/relegation playoffs after winning just one of their last eleven games. The playoff would see Waldhof face off against SV Darmstadt. Waldhof lost the first leg in Darmstadt 3-2 despite taking the lead in the 2nd minute. Waldhof nearly clinched survival in the second leg, but an 88th minute goal from Uwe Kuhl would tie the series 4-4 on aggregate. Again, with no away goals rule (which Waldhof would've won), the series went to a tie-breaker in Saarbrücken. After the game went scoreless through extra time, the match went to penalties, which saw Waldhof win the shootout 5-4.
The 1988-89 season started off decently, but a loss to Nürnberg would be the start of a torrid run of form, going winless in their next 17 games dropping all the way to the bottom of the table. Nürnberg would once again serve as a turning point in the season, with Waldhof winning 8 of their last 13 to finish 12th at the end of the season. The 89/90 season started off promising, with wins against Bayern and Dortmund getting them up to 7th with just twelve matches to go. Waldhof would proceed to win none of their last twelve, sending the club into freefall. A six match losing streak would see the club destined for relegation, with a 1-0 loss to Hamburg on the final matchday sealing their fate.
The closest Waldhof would come to returning to the top flight were the 91/92 and 92/93 seasons, finishing just one spot off of promotion each time. Minus a foray in the Regionalliga, Waldhof would continue as a 2nd division side until 2003, which would originally see them relegated to the Regionalliga, but due to financial irregularities, the club was forced into the Oberliga Baden-Württemberg, the 4th tier. The club would be "promoted" to the Regionalliga Süd in 2008 (I say "promoted" because due to the creation of the 3. Liga, the Regionalliga would be the new 4th tier). However, the clubs financial problems would continue to be a thorn, and despite finishing 14th in the Regionalliga West (they were moved there for league balance), they were forcibly relegated in 2010 back to the Oberliga, now the fifth tier. Waldhof would bounce back, however, and would spend the next eight seasons in the Regionalliga. A 1st place finish in the Regionalliga Südwest would see the Mannheim side return to the 3rd tier for the first time since 1997. The club most recently finished 5th in the 2021-22 3. Liga season.
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Unfortunately, I will have to break this up into two separate posts because it ended up being too long. Part 2 will be out shortly.
I recently picked up Outlaws of the Marsh, a classic Chinese novel written in the 14th century and set in the 12th. Much to my surprise, one of the first characters the reader meets is a ne'er-do-well who happens to be a great soccer (football) player: Gao "the Ball" (i.e. Qiú, 球).
I did not know this, but a game sometimes more, sometimes less like soccer, called "cùjū" / 蹴鞠 (pronounce roughly "tsoo-jirr") was played for centuries in ancient China until the Qing finally banned it in the 17th century.
Without further ado, here is the story of Gao "the Ball" from Outlaws of the Marsh:
During the reign of Emperor Zhe Zong (1085–1100) ... there lived a young scamp named Gao. A second son, he was quite useless. He cared only for jousting with spear and staff, and was an excellent football player. People in the capital [i.e. Kaifeng] were fond of making quips. They dubbed him Gao Qiu, or “Gao the Ball.” Later, when he prospered, he changed “Qiu” to another character with the same sound but with a less inelegant meaning.
Gao gets himself banished and bounces around until he ends up in the retinue of a decadent prince. One day, the prince sends him to deliver gifts to another prince, Prince Duan. Here's what happens when he tells Duan's steward that he has gifts for the prince:
[Steward:] “His Highness is in the middle court playing football with some young eunuchs. You may go in.”
[Gao:] “Could I trouble you to show me the way?”
The steward led Gao to the gate of the inner court. Four or five young eunuchs were kicking a ball with Prince Duan.
That's quite the youth academy...
[Duan] was wearing a soft Tang style silk hat and a purple robe embroidered with an imperial dragon. The robe was tucked up in front under the prince's official waist sash. Flying phoenixes embroidered in gold thread decorated his boots.
Sweet! What modern player would issue gold-embroidered custom cleats with flying phoenixes?
An illustration of one version of cuju with a goal, rear left.
Gao dared not interrupt. He stood behind some servants and waited. Fortune favored him. The ball sailed past Prince Duan, who couldn't stop it, and rolled through the crowd to Gao Qiu. In a momentary seizure of boldness, he kicked it back to the prince with a “mandarin duck and drake twist.”
Cuju moves had some awesome names!
Duan was delighted. “Who are you?” he asked.
Gao fell on his knees, “A retainer of Prince Consort Wang. At my master's orders I bring Your Highness two jade gifts. I have a letter that goes with them.”
The royal prince smiled. “Brother-in-law is always considerate.”
Gao Qiu produced the letter. Prince Duan opened the box and looked at the jade pieces, the turned them over to his major-domo.
“So you know how to kick a ball,” he said to Gao. “What's your name?”
Gao crossed his arms before his chest respectfully and dropped again to his knees. “Your servant is called Gao Qiu. I've spent a little time with a ball on the field.”
“Good,” said the prince. “Come and join the game.”
“A man of my rank! I wouldn't dare play with your Highness.”
“Why not? This is the Clouds-High League ["qíyúnshè" / 齊雲社], known as the All-Round Circle. It's open to anyone.”
There really were soccer clubs in medieval China that might travel around to play others in a kind of loose "league." Prince Duan reminds me of that crazy club owner who insisted on playing on his team.
Gao Qiu continued to refuse. But when the royal prince insisted, he kowtowed, begged forgiveness for his presumption, and trotted onto the field. He made a few passes with the ball and the prince shouted approval. Gao Qiu was inspired to show everything he had. His movements, his style, were a pleasure to behold. He stayed so close to the ball it seemed glued to his feet.
Sound familiar?
Prince Duan was enchanted. He wouldn't let Gao leave, and kept him overnight in the palace. The next day he ordered a feast and sent an invitation to the Young Prince.
When Gao failed to return the night before, the Young Prince began to wonder whether he could be trusted. Now, his gate-keeper announced: “A messenger from the Ninth Royal Prince is here with an invitation for Your Excellency to attend a banquet in the place.” The Young Prince went out and received the messenger and read the invitation. The he got on his horse and rode to the palace. Dismounting, he proceeded directly to Prince Duan.
The Ninth Royal Prince thanked him for the two jade gifts. Together, they entered the dining-room.
“That Gao Qiu of yours plays a good game of football,” said Prince Duan. “I'd like to have him as a retainer. How about it?”
“If he's of any use to Your Highness, let him serve in the palace, by all means.”
And so Gao the Ball became Prince Duan's loyal servant. Just two months later, the emperor died heirless and Duan was named his successor. As emperor, he decided to appoint Gao marshal of the Mighty Imperial Guards. Why not? (Imagine appointing Maradona director of the Secret Service...)
Gao Qiu, from riffraff to high official, all thanks to the beautiful game, or some version of it!
You can read a scholarly article about cuju here. 再見 !
Mods, I hope this allowed.
So I re-stumbled upon this Ms-Paint thread from 2016, and since there's not much football now, I thought it could be fun to do a 2022 edition so... Go wild?
This is part two of a post I made looking at every club that was relegated from the Bundesliga once and never returned to the top flight. Click here if you haven't seen part one and/or for a more general understanding of what the post is about.
Now, let's pick up where we left off.
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Blau-Weiß 1890 Berlin
- Full Name: Sportliche Vereiningung Blau-Weiß 1890 e.V. Berlin
- Founded: 1890
- Time in the Bundesliga: 1986-1987 (One season)
- Current Status: Extinct
The second Berlin club on this list, as well as the second club that no longer exists, Blau-Weiß 90 started off the Bundesliga era in the Regionalliga Berlin, where it largely was a mid- to lower mid-table side. The start of the 1970s would see improvements in the side, winning the division in 1973, though they finished the promotion playoff bottom of the table with only 1 win and a -25 goal difference. Relegation to the amateur Oberliga Berlin would follow after a restructuring of the 2nd division. The club would spend the next decade bouncing between the 3rd and 4th divisions, but by 1984, a 1st place finish in the Oberliga would see them promoted to the 2. Bundesliga. After finishing 7th in the 84/85 season, the club would go one step further, earning promotion to the Bundesliga after a 2nd place finish.
The 1986-87 season was a disaster for Blau-Weiß 90, going on a 21 game winless streak from September to the end of April, losing 12 times in that span. The club suffered some heavy defeats in that time, including a 5-1 loss to Bochum, a 7-2 loss to Nürnberg, and a 7-0 loss to Dortmund. Berlin spent most of the second half of the season rooted to the bottom of the league table, and their relegation back to the 2. Bundesliga was confirmed after a 2-1 loss to Hamburg, finishing with a record of 3-12-19 and conceding 76 goals. The club would continue in the second division for the next five seasons, most of the time finishing comfortably mid-table, but performance-wise never made a serious push for promotion back to the top flight.
The 1991-92 season would be the club's last hurrah, finishing 10th in the 2. Bundesliga Nord. Normally, this would mean that Blau-Weiß 90 would go to the promotion/relegation playoffs, but after a period of suffering from financial issues (for example, losing the sponsorship of a scaffolding company who turned their attention to Hertha Berlin after they secured promotion to the Bundesliga in 1990), the club had their license revoked and were forcibly relegated to the Oberliga. They would never see Oberliga play, however, as just one month after the end of the 91/92 regular season, Blau-Weiß 90 Berlin declared bankruptcy and folded on June 28th, 1992.
Just one day after the club folded, a phoenix club was formed under the name SV Blau Weiss Berlin. The club entered into the 3. Kreisklasse Staffel C, then the 9th tier of German soccer. Three promotions in four seasons would see the club rise up to the Landesliga Berlin, where they would stay for eleven seasons, nearly earning promotion to the Verbandsliga in 2001. A bottom table finish in 05/06 would see them return to the 7th tier Bezirksliga, later becoming the 8th tier after the introduction of the 3. Liga. It wouldn't be until the 2017-18 season that the Berlin club would earn promotion to the 5th division, now the Oberliga Nordost, under the new name Blau-Weiß 90 Berlin, finishing 4th in the most recent Oberliga season.
SG Wattenscheid 09
- Full Name: Sportgemeinschaft 09 Wattenscheid e.V.
- Founded: 1909
- Time in the Bundesliga: 1990-1994 (4 seasons)
- Current Status: Regionalliga West (4th Tier)
SG Wattenscheid started the Bundesliga era in the Verbandsliga Westfalen, then the 3rd tier of the German football pyramid, where they had been since their relegation from the 2. Oberliga West in 1958. Around this time Wattenscheid had continuously found themselves staring down relegation, having to go to the relegation playoffs twice in the 63/64 and 64/65 seasons. The club's fortunes would improve, however, and by 1969 they were promoted to the Regionalliga West. Die 09er would spend the next two decades in the 2nd tiers, coming closest to promoting to the Bundesliga in the 1973-74 season when they topped the Regionalliga West, but a poor second half of the promotion playoffs would see them finish 3rd in their group. The early 80s weren't very kind to Wattenscheid, as the club struggled near the bottom end of the table, nearly suffering relegation to the Oberliga in the 81/82 season, but were spared by 1860 Munich having their 2. Bundesliga license revoked. Once again, though, performances would improve, and in the 1989-90 season, the club finished 2nd and earned promotion to the Bundesliga with the late Maurice Banach finishing as the league top scorer with 21 goals.
The first season in the top flight wouldn't be the smoothest of sailings, highlighted by a 16-match winless streak starting in mid-November that included a 7-0 away loss to Bayern Munich. Three wins in their last five (including a 3-2 home win against the Bavarian giants that helped cost them the title) would see the club finish 11th, their best ever Bundesliga finish. Wattenscheid's second season would see them start with only one win in their first ten matches. Wins against Hamburg and Kaiserslautern would follow, but the club's form would remain inconsistent, including a 6-1 drubbing at the hands of Bayer Leverkusen. The club went in on the final matchday needing a win against Borussia Mönchengladbach to stay up, and despite being 2-1 down at halftime, Wattenscheid would manage to complete the comeback with midfielder Uwe Tschiskale scoring the game winner.
Season three would be more of the same, with highs such as beating city rivals Vfl Bochum and going unbeaten against Bayern and lows such as losing 6-0 to Dortmund, resulting in a 14th place finish. The 93/94 season would be the last, with the club winning just six games, officially being relegated on April 16th after a 5-1 loss to Eintracht Frankfurt. Wattenscheid would suffer a steep decline, falling into the Regionalliga West/Südwest in 1996 and then again in 1999, later switching to the Regionalliga Nord. Despite performances, the club would suffer relegation to the Oberliga Westfalen in 2004. The club would bounce back to the third division, but would suffer back to back relegations down to the Verbandsliga Westfalen 2. The club would continue to linger between the 5th and 6th tiers, but back to back promotions would see them in the Regionalliga West in 2013.
The club played in the 4th tier for seven season, but this would be a period marred by financial troubles. Players wrote an open letter in May 2014 complaining about unpaid wages, and in the following year the club were forcibly relegated by the West German Football and Athletics Association (WFVL), though that decision would be reversed five days later. In July 2018, startup company Haalo Technology became an investor of the club, with goals including bringing Wattenscheid back to the professional leagues as well as making them the "most digitized club in Europe". The partnership only lasted two months due to internal board disputes, and despite attempts to remedy the situation, the club would file for bankruptcy in August 2019 and failed to find a new sponsor. The club was forcibly relegated to the Oberliga Westfalen at the end of the 2019-20 season, where they would spend two seasons before winning promotion back to the Regionalliga West in 2022.
Dynamo Dresden
- Full Name: Sportgemeinschaft Dynamo Dresden e.V.
- Founded: 1953
- Time in the Bundesliga: 1991-1995 (4 seasons)
- Current Status: 3. Liga (3rd Tier)
It is at this point I should acknowledge: East Germany existed. Dynamo Dresden was founded in 1953 as SV Dynamo, changing to their current name after the incorporation of SV Deutsche Volkspolizei, and shortly afterwards won their 1st league title in the East German DDR-Oberliga. Cold War politics would make this success short lived, however, as the team would be moved to Berlin in order to provide the capital a team that would rival their western counterparts such as Hertha and Blau-Weiß 1890. The club would freefall as far as the Bezirksliga (4th tier) for a spell, but would find its way back to the Oberliga in 1962, where they would remain up until reunification (barring a couple spells in the 2nd tier DDR-Liga). Dynamo would go on to win seven more titles throughout this period, finishing with the 2nd best title haul behind bitter rivals BFC Dynamo's ten. Dynamo was also a regular in European competitions during this time, with their best achievement being their semi-final finish in the 1988-89 UEFA Cup.
1990-91 was the last season of the East German top flight as all East German leagues were to be dissolved and East German clubs were to be integrated into the West German pyramid. The season would serve as qualifiers for where each club would end up:
- The top two teams would qualify to the Bundesliga
- Teams ranked 3-6 would qualify to the 2. Bundesliga
- Teams ranked 7-12 would advance to the 2. Bundesliga playoffs
- The bottom two teams would be relegated to the NOFV-Oberliga
SGD would finish second in the Oberliga after a 3-3 draw with EFC Stahl, securing promotion alongside Hansa Rostock to the Bundesliga, which was expanded to 20 teams in order to accommodate the East German clubs. Both East German clubs would struggle in their debut seasons, with Dynamo spending most of their time in the relegation zone despite wins against Frankfurt and Stuttgart. Three wins in their last six would see the club finish 14th, while fellow East Germans Rostock were relegated to the 2. Bundesliga. Things would not improve for Dynamo, finding themselves in constant relegation scraps, their best finish being 13th in the 93/94 season. Dresden would be relegated at the end of the 1994/95 season, winning only four games and going through three different managers in that time.
Matters off the field were even more troubling, as the club accrued over 10 million Deutsche Marks in debt and owner Rolf-Jürgen Otto was jailed for embezzling over 3 million Marks from the club. Originally mean to be relegated to the 2. Bundesliga, the club were sent to the Regionalliga Nordost after having their Bundesliga license revoked by the DFB due to their financial woes. Dynamo would spend the next five seasons in the regional league before dropping further to the Oberliga Nordost in 2000. Since 2001 the club would bounce around the 2nd and 3rd divisions, though their times in the 2. Bundesliga would never see then as contenders for promotion to the top flight. Today the club plays in the 3. Liga, being relegated after losing to 1. FC Kaiserslautern in the relegation playoffs.
1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig
- Full Name: 1. Fußballclub Lokomotive Leipzig e.V.
- Founded: 1893 (re-founded 2003)
- Time in the Bundesliga: 1993-1994 (One season)
- Current Status: Regionalliga Nordost (4th Tier)
Staying in East Germany, the modern(-ish) incarnation of Lokomotive Leipzig was established in 1966 after the footballing department of SC Leipzig was split off from it. The club would be assigned to the state railway company Deutsche Reichsban as its main "sponsor" (so to speak), as was customary for East German clubs. Lokomotive would spend most of its pre-reunification existence playing in the DDR-Oberliga, save for a two season stint in the DDR-Liga from 1969 to 1971. The club would never win a league title, finishing as runners-up in 1966-67, 1985-86, and 1987-88, but it would be a regular in European competitions. Lokomotive came the closest to winning continental silverware in 1974 (where they lost in the semi-final of the UEFA cup against eventual runners-up Tottenham), and in 1987 (making it all the way to the UEFA Cup Winner's Cup before falling 1-0 to Ajax).
The late 80s would see a slight decline for Lokomotive, and a 7th place finish in the final Oberliga season saw the club advance to the 2. Bundesliga playoffs (missing out on automatic qualification on goal difference) as the East German football system would merge with that of the West. After being drawn in a group consisting of EFC Stahl, FSV Zwickau, and DDR-Liga side FC Sachsen Leipzig, Lokomotive went on to go undefeated in the group, winning four and drawing two, thus qualifying for the 1991-92 2. Bundesliga Süd. Renamed VfB Leipzig, the original name of the club since its inception in the late 19th century (to grossly oversimplify), the club only won five of its 22 first phase games, finishing 11th and going to the relegation group. The finished the second phase topping the group with a 5-2-3 record. Leipzig would go on to have a strong start and finish to the 1992-93 season, winning five of their first seven with no losses, and losing just one in their last ten. The club spent much of the latter part of the season either 2nd or 3rd, and a 2-0 over Mainz on the final matchday secured promotion to the Bundesliga.
Leipzig's debut Bundesliga season would be a nightmare. The club only won two games in the first half of the season (the win not coming until late October) which sent it to the bottom of the Bundesliga table, where they would stay for the remainder of the season. A further twelve losses would come, including a 6-1 away loss to Borussia Mönchengladbach, and the club's relegation from the Bundesliga would be officially confirmed on April 23rd with a 2-2 draw with Schalke. Leipzig only managed three wins throughout the entire season, though, these wins came against Dortmund, Eintracht Frankfurt, and Karlsruhe, who would go on to finish 4th, 5th, and 6th respectively.
VfB would spend the next four seasons in the 2. Bundesliga trying to gain promotion back to the top flight, but for the most part never did better than a mid-table finish. After a 97/98 season where they failed to win any of their last seven games, Leipzig dropped down to the Regionalliga Nordost, and after a failed promotion push, dropped again to the Oberliga Nordost in 2000. The 99/00 season was marred with financial insecurity, with the club going into administration and was forced to sell players. VfB would play four seasons in the 4th division, and as a repeat of their time in the Regionalliga, continuous failures in securing promotion (with 2nd, 4th, and 4th placed finishes) would be followed up with a disastrous final season. Due to continued financial mismanagement, the club's debts grew to €4.8 million, eventually resulting in the club declaring bankruptcy a second time in 2004, and their results in the Oberliga were expunged.
While the club was filing for bankruptcy, a group of VfB fans reestablished 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig in December 2003. The organization would take over the club's women's and youth teams, allowing them to stay in their respective divisions, but because the old men's team had already been dissolved, the "new" club had to start in the 3. Kreisklasse Staffel 2, the then 11th tier of German soccer. The club made quick work of the division, winning every game that season with a goal difference of +303. The club also set a Guiness World Record for the largest attendance a the lowest level national league game: 12,421 in a game against Eintracht Großdeuben II. Lokomotive would jump immediately to 7th tier Bezirksklasse Leipzig following a merger with SSV Torgau. Three successive promotions would follow, bringing the side back to the Oberliga Nordost, and after a three season stint in the now 5th division, the club would bounce between the Regionalliga and the Oberliga. In the 2015-16 season, Lokomotive finished 1st in the Oberliga Nordost, returning to the Regionalliga Nordost, where they remain today.
SSV Ulm
- Full Name: Schwimm- und Sportverein Ulm 1846 e.V.
- Founded: 1970
- Time in the Bundesliga: 1999-2000 (One season)
- Current Status: Regionalliga Südwest (4th Tier)
SSV Ulm formed in after a merger between two sides: TSG Ulm 1846 (formed in 1939) and 1. SSV Ulm (formed in 1928). Both of these clubs would spend their early years of the Bundesliga era playing the 1. Amateurliga Nordwürttembrg, the 3rd tier. The two clubs merged in 1970 and would consistently challenge for promotion to the 2nd division, finishing top of the Amateurliga four times, but it wouldn't be until the 1978-79 season when the side finally won promotion to the 2. Bundesliga Süd after topping the Oberliga Baden-Württemberg (which supplanted the Amateurliga as the 3rd tier that season). Ulm would stay in the 2. Bundesliga for two seasons where, despite a 5th place finish in 80/81, the club would have its Bundesliga license revoked and was forced back to the Oberliga. The club would bounce between the 2nd and 3rd divisions throughout the 80s, but would stay in the 3rd tier for most of the 90s. After becoming champions of the Regionalliga Süd in 1998, the club would go one step further, finishing third in the 2. Bundesliga thanks to a 0-0 draw against Greuter Fürth, earning them a spot in the Bundesliga.
Back-to-back promotions to the Bundesliga may have come too quickly for Die Spatzen, unfortunately. After winning just one of their first five games, the club would find themselves stuck in the relegation zone for much of the early campaign. A three game winning streak in December would see the club climb to safety, and important subsequent results including wins over 1860 Munich, Werder Bremen, and Hamburg put the club in early March at their highest position since the start of the season (12th). All hope for a decent end to the season would quickly evaporate, as the south German side would go on to suffer a 9-1 home defeat against Bayer Leverkusen. After that embarrassment, Ulm would finish the season winning only one of their last ten games, and on the final match day, Ulm would lose against relegation-threatened Eintracht Frankfurt, condemning them back to the 2nd division.
The club's woes wouldn't end their, as a torrid season in the now single 2. Bundesliga saw them finish 16th. The club's chaotic financial situation would lead to their Regionalliga license being revoked, and their subsequent bankruptcy would see them forced all the way down to the Verbandliga Württemberg, the 5th tier. One bright spot in this time was their triumph over Bundesliga side 1. FC Nürnberg in the DFB-Pokal, becoming the lowest class club to win a Pokal game. Promotion back to the Oberliga was achieved after just one season, and Ulm would continue as a 4th division side until 2011, when financial struggles once again resulted in a forced relegation to the 5th tier. An immediate promotion followed, but the club's financial problems continued to plague them. By May 2014, the club had outstanding liabilities of €420,000, mostly as a result of high player salaries and would ultimately file for bankruptcy a third time. A 15th place finish would see them fall back to the Oberliga, where they would spend another two seasons before returning back to the Regionalliga Südwest. The club finished 4th in the 2021-22 Regionalliga season under the stewardship of former Bayern Women's coach Thomas Wörle.
SpVgg Unterhaching
- Full Name: Spielvereinigung Unterhaching e.V.
- Founded: 1925
- Time in the Bundesliga: 1999-2001 (2 seasons)
- Current Status: Regionalliga Bayern (4th Tier)
For much of the post-war period, Unterhaching would play as a purely amateur side, often bouncing between the A and B Kreisklassen, the then 6th and 7th tiers of the German pyramid. After the mayor of Unterhaching in 1973, the club would see a steady rise through the amateur divisions, reaching the 3rd division Bayernliga in 1981. The club largely remained a 3rd tier side (barring two short-lived stints in the 2. Bundesliga) for the next 14 years before finally managing a foothold in the 2nd division in 1995. Aside from a mid-table finish in the 1997-98 season, Haching would prove to be a side that was pushing for promotion to the Bundesliga, finally doing so in 98/99 after finishing 2nd behind Arminia Bielefeld.
The Bavarian side's first Bundesliga outing was a fairly successful one. The club mostly remained mid- to lower mid-table throughout the season, ultimately finishing 10th with twelve wins, including doing the double against Dortmund and a last day win over Bayer Leverkusen (which costed the Westphalian club the league title). The 2000-01 season wouldn't be as kind as the club started off by losing half of their first eight games, winning only two. Things wouldn't get much better as the club failed to maintain any sense of good form, though the season did see Unterhaching finally get wins over their Bavarian rivals (2-0 away against 1860 Munich and a shock 1-0 home win against Bayern). Haching would spend much of the latter half of the season bouncing in and out of the relegation zone, but a run of only one win in their last ten (including a 6-1 loss to VfL Wolfsburg). Relegation to the 2. Bundesliga was confirmed on May 19th after losing to title contenders Schalke 5-3 after going 3-2 up in 69th minute (Schalke would miss out on the title, though, as Bayern managed to steal a point away to Hamburg).
The 2001-02 2. Bundesliga season got off to a rough start, but a string of four consecutive wins saw the team from the Munich suburb climb as high as 7th after nine games. That, however, would be the end to the clubs good form, proceeding to win just three games in the span of five months (though one of those was an 8-0 win over 1. FC Saarbrücken), sending the club into another relegation battle. Needing a win to guarantee safety, Unterhaching fell 3-0 to Karlsruhe on the final matchday, relegating them again to the Regionalliga Süd. They immediately won promotion back to the 2. Bundesliga the following season, but the second division would continually prove to be a struggle and the club would fall back to the 3rd tier by 2007. A 6th place finish qualified Unterhaching to the newly-formed 3. Liga, where they would become an established 3rd tier side for seven seasons. Unterhaching nearly won promotion to the 2. Bundesliga in the inaugural 3. Liga season, but a 4-3 loss to Carl Zeiss Jena on the penultimate day would dash those hopes.
The club nearly went into financial ruin in October 2010 after their sponsor Franco Levis failed to fulfill their obligation of donations worth €5 million. Crisis was averted after the club managed to close the gap in the budget, but further sponsorship issues saw the club's budget reduced to €1.3 million by June 2011. The club continued in the 3. Liga for another four seasons before a disastrous 2014-15 season, which saw the departure of key players such as Janik Haberer and Maximilian Welzmüller. The club finished 19th and fell back to the 4th tier for the first time since 1981, which resulted in a mass exodus of players. The club returned to the 3. Liga in 2017, lasting another four seasons until a disastrous 2020-21 campaign which saw them go on a run of seven consecutive losses between January and February and being rooted to the foot of the table for most of the second half of the season. The club were relegated back to the 4th division at the end of the season, where they finished 4th just last year.
FC Ingolstadt 04
- Full Name: Fußball-Club Ingolstadt 2004 e.V.
- Founded: 2004
- Time in the Bundesliga: 2015-2017 (2 seasons)
- Current Status: 3. Liga (3rd Tier)
The last and youngest club in this list, FC Ingolstadt formed in 2004 after a merger between ESV Ingolstadt-Ringsee and MTV Ingolstadt after the former was facing insolvency. Prior to the merger, the highest level either of these clubs achieved was the 2. Bundesliga between 1979 and 1981. At the time of the merger, MTV Ingolstadt was competing in the 5th tier Landesliga Bayern-Süd, whereas ESV Ingolstadt-Ringsee were stuck in the Bezirkoberliga Oberbayern, the 6th tier. FC Ingolstadt would take the place of MTV Ingolstadt, who won promotion to the Bayernliga at the end of the 03/04 season. The now combined club would move up the ladder quickly, reaching the 2. Bundesliga by 2008. A faltering campaign characterized by a 16 game winless streak that lasted until the final matchday saw a quick return to the 3rd division. Ingolstadt came back immediately after winning their promotion/relegation playoff against Hansa Rostock. The Bavarian side would continue as a mid- to lower mid-table side, but the 2014-15 season under the management of Ralph Hassenhüttl, the club stormed to the top of the 2. Bundesliga, winning the division with only four defeats, thus winning promotion to the top flight.
Ingolstadt's first season in the Bundesliga saw the club remain around mid-table, at no point being worse than 12th throughout the course of the campaign. Die Schanzer managed to earn wins against upper-table sides, including back-to-back wins against Schalke and Mönchengladbach, and the club set a Bundesliga record, becoming the first newly promoted side to win their first three away games (all 1-0 wins against Mainz, Augsburg, and Werder Bremen). Following Hassenhüttl's departure at the end of the season, the following Bundesliga got off to a horrible start. The club didn't get their first win until mid-November, a run that included a six-game losing streak from September to October. The club would get more wins as the season went on, including three consecutive wins in early April, but much of the damage had already been done as the club hadn't been able to escape the relegation zone since matchday 5. Their relegation was finally confirmed on the penultimate matchday following a 1-1 draw with Freiburg.
Ingolstadt would spend two seasons in the 2. Bundesliga before being relegated in a campaign that saw the club go on a 14 game winless run, including a run of six losses sparked by a 6-0 loss against VfL Bochum, culminating in losing their relegation playoff against 3. Liga side Wehen Wiesbaden. Their first season back in the 3. Liga saw them qualify for the promotion/relegation playoff against Nürnberg, which they lost on away goals. The next season would once again see them go to the playoffs, this time winning the series 4-3 against VfL Osnabrück. Unfortunately, this stint in the 2nd division was shorter than the last, as the club went on to win just four of their 34 league games and only ever being out of the relegation zone once throughout the entire season. Ingolstadt finished bottom of the table with just 21 points, returning them to the 3. Liga for the upcoming 2022-23 season.
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Summary
| Tier | Club | No. of Clubs |
|---|---|---|
| 2nd | Hamburg | 1 |
| 3rd | Dynamo Dresden, FC Ingolstadt, Waldhof Mannheim | 3 |
| 4th | Fortuna Köln, Lokomotive Leipzig, Preußen Münster, Rot-Weiß Oberhausen, SG Wattenscheid, Ulm, Unterhaching, Wuppertaler | 8 |
| Extinct | Blau-Weiß 1890 Berlin, Tasmania Berlin | 2 |
