1. FC Kaiserslautern - My Love - My Heart
First of all please forgive if that post sounds German and is not perfect in English grammar style - but it is written from the heart of a supporter that misses the good ole times
Trying to express my thoughts toward the best (or better favourite) sports team I have - currently it makes me sad to write and think about them as we have entered for the first time in history the 3rd division in German Football.
Kaiserslautern is a club of huge tradition. A club that never was rich or had big sponsors at all. But a club that was even German champion in 1998, that time they managed to win with one of the lowest existing budgets of the league coming straight from division 2 and to defeat the usual champion Bayern Munich - great memories. Since then the club and its success slowly declined until the low point now - division 3. Before I tell you why it is my favourite club - let me tell you some background why K-Town (a nickname for Kaiserslautern - think based on US Army that was populating the entire region after the war) is no weber of the elite top 18 German club scene anymore. It started when the US army left the region because of the German re-unification - the entire region lost a lot in terms of great US guys but also economic strength. The US soldiers have been a huge backbone of business in Rhineland-Palatinate. It is a bit similar like the Eastern Germany parts - people are leaving the region as there are no major job opportunities, no big companies, no money. It has been that way already when the US soldiers were here but the environment has worsened since then.
The club and its supporters always been a special bunch of ecosystem. Young and ambitious players from the region have been proud to play for this club - with their heart and all they good put forward. Money was never the motivating factor because they easily could earn 10 times more at other clubs already 40 years ago. The supporters and the players have been a team and this has gone lost. Kaiserslautern has a tradition of educating and finding great talents that became great players later - they are still good in this but the young ones leave earlier and earlier from the age of 16 or so. Hence the club struggles since 15 years to present a squad of good players from the region that do identify themselves with this club - the rich clubs (not going to name them) are seducing the talents with easy cash and I understand that a sports professional only has a certain time in life to earn from this - so it is natural they leave for better financial opportunity. The club had to hire tier 2 players that never had the Betze feeling (Betzenberg is the name of the small city hill where the stadium is located hence also the team / supporters relation is not as intense as it has been.
But now on to the great times and why I love that team!
I actually think I already described why it was my favourite team above actually. An entire region is united for the love of one club - in the past the fans and teams built the ideal ecosystem. I was a football player at Wormatia Worms - the major club of my home town also in Rhineland- Palatinate - until I got my three serious knee injuries. Since then I was a sports fan only. Playing Wormatia you had no major love for Kaiserslautern as of the regional competition but all changed when I did visit my first ever match in the stadium and the atmosphere of the crowd in the stadium rocked my heart and made me addictive for this club and its environment.
Took not long I had my annual pass and was watching nearly every match at home and even was travelling to away matches. During my times as an addicted supporter we won two times the German championship - 1991 and 1998 - and below some visuals and details what happened. The final match of the 1991 season, when Kaiserslautern won 6-2 in Cologne, was one of my highlights in life. I was the driver that time with my old Opel Kadett and returning from Cologne the entire freeway (Autobahn) was full of red and white color (Kaiserslautern club colours). All cars on the freeway where red and white - even fans of others clubs where shouting and celebrating with us as we became champion and everyone hated (still the case) Bayern Munich - the win of an underdog is always a nice one that united supporters of all underdogs lol.
Driving back to Kaiserslautern - where we planned to join the championship party - we did stop at a motorway station to grab some beer and who was jumping out of his car in front of us? Former Kaiserslautern hero Andreas Brehme - an idol in the region still - who was that time playing in Milan - but was watching the final match of his ex club. He even talked with us and guess what - he went to the station shop and bought two six-packs of beer. These were the days where smartphones have not been invented and I would so love to have a photo of this.
1.FC Kaiserslautern and some facts (thanks to Wikipedia)
Having written lot from my brain and memories let me show you some facts which have been compiled by the best source for all topics in the world - Wikipedi
As a founding member of the Bundesliga, FCK played from 1963 to 1996 uninterrupted in the top division. They have won four German championships, two DFB-Pokals, and one DFL-Supercup, and historically is among the most successful football clubs in Germany, currently occupying tenth place in the All-time Bundesliga table. The club's international performances include reaching the Champions League quarter-finals in 1999 as well as two participations in the UEFA Cup semi-finals. Kaiserslautern won the German championship in the 1997–98 season as a newly promoted team, which is unique in German football. After a six-year spell in the second tier, in 2018 they were relegated to the 3. Liga for the first time.
Since 1920, Kaiserslautern's stadium has been the Fritz-Walter-Stadion, named after the captain of the West German national team who won the world title in 1954.
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