1.
1. FC Magdeburg
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FC Magdeburg is a German association football club based in the city of Magdeburg. The club was founded in 1965 and spent all but one season in East Germanys top flight and it is the only East German club to have won a European title, winning the European Cup Winners Cup in 1974. It is the only East German club who won the double, winning the league, after German reunification, the club fell on hard times and only entered professional football in 2015 when the side was promoted to the 3. Football has been played in Magdeburg since the end of the 19th century, on 15 June 1896 SV Victoria 96 Magdeburg was founded, a club that had its best days before World War II, when it participated in the German championship finals on several occasions. Later the club participated in the Gauliga Mitte, after World War II, all sports clubs in the Soviet Occupation Zone were dissolved and a number of smaller clubs were created, which at first competed at a local and regional level. In 1945 players from the disbanded clubs Magdeburger SC Prussia 1899 and this club and SG Lemsdorf came together as the sports club BSG Eintracht Sudenburg, which in turn merged with SAG Krupp Gruson in 1950. The next year the club was renamed BSG Stahl Magdeburg, and then in 1952, in 1957 the football department of Motor Mitte was moved to SC Aufbau Magdeburg, a political decision with the goal of achieving higher standards of performance. In 1965, the department was again broken out of SC Aufbau. This was part of a general – again politically motivated – movement in East Germany towards football-only clubs with the goal of achieving higher standards, FC Magdeburg is the oldest of the football clubs created in this period. SC Aufbau were promoted to the first tier of East German football in 1959, at the beginning of the 1960s, the club usually played in the lower midtable of the DDR-Oberliga, but in 1964 the club had its first major success with a surprise win of the FDGB-Pokal. In the final at Dessau, Magdeburg came back from being 0–2 down to beat SC Leipzig 3–2. The cup win meant the first international appearance of a Magdeburg club, legend reports that the coin first stuck upright in the muddy ground, and only the second toss brought about a decision. SC Aufbau finished mid-table again in the 1964–65 season and managed to defend their cup title as the first team in East German football ever, however, the 1965–66 season, when SC Aufbaus footballers became 1. FC Magdeburg, ended in disaster, The club finished last in the table and was relegated to the second-tier DDR-Liga, with their new manager Heinz Krügel, Magdeburg were immediately repromoted and finished third in 1968 and 1969. With their third win of the FDGB-Pokal in 1969 the club had established itself among the top teams of East German football. During the 1970s, the DDR-Oberliga was mostly dominated by two teams,1, FC Magdeburg and SG Dynamo Dresden. One of the figures behind the success at Magdeburg was Heinz Krügel, under his reign, Magdeburg produced 9 East German internationals between 1969 and 1974 alone, four of which were part of the East German team competing at the 1974 FIFA World Cup. The golden age of Magdeburg football began in 1972, when the won the East German championship with the youngest squad in history
2.
MDCC-Arena
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The MDCC-Arena is a multi-purpose stadium in Magdeburg, Germany. It has been completed and opened to the public in December 2006 and it is mostly used for football matches and hosts the home matches of 1. The stadium is a fully covered football-only stadium, i. e. without an athletics track and it has a capacity of 27,250 people, of these a capacity of 4,800 is standing room. For all-seater matches the standing room can be converted to 2,650 seats, in addition, there are 15 boxes with a total of 180 seats as well as 430 business seats. The stadium also has 64 seats for persons with disabilities, furthermore,40 press seats are available. The maximum distance from the pitch is 32 meters, the floodlight is attached to the stadiums roof, as well as the two 30m2 screens. The pitch is 105 metres long and 68 metres wide, it has under-soil heating, total cost of construction was 31 million Euros. The first stadium at this location had been inaugurated on April 14,1912 as the home of SV Victoria 96 Magdeburg, in 1914 it hosted the final to the German championship between Spielvereinigung Fürth and VfB Leipzig. In 1937 it was bought by the Allianz insurance company after Victoria had gone bankrupt, during World War II the stadium was completely destroyed by bombing. After World War II the city of Magdeburg planned to erect a sports center consisting among others of a stadium with a capacity for 80,000 people, however, the city was unable to acquire the site originally intended and so the project was abandoned. Instead, the city decided to build a new stadium east of the Elbe river, in order to erect the stands, about 5.3 million cubic ft of rubble were transported from the ruins of the city. The stadium was equipped with a track and was opened in front of a crowd of 40,000 on September 18,1955. Over the years, it was upgraded several times, parts of the stands were put under a roof, however, after the reunification of Germany the stadium fell into disrepair and in 2004 the city council decided to build a new one at the same site. The Ernst-Grube-Stadion was demolished between March and June 2005, and construction of the new stadium began on July 4,2005, the first match was held on December 19,2006. In front of a crowd of 13,279, hosts 1, FC Magdeburg came to a nil-all draw against Eintracht Braunschweig. FC Magdeburg lost 0-3 to Bundesliga side SV Werder Bremen, this time 24,300 spectators had come, in the remaining matches of the season,10,800 spectators came to see 1. The first international match was held on July 29,2007 when the German womens national team beat their Danish counterparts 4-0 in front of 10,735 spectators, in 2009 the stadium hosted the 2009 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship final. In July 2009, local ISP and cable TV company MDCC announced they had signed a sponsorship agreement with the stadium operator under which the stadium would be known as MDCC-Arena
3.
Saxony-Anhalt Cup
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The Saxony-Anhalt Cup is an annual football cup competition in Saxony-Anhalt. The Football Association of Saxony-Anhalt is its governing body, all non-professional sides that are members of the FSA may participate. Winners of the Saxony-Anhalt Cup will start in the first round of the DFB Cup, the cup final was played in Paul Greifzu Stadium in Dessau from 1998 to 2005. Since then it has played in Schönebeck in 2006. The cup is played in a mode, with extra time. The teams share the revenue from the matches, and in the cup final. The cup has been played since 1991, FC Magdeburg with 10 titles, two of which were won by the clubs reserve team. It is one of the 21 regional cup competitions in Germany, since the establishment of the Football Association of Saxony-Anhalt in 1991 the cup has been played. However, there have been several reforms that changed the character of the competition, until the 1993/94 two separate cup competitions were played in the areas formerly occupied by the Bezirke Magdeburg and Halle. The two champions of these Bezirkspokale then faced other in the Saxony-Anhalt Cup final. From the 1994/95 season onwards the cup has been played as one competition with all teams down to the Landesklasse and this led to up to 160 teams and 8 cup rounds to determine the winner. In 2000/01 there was another reform to reduce the number of games, since then all teams from the Regionalliga, NOFV-Oberliga, Verbandsliga Sachsen-Anhalt, the top five teams of the three Landesliga divisions and the 24 Kreispokal winners are eligible for the cup. Through a sponsorship agreement the competition has been called Lottopokal since the 2006–07 season, official site of the FSA Cup
4.
1. FSV Mainz 05 II
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FSV Mainz 05 II is a German association football club from the town of Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate. It is the team of 1. The teams greatest achievement came in 2014 when it won promotion to the 3, liga for the first time, the highest league a reserve team can play in Germany. During the professional days of the side it played as 1. FSV Mainz 05 Amateure but when the side itself played at amateur level, from 1976 to 1988 and once more in 1989–90. Since 2005 it has adopted the name 1. The history of the side of Mainz 05 is strongly intertwined with the fortunes of the senior side. The senior side was a term member of the Oberliga Südwest from 1945, then a tier one league. Mainz did not qualify for the Bundesliga but played in the tier two Regionalliga Südwest instead, Bundesliga was formed the club joined this league in 1974. Mainz played at this level for two seasons before disappearing into amateur football for 12 years, from 1990 the club reestablished itself in professional football and has been playing there since. The reserve side, in the years after the Second World War. It rose to the tier three Amateurliga Südwest for a season in 1957–58 but came last and was relegated again. Amateurliga Rheinhessen as well but made a return to league in 1973. It returned to what had now become the Bezirksliga Rheinhessen in 1981 for three seasons, after this the team did not make another appearance in the higher amateur leagues again until the late 1990s, having been disbanded for a time in between. In 1996 the club, freshly promoted to the Bezirksliga Rheinhessen, won a title and promotion. It entered the Verbandsliga Südwest for two seasons before another title in 1999 took the team up to the Oberliga. The club spent the four seasons in the Oberliga Südwest as a top of the table side, culminating in a second-place finish in 2002. The later took the side to the side to the tier three Regionalliga Süd where it experienced two difficult seasons before being relegated again in 2005
5.
VfB Stuttgart II
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VfB Stuttgart II is a German football team located in Stuttgart, currently playing in the Regionalliga Südwest due to their relegation from the 3. They are the team of VfB Stuttgart. Until 2005 the team played under the name of VfB Stuttgart Amateure, VfB Stuttgart Amateure first made an appearance at the highest level of local amateur football, the third division Amateurliga Württemberg, in 1959–60, winning the league. The team came second in the new Verbandsliga Württemberg in 1979 and was promoted to the Oberliga and it won a championship in this league in its first season there but was again barred from promotion. It came second the season after but suffered relegation in 1988, after two seasons in the Verbandsliga it returned to the Oberliga in 1990. It failed to qualify when the Regionalliga Süd was introduced as the tier of league football in 1994. It dropped back to Oberliga level in 2002 but won another Oberliga title in 2003, in 2008 the club qualified for the 3. Liga, the new tier of league football in Germany. At the end of the 2015–16 season the club was relegated to the tier four Regionalliga Südwest after coming last in the 3, the team has also qualified for the first round of the German Cup through the Württemberg Cup and has been, at times, quite successful. In their first participation in 1974–75 it reached the finals before going out to Borussia Dortmund. It was knocked out in the first round in 1975–76 and 1980–81 and it made another first round exit the year after when it lost to local rival Stuttgarter Kickers. In 2000–01 it defeated Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt 6–1 in the first round before being drawn against its own first team in the second round and losing 3–0. The following season it made another first round exit and, since 2008, is, like all teams in Germany. VfB Stuttgart II serves as Stuttgarts reserve team, the teams backbone consists of recent graduates from Stuttgarts youth teams and several established, older players who are not good enough for Stuttgarts first team. Players that are particularly impressive at Stuttgart II are often called up to become permanent members of the first-team and this stadium, offering 5000 places, all standing, was home for the VfB II until 2008, when they moved to the larger Gazi-Stadion auf der Waldau. It currently hosts the games of VfBs A and B youth teams. Initially known as the Amateur-Stadion, the Robert-Schlienz Stadium got its name in honour of the well-known VfB player Robert Schlienz, the first game played here was in the 2nd round of the youth championship, on 25 June 1995, between the VfBs B youth team and Eintracht Frankfurts. The clubs honours, The recent head coaches of the team, The recent season-by-season performance of the club, With the introduction of the Regionalligas in 1994, liga in 2008 as the new third tier, below the 2
6.
Kit (association football)
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In association football, kit is the standard equipment and attire worn by players. The sports Laws of the Game specify the minimum kit which a player must use, footballers generally wear identifying numbers on the backs of their shirts. Professional clubs also usually display players surnames or nicknames on their shirts, Football kit has evolved significantly since the early days of the sport when players typically wore thick cotton shirts, knickerbockers and heavy rigid leather boots. The Laws of the Game set out the equipment which must be worn by all players in Law 4. Five separate items are specified, shirt, shorts, socks, footwear, goalkeepers are allowed to wear tracksuit bottoms instead of shorts. While most players wear studded football boots, the Laws do not specify that these are required, shirts must have sleeves, and goalkeepers must wear shirts which are easily distinguishable from all other players and the match officials. Thermal undershorts may be worn, but must be the colour as the shorts themselves. Shin pads must be covered entirely by the stockings, be made of rubber, plastic or a similar material, and provide a reasonable degree of protection. The only other restriction on equipment defined in the Laws of the Game is the requirement that a player must not use equipment or wear anything that is dangerous to himself or another player. In the event of a match between teams who would wear identical or similar colours the away team must change to a different colour. The England national team plays in red shirts even when it is not required. Many professional clubs also have a kit, ostensibly to be used if both their first-choice and away colours are deemed too similar to those of an opponent. Most professional clubs have retained the basic colour scheme for several decades. Teams representing countries in international competition generally wear national colours in common with other sporting teams of the same nation, shirts are normally made of a polyester mesh, which does not trap the sweat and body heat in the same way as a shirt made of a natural fibre. Depending on local rules, there may be restrictions on how large these logos may be or on what logos may be displayed, competitions such as the Premier League may also require players to wear patches on their sleeves depicting the logo of the competition. The captain of team is usually required to wear an elasticated armband around the left sleeve to identify him as the captain to the referee. Most current players wear specialist football boots, which can be either of leather or a synthetic material. Modern boots are cut slightly below the ankles, as opposed to the high-ankled boots used in former times, studs may be either moulded directly to the sole or be detachable, normally by means of a screw thread
7.
3. Liga
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Liga, is the third division of football in Germany. The league started with the beginning of the 2008–09 season, when it replaced the Regionalliga as the third football league in Germany. In the German football league system, it is positioned between the 2, Bundesliga and the semi-professional Regionalliga, which became the fourth division and initially consisted of three groups of 18 clubs playing separately. Liga is the highest division that a football clubs reserve team can play in, on 8 September 2006, the German Football Association, the DFB, announced the formation of the 3. It was originally anticipated that the name would be 3. Bundesliga, but the DFB chose 3, Liga instead, reflecting the fact that the league will be directly administered by the DFB, not by the German Football League DFL who runs both Bundesliga and 2. The first match of the 3, Liga was played on 25 July 2008 between FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt and Dynamo Dresden at the Steigerwaldstadion in Erfurt. Dynamo Dresden won the match 1–0, with Halil Savran scoring the goal in the closing stages of the first half. From its foundation in 2008 to 2013 the league had been operating on a financial loss, the 2013–14 season saw the league make a profit for the first time, being €4.9 million in the plus. This makes it the third-most economically successful professional league in all German sports, the teams which are not reserve teams of Bundesliga teams among the 20 teams in the league compete for promotion to the 2. Bundesliga, while the three teams are relegated to one of the five Regionalligen, Regionalliga Nord, Regionalliga Nordost, Regionalliga West, Regionalliga Südwest. If, however, a team is playing in the 3. Liga and the respective first team is relegated to the 3, Liga, the reserve team will be relegated to the Regionalliga regardless of its league position. At the end of the 2007–08 season, the two best non-reserve teams from each of the two divisions of the Regionalliga were promoted to the 2, the teams ranked third to tenth in both Regionalliga entered the new 3. Liga, joining the four teams relegated from the 2, Bundesliga to form the new 20-team league. Teams finishing 11th or lower in their Regionalliga remained where they were, on 18 May 2008, at the end of the 2007–082. Bundesliga season, four clubs were relegated from the 2, Bundesliga and became charter members of the 3. Liga, Kickers Offenbach, FC Erzgebirge Aue, SC Paderborn 07, on 31 May 2008, at the end of the 2007–08 Regionalliga seasons, clubs placing third through tenth in the Regionalliga Nord and the Regionalliga Süd also qualified for the new 3
8.
Berliner AK 07
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Berliner AK07 is a German football club based in Berlin. The club was founded in 1907 and has evolved into a multi-cultural German-Turkish association with temporary ties to professional football in Turkey. The association was established on 15 December 1907 in the Wedding district of Berlin as an athletics club interested primarily in running, a football department was formed in 1908 which has since remained a largely anonymous side playing in lower tier city competition. In the early 90s AK07 played in the sixth division Landesliga Berlin, a 1999 Verbandsliga title saw the club further promoted to the NOFV-Oberliga Nord. AK07 merged with BSV Mitte in 2004, Mitte had earlier been formed out of the merger of the ethnically Turkish sides BFC Güneyspor, the restructured association formed a co-operative relationship with Turkish first division club Ankaraspor in June 2006 which focuses on player development in Germany. On 6 July 2006 the club adopted the name Berlin Ankaraspor Kulübü07 and selected Ahmet Gökcek, son of the mayor of Ankara, as chairman. With the name change the club abandoned its traditional colours of red and white to don the blue and white kit of Ankaraspor. The club won promotion to the Regionalliga Nord in 2011 and achieved a German Cup upset when it defeated Bundesliga side 1899 Hoffenheim 4–0 in 2012, since 2012 the club plays in the Regionalliga Nordost. Berliner AK07 played its fixtures in the Sportanlage Lüderitzstraße with an interlude spent at the Hanne-Sobek-Sportanlage. The team has moved to the 20,000 seat Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark in Berlins Prenzlauer Berg district at the start of the 2006–07 season, as of 29 July 2016 Note, Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality, the clubs honours, Landesliga Berlin Champions,1995 Verbandsliga Berlin Champions,1999 Berliner Landespokal Winners,2010,2012 Official website Abseits Guide to German Soccer
9.
Bernburg
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Bernburg is a town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, capital of the Salzlandkreis district. The former residence of the Anhalt-Bernburg princes is known for its Renaissance castle, the town centre is situated in the fertile Magdeburg Börde lowland on the Saale river, approx. 40 km downstream from Halle and 45 km up stream from Magdeburg and it is dominated by huge Bernburg Castle featuring a museum as well as a popular, recently updated bear pit in its moat. The municipal area comprises the villages of Baalberge, Biendorf, Gröna, Peißen, Poley, Preußlitz, Bernburg is a stop on the scenic Romanesque Road. Several archaeological sites in the area refer to the Walternienburg-Bernburg Culture, agriculture on the fertile Loess soil was already common in prehistoric times. Around 150 AD, a settlement named Luppia was mentioned in the Geography by Ptolemy. In the Early Middle Ages, the Saale river marked the border between the German stem duchies in the west and the lands of the Polabian Slavs in the east, Bernburg itself was first mentioned as civitas Brandanburg in a 961 deed issued by King Otto I of Germany. According to the Annalista Saxo, Berneburch Castle, then a possession of the Ascanian prince Albert the Bear, was set on fire by his enemies in 1138, in 1252 the rebuilt castle became the residence of Alberts great-grandson Prince Bernhard I of Anhalt-Bernburg in 1252. In the Nazi era during World War II, a wing of the mental hospital was used for the so-called T-4 Euthanasia Programme. The site today houses a memorial to commemorate the suffering of more than 14,000 victims, February 24,1950, Johannes R. Becher 19 February 1953, Hermann Henselmann February 5,1967 -. de Bernburg Castle
10.
Bahlinger SC
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Bahlinger SC is a German association football club from the Kaiserstuhl town Bahlingen, Baden-Württemberg. The club was founded 16 June 1929 as FC Bahlingen and merged with TV Bahlingen in 1946 to form the present-day side, since the early 1960s BSC has played largely as a fourth tier amateur side. In 1969 the club advanced to third division play where they spent nine seasons until league reorganization saw them placed in the now fourth tier Amateurliga Südbaden, another reorganization in the early 1990s saw the Amateurliga become a fifth division league. Bahlinger narrowly missed advancing to the Oberliga Baden-Württemberg in 1994 and 1995 and they took the step up on the strength of a Verbandsliga championship in 1996. The club enjoyed a nine season long turn in the Oberliga where their best result was a finish in 1997. A Südbadischer Pokal win in 2002 earned an appearance in the 2003 German Cup where they beat Alemannia Aachen 1,0 in the first round before going out 1,2 to SV Waldhof Mannheim. BSC then slipped to the division in 2005 before returning to the Oberliga Baden-Württemberg for 2006–07 after a single season absence. The club made an excellent start into the 2011–12 season, defeating FV Illertissen 11–0 in the round, eventually finishing eleventh in 2012. In 2014 however the club played closer to the relegation zone, in the 2014–15 season the club finished runners-up in the Oberliga and thereby qualified for the promotion round to the Regionalliga Südwest. After a draw against TSV Lehnerz and a win over SC Hauenstein the club was promoted to the Regionalliga for the first time, but lasted for only one season before being relegated again. The clubs honours, Recent managers of the club, The recent season-by-season performance of the club, With the introduction of the Regionalligas in 1994, liga in 2008 as the new third tier, below the 2. Bundesliga, all leagues below dropped one tier, Bahlinger SC plays its home matches in the Kaiserstuhlstadion. Official team site Abseits Guide to German Soccer Bahlinger SC at Weltfussball. de
11.
Troyes AC
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Espérance Sportive Troyes Aube Champagne is a French association football club, based in Troyes that plays in Ligue 2 after being relegated from Ligue 1 during the 2015-16 season. It was founded in 1986, as the professional club from the city, after ASTS. They won the Intertoto Cup in 2001, beating Newcastle United on the away goals rule after the score was 4–4 on aggregate, the first ever football club in Troyes was created in 1900, as Union Sportive Troyenne. In 1931, it merged with the AS Savinienne, a club from the suburbs of Troyes, the newly formed club became professional in 1935, and joined Ligue 2. It constituted one of the glorious times for the club, as they reached the Coupe de France final in 1956, against CS Sedan Ardennes. The same day, the team of the club won the Coupe Gambardella. That very same year, the failed to keep its place in French top flight. It finally succeed in reaching the Première Division again in 1960, but only lasted one season, the club had some financial difficulties, and had to leave professional football at the end of the 1962–1963 season, which they finished 17th out of 20. They continued for four seasons at regional level, under the guidance of former ASTS player Jacques Diebold. Shortly after without any club in Troyes, a new one was created in 1967, under the name Troyes Omnisports. It renamed itself Troyes Aube Football in 1970 as it took back professional status and they were promoted to the Second Division after just one year. For their first season in Second division, under the lead of Pierre Flamion, they finished second and they finished first next year, in 1973, and lost in the Champions final between the Champions of the two new groups against RC Lens. The club had its longest consecutive run in Ligue 1, as they stayed five seasons in the top flight. It was however a spell, as it struggled each season against relegation. Pierre Flamion left in 1975, and was replaced by René Cédolin and its best position was 15th out of 20 in 1976–1977. Even though they had very good players, such as striker Gérard Tonnel, right-back René Le Lamer, keeper Guy Formici and Yougoslavian star. They were finally relegated in 1978, finishing 19th and they suffered back to back relegations finishing 17th in the second division and dropped to the third division. This led to the club becoming bankrupt and merging with Patronage Laïque de Troyes, after the death of the second professional club from Troyes, some people tried to rebuild a new club, which could be able to come back to professional status
12.
Volksstimme (Saxony-Anhalt)
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Volksstimme is a regional daily newspaper published in Magdeburg for northern Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. The paper is owned by Bauer and its publisher is Magdeburger Verlags und Druckhaus. The circulation of Volksstimme was 343,000 copies during the quarter of 1992. Its circulation was 264,000 copies in 2001, the paper had an average circulation of 191,878 copies during the second quarter of 2011
13.
European Union
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The European Union is a political and economic union of 28 member states that are located primarily in Europe. It has an area of 4,475,757 km2, the EU has developed an internal single market through a standardised system of laws that apply in all member states. Within the Schengen Area, passport controls have been abolished, a monetary union was established in 1999 and came into full force in 2002, and is composed of 19 EU member states which use the euro currency. The EU operates through a system of supranational and intergovernmental decision-making. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community, the community and its successors have grown in size by the accession of new member states and in power by the addition of policy areas to its remit. While no member state has left the EU or its antecedent organisations, the Maastricht Treaty established the European Union in 1993 and introduced European citizenship. The latest major amendment to the basis of the EU. The EU as a whole is the largest economy in the world, additionally,27 out of 28 EU countries have a very high Human Development Index, according to the United Nations Development Programme. In 2012, the EU was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, through the Common Foreign and Security Policy, the EU has developed a role in external relations and defence. The union maintains permanent diplomatic missions throughout the world and represents itself at the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, the G7, because of its global influence, the European Union has been described as an emerging superpower. After World War II, European integration was seen as an antidote to the nationalism which had devastated the continent. 1952 saw the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community, the supporters of the Community included Alcide De Gasperi, Jean Monnet, Robert Schuman, and Paul-Henri Spaak. These men and others are credited as the Founding fathers of the European Union. In 1957, Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and West Germany signed the Treaty of Rome and they also signed another pact creating the European Atomic Energy Community for co-operation in developing nuclear energy. Both treaties came into force in 1958, the EEC and Euratom were created separately from the ECSC, although they shared the same courts and the Common Assembly. The EEC was headed by Walter Hallstein and Euratom was headed by Louis Armand, Euratom was to integrate sectors in nuclear energy while the EEC would develop a customs union among members. During the 1960s, tensions began to show, with France seeking to limit supranational power, Jean Rey presided over the first merged Commission. In 1973, the Communities enlarged to include Denmark, Ireland, Norway had negotiated to join at the same time, but Norwegian voters rejected membership in a referendum
14.
Defender (association football)
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In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposing team from scoring goals. There are four types of defenders, centre-back, sweeper, full-back, the centre-back and full-back positions are essential in most modern formations. The sweeper and wing-back roles are more specialised for certain formations, a centre-back defends in the area directly in front of the goal, and tries to prevent opposing players, particularly centre-forwards, from scoring. Centre-backs accomplish this by blocking shots, tackling, intercepting passes, contesting headers, with the ball, centre-backs are generally expected to make long and pinpoint passes to their teammates, or to kick unaimed long balls down the field. For example, a clearance is a long unaimed kick intended to move the ball as far as possible from the defenders goal, during normal play, centre-backs are unlikely to score goals. In this case, other defenders or midfielders will temporarily move into the centre-back positions, in the modern game, most teams employ two or three centre-backs in front of the goalkeeper. The 4–2–3–1, 4–3–3, and 4–4–2 formations all use two centre-backs, the sweeper is a more versatile centre-back who sweeps up the ball if an opponent manages to breach the defensive line. This position is more fluid than that of other defenders who man-mark their designated opponents. Because of this, it is referred to as libero. For example, the system of play, used in Italian football in the 1960s. The more modern libero possesses the qualities of the typical libero while being able to expose the opposition during counterattacks. The Fundell-libero has become popular in recent time with the sweeper transitioning to the most advanced forward in an attack. This variation on the position requires great pace and fitness, while rarely seen in professional football, the position has been extensively used in lower leagues. Modern libero sit behind centre-backs as a sweeper before charging through the team to join in the attack, some sweepers move forward and distribute the ball up-field, while others intercept passes and get the ball off the opposition without needing to hurl themselves into tackles. If the sweeper does move up the field to distribute the ball, they will need to make a speedy recovery, in modern football, its usage has been fairly restricted, with few clubs in the biggest leagues using the position. Though it is used in modern football, it remains a highly respected. A recent and successful use of the sweeper was made by Otto Rehhagel, Greeces manager, Rehhagel utilized Traianos Dellas as Greeces sweeper to great success, as Greece surprisingly became European champions. The full-backs take up the wide positions and traditionally stayed in defence at all times
15.
Czech Republic
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The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, is a nation state in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west, Austria to the south, Slovakia to the east and Poland to the northeast. The Czech Republic covers an area of 78,866 square kilometres with mostly temperate continental climate and it is a unitary parliamentary republic, has 10.5 million inhabitants and the capital and largest city is Prague, with over 1.2 million residents. The Czech Republic includes the territories of Bohemia, Moravia. The Czech state was formed in the late 9th century as the Duchy of Bohemia under the Great Moravian Empire, after the fall of the Empire in 907, the centre of power transferred from Moravia to Bohemia under the Přemyslid dynasty. In 1002, the duchy was formally recognized as part of the Holy Roman Empire, becoming the Kingdom of Bohemia in 1198 and reaching its greatest territorial extent in the 14th century. Following the Battle of Mohács in 1526, the whole Crown of Bohemia was gradually integrated into the Habsburg Monarchy alongside the Archduchy of Austria, the Protestant Bohemian Revolt against the Catholic Habsburgs led to the Thirty Years War. After the Battle of the White Mountain, the Habsburgs consolidated their rule, reimposed Roman Catholicism, the Czech part of Czechoslovakia was occupied by Germany in World War II, and was liberated in 1945 by the armies of the Soviet Union and the United States. The Czech country lost the majority of its German-speaking inhabitants after they were expelled following the war, the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia won the 1946 elections. Following the 1948 coup détat, Czechoslovakia became a one-party communist state under Soviet influence, in 1968, increasing dissatisfaction with the regime culminated in a reform movement known as the Prague Spring, which ended in a Soviet-led invasion. Czechoslovakia remained occupied until the 1989 Velvet Revolution, when the communist regime collapsed, on 6 March 1990, the Czech Socialistic Republic was renamed to the Czech Republic. On 1 January 1993, Czechoslovakia peacefully dissolved, with its constituent states becoming the independent states of the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic. The Czech Republic joined NATO in 1999 and the European Union in 2004, it is a member of the United Nations, the OECD, the OSCE, and it is a developed country with an advanced, high income economy and high living standards. The UNDP ranks the country 14th in inequality-adjusted human development, the Czech Republic also ranks as the 6th most peaceful country, while achieving strong performance in democratic governance. It has the lowest unemployment rate in the European Union, the traditional English name Bohemia derives from Latin Boiohaemum, which means home of the Boii. The current name comes from the endonym Čech, spelled Cžech until the reform in 1842. The name comes from the Slavic tribe and, according to legend, their leader Čech, the etymology of the word Čech can be traced back to the Proto-Slavic root *čel-, meaning member of the people, kinsman, thus making it cognate to the Czech word člověk. The country has traditionally divided into three lands, namely Bohemia in the west, Moravia in the southeast, and Czech Silesia in the northeast. Following the dissolution of Czechoslovakia at the end of 1992, the Czech part of the former nation found itself without a common single-word geographical name in English, the name Czechia /ˈtʃɛkiə/ was recommended by the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs
16.
Berliner FC Dynamo
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Berliner FC Dynamo is a German football club from Berlin and the record champion of East Germany with ten consecutive championships from 1979 through 1988. A predecessor side to the club was established in 1949 as Sportgemeinde Deutsche Volkspolizei Berlin. In March 1953, this assumed the place of SC Volkspolizei Potsdam in the DDR-Liga. The Potsdam and Berlin sides were formally merged and after 27 March 1953 played as part of the larger Sportvereinigung Dynamo sports club under the name SG Dynamo Berlin. After a 14th-place result in the 1953–54 season, the team was demoted to the Bezirksliga Berlin, the club was again renamed, being christened Sport Club Dynamo Berlin on 1 October 1954. In 1954, team members of Dynamo Dresden were ordered to leave for the capital to establish a side in Berlin. Dynamo Berlin enjoyed some success in the late 1950s and early 1960s with a number of top-three finishes, by 1963, however, their play had fallen off and they had become a lower table side leading to their relegation in 1967. The club returned to first division play after a seasons absence. The side was known as being the team of Erich Mielke. Playing in the DDR-Oberliga BFC won ten titles from 1979 to 1988 allegedly assisted by obedient referees. BFC Dynamo was reviled by many East Germans and referee obedience incurred the unofficially expressed displeasure of the countrys ruling Politburo. After German re-unification in 1990, the side was renamed FC Berlin in an attempt to re-package it and distance it from its past, in 1999, they again took up the name BFC Dynamo. Without its powerful patron and losing its best players to West German Bundesliga teams, the club filed for insolvency in 2001–02 but was required by the German Football Association to play out the balance of its games for the season as mandatory friendlies. BFC recovered to win the Verbandsliga Berlin championship in 2004 and return to fourth division play in the Oberliga Nordost-Nord where they settled in as upper-table side. On 12 June 2013, BFC Dynamo won the Berlin Cup for a time, beating SV Lichtenberg 47 1–0, thus qualifying for the national cup of the DFB. The crowd of 6,381 set a new record for a Berlin Cup final, the subsequent DFB-Pokal match against VfB Stuttgart took place on 4 August 2013 in front of 9,227 spectators. The stadium capacity of the Friedrich Ludwig Jahn Sportpark had been limited, while Dynamos Christoph Köhne came close after hitting the inner post in the 31st minute, Vedad Ibišević won the game for Stuttgart with goals in the 40th and 75th minutes, resulting in a 0–2 defeat. In the 2013–14 Oberliga season, BFC Dynamo won 15 out of the initial 16 games, after 21 season matches, the streak was extended to 20 wins and one draw, effectively securing promotion to Regionalliga Nordost with a 25-point lead
17.
Midfielder
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A midfielder is an association football position. Midfielders are generally positioned on the field between their teams defenders and forwards, some midfielders play a disciplined defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are otherwise known as defensive midfielders. Others blur the boundaries, being mobile and efficient in passing, they are commonly referred to as deep-lying midfielders, play-makers, box-to-box. The number of midfielders on a team and their assigned roles depends on the teams formation, most managers assign at least one midfielder to disrupt the opposing teams attacks, while others may be tasked with creating goals, or have equal responsibilities between attack and defence. Midfielders are the players who typically travel the greatest distance during a match, central or centre midfielders are players whose role is divided roughly equally between attack and defence. When the opposing team has the ball, a midfielder may drop back to protect the goal or move forward. The 4–3–3 and 4–5–1 formations each use three central midfielders, the 4−4−2 formation may use two central midfielders, and in the 4–2–3–1 formation one of the two deeper midfielders may be a central midfielder. The term box-to-box midfielder refers to central midfielders who have abilities and are skilled at both defending and attacking. These players can track back to their own box to make tackles and block shots. A good box-to-box midfielder needs good passing, vision, control, stamina, tackling and marking in defence, left and right midfielders have a role balanced between attack and defence, similar to that of central midfielders, but they are positioned closer to the touchlines of the pitch. They may be asked to cross the ball into the penalty area to make scoring chances for their teammates. Common modern formations that include left and right midfielders are the 4−4−2, the 4−4−1−1, the 4–2–3–1, a notable example of a right midfielder is David Beckham. Defensive midfielders are players who focus on protecting their teams goal. These players may defend a zone in front of their teams defence, defensive midfielders may also move to the full-back or centre-back positions if those players move forward to join in an attack. Sergio Busquets described his attitude, The coach knows that I am an obedient player who likes to help out and if I have to run to the wing to cover someones position, great. A good defensive midfielder needs good positional awareness, anticipation of play, marking, tackling, interceptions, passing and great stamina. A holding or deep-lying midfielder stays close to their teams defence, a player in this role will try to protect their goal by disrupting the opponents attacking moves and stopping long shots on the goal. The holding midfielder may also have responsibilities when their team has the ball and this player will make mostly short and simple passes to more attacking members of their team but may try some more difficult passes depending on the teams strategy
18.
Germany
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Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a federal parliamentary republic in central-western Europe. It includes 16 constituent states, covers an area of 357,021 square kilometres, with about 82 million inhabitants, Germany is the most populous member state of the European Union. After the United States, it is the second most popular destination in the world. Germanys capital and largest metropolis is Berlin, while its largest conurbation is the Ruhr, other major cities include Hamburg, Munich, Cologne, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Düsseldorf and Leipzig. Various Germanic tribes have inhabited the northern parts of modern Germany since classical antiquity, a region named Germania was documented before 100 AD. During the Migration Period the Germanic tribes expanded southward, beginning in the 10th century, German territories formed a central part of the Holy Roman Empire. During the 16th century, northern German regions became the centre of the Protestant Reformation, in 1871, Germany became a nation state when most of the German states unified into the Prussian-dominated German Empire. After World War I and the German Revolution of 1918–1919, the Empire was replaced by the parliamentary Weimar Republic, the establishment of the national socialist dictatorship in 1933 led to World War II and the Holocaust. After a period of Allied occupation, two German states were founded, the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic, in 1990, the country was reunified. In the 21st century, Germany is a power and has the worlds fourth-largest economy by nominal GDP. As a global leader in industrial and technological sectors, it is both the worlds third-largest exporter and importer of goods. Germany is a country with a very high standard of living sustained by a skilled. It upholds a social security and universal health system, environmental protection. Germany was a member of the European Economic Community in 1957. It is part of the Schengen Area, and became a co-founder of the Eurozone in 1999, Germany is a member of the United Nations, NATO, the G8, the G20, and the OECD. The national military expenditure is the 9th highest in the world, the English word Germany derives from the Latin Germania, which came into use after Julius Caesar adopted it for the peoples east of the Rhine. This in turn descends from Proto-Germanic *þiudiskaz popular, derived from *þeudō, descended from Proto-Indo-European *tewtéh₂- people, the discovery of the Mauer 1 mandible shows that ancient humans were present in Germany at least 600,000 years ago. The oldest complete hunting weapons found anywhere in the world were discovered in a mine in Schöningen where three 380, 000-year-old wooden javelins were unearthed
19.
Forward (association football)
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Forwards are the players on an association football team who play nearest to the opposing teams goal, and are therefore most responsible for scoring goals. Their advanced position and limited defensive responsibilities mean forwards normally score more goals on behalf of their team than other players, modern team formations generally include one to three forwards, for example, the common 4–2–3–1 formation includes one forward. Unconventional formations may include more than three forwards, or none, the centre-forward is often a tall player, typically known as a target man, whose main function is to score the majority of goals on behalf of the team. Most modern centre-forwards operate in front of the strikers or central attacking midfielders. The present role of centre-forward is sometimes interchangeable with that of an attacking midfielder, a centre-forward usually must be strong, to win key headers and outmuscle defenders. The term centre-forward is taken from the football playing formation in which there were five forward players. The number would become synonymous with the centre-forward position. Strikers are known for their ability to peel off defenders and to run into space via the side of the defender and to receive the ball in a good goalscoring position. They are typically fast players with ball control and dribbling abilities. More agile strikers like Michael Owen have an advantage over taller defenders due to their short burst speed, a good striker should be able to shoot confidently with either foot, possess great power and accuracy, and have the ability to pass the ball under pressure in breakaway situations. Deep-lying forwards have a history in the game, but the terminology to describe their playing activity has varied over the years. Originally such players were termed inside forwards, creative or deep-lying centre-forwards, in fact, a coined term, the nine-and-a-half, has been an attempt to become a standard in defining the position. In Italy, this role is known as a rifinitore or seconda punta, whereas in Brazil, it is known as segundo atacante. An outside forward plays as the forward on the right or left wing – as an outside right or outside left. As football tactics have largely developed, and wingers have dropped back to become midfielders, many commentators and football analysts still refer to the wing positions as outside right and outside left. However, in the British game they are counted as part of the midfield. It is a duty to beat opposing full-backs, deliver cut-backs or crosses from wide positions and, to a lesser extent, to beat defenders. They are usually some of the quickest players in the team, in their Dutch, Spanish and Portuguese usage, the defensive duties of the winger have been usually confined to pressing the opposition fullbacks when they have the ball
20.
FSV Wacker 90 Nordhausen
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FSV Wacker 90 Nordhausen is a German association football club from Nordhausen, Thuringia. The clubs greatest success has been promotion to the Regionalliga Nordost in 1995 and 2013 and it has also won the Thuringia Cup on three occasions and, through this, qualified for the first round of the DFB-Pokal, the German Cup. The football team FC Wacker 05 Nordhausen was founded on 1 November 1905 as an offshoot of a Protestant youth club in the city. By 14 June 1906 the team had broadened its scope to become the sports club SV Wacker 05 Nordhausen, until 1918 the club played as SV Wacker-Mars Nordhausen when it was renamed 1. Playing in the VMBV, Wacker participated in the rounds of the league championships in the mid- to late 20s. After the end of World War II occupying Allied authorities ordered the dissolution of all organizations in Germany, including sports and football clubs. The former membership of Wacker reorganized as SG Nordhausen in 1946, the club played briefly as KWU/Lok Nordhausen after a merger with an industrial club. From 1951 on the team played as BSG Motor Nordhausen-West in second tier East German football, Motor enjoyed some modest success in the early 80s but then slipped and was relegated to the third division Bezirkliga Erfurt in 1989. After German reunification in 1990 the football department separated from the club to form FSV Wacker 90. During the 1990s the club made three appearances in the DFB-Pokal, in 1992–93, 1996–97 and 1997–98 but was knocked out in the first round at each occasion, after relegation back to the NOFV-Oberliga Süd in 1998 the club slowly declined. Financial problems drove the club further down to the Landesliga Thüringen in 2000–01 before they landed in the Landesklasse Thuringen-Ost in 2002. After a decade of league play the club won the Thüringenliga in 2011–12. The recent season-by-season performance of the club, With the introduction of the Regionalligas in 1994, liga in 2008 as the new third tier, below the 2. Bundesliga, all leagues below dropped one tier, FSV plays its home matches in the Albert-Kuntz-Sportpark which has a capacity of 8,000 spectators. As of 29 July 2016 Note, Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules, players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Official team site Abseits Guide to German Soccer
21.
SV Sandhausen
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The clubs greatest success came in 2011-12 when it won the 3. Liga and earned promotion to the 2, in 1943, it was merged with TSV Walldorf and VfB Wiesloch to form the wartime squad KSG Walldorf-Wiesloch. The combined squad was dissolved at the end of the conflict, a half dozen years later it re-claimed its original name. Sandhausen played football in the Landesliga or 2. Amateurliga until 1956 when it advanced to the 1. Amateurliga Nordbaden. In 1977, the team finished runner up in the German amateur championship, Sandhausen claimed three Oberliga titles through the 1980s and the German Amateur Championship in 1993. It won back-to-back Oberliga titles in 1995 and 2000 and, with its latest title in 2007, the 2007–08 season was a success for the club, being in contention for 2. Bundesliga promotion almost until the end of season and comfortably qualifying for the new 3, in 2012, the club won the 3. Liga and thus promotion to the 2, the club finished its inaugural 2. Bundesliga season in a position but was saved when MSV Duisburg was refused a licence and played a much stronger 2013–14 campaign. As of 12 September 2016 Note, Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules, players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. The clubs honours, ‡ Won by reserve team, recent managers of the club, The recent season-by-season performance of the club, With the introduction of the Regionalligas in 1994 and the 3. Liga in 2008 as the new tier, below the 2. Bundesliga, all leagues below dropped one tier, official team site SV Sandhausen at Weltfussball. de Das deutsche Fußball-Archiv historical German domestic league tables
22.
United States
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Forty-eight of the fifty states and the federal district are contiguous and located in North America between Canada and Mexico. The state of Alaska is in the northwest corner of North America, bordered by Canada to the east, the state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The U. S. territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean, the geography, climate and wildlife of the country are extremely diverse. At 3.8 million square miles and with over 324 million people, the United States is the worlds third- or fourth-largest country by area, third-largest by land area. It is one of the worlds most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, paleo-Indians migrated from Asia to the North American mainland at least 15,000 years ago. European colonization began in the 16th century, the United States emerged from 13 British colonies along the East Coast. Numerous disputes between Great Britain and the following the Seven Years War led to the American Revolution. On July 4,1776, during the course of the American Revolutionary War, the war ended in 1783 with recognition of the independence of the United States by Great Britain, representing the first successful war of independence against a European power. The current constitution was adopted in 1788, after the Articles of Confederation, the first ten amendments, collectively named the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791 and designed to guarantee many fundamental civil liberties. During the second half of the 19th century, the American Civil War led to the end of slavery in the country. By the end of century, the United States extended into the Pacific Ocean. The Spanish–American War and World War I confirmed the status as a global military power. The end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 left the United States as the sole superpower. The U. S. is a member of the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Organization of American States. The United States is a developed country, with the worlds largest economy by nominal GDP. It ranks highly in several measures of performance, including average wage, human development, per capita GDP. While the U. S. economy is considered post-industrial, characterized by the dominance of services and knowledge economy, the United States is a prominent political and cultural force internationally, and a leader in scientific research and technological innovations. In 1507, the German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller produced a map on which he named the lands of the Western Hemisphere America after the Italian explorer and cartographer Amerigo Vespucci
23.
Springfield College (Massachusetts)
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Springfield College is a private, coeducational college located in Springfield, Massachusetts. The institution confers undergraduate, post-graduate, and doctoral degrees, known as the birthplace of basketball, the sport was invented at Springfield College in 1891 by graduate student James Naismith. The colleges philosophy of humanics calls for the education of the whole spirit, mind. It is symbolized by a triangle, in 1887, it added a Physical department. In 1890, it separated from the School for Christian Workers and became the YMCA Training School and in 1891, in 1905, the school became a degree-granting institution. In 1912, it took the name International YMCA College and in 1954, Springfield College has had 13 leaders since its inception in 1885. The student-to-faculty member ratio is 13 to 1, the School of Professional and Continuing Studies has eight satellite campuses located throughout the country, as well as representation on the main College campus in Springfield, Massachusetts. The School of Professional and Continuing Studies campuses are located in Boston, charleston, South Carolina, Houston, Texas, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, St. Johnsbury, Vermont, Tampa, Florida, Southern California, Springfield, Massachusetts, and Wilmington, Delaware. The College is accredited by the New England Association of Schools, Johnsbury, Vermont, Tustin, California, Tampa, Florida, and Wilmington, Delaware. Flynn Campus Union, which is complete with a court, activity and lounge space. Springfield Colleges East Campus, which encompasses 82 acres of forest ecosystem, is located one mile from the main campus. This location provides rustic facilities for conferences and meetings, and space for outdoor research and its football team will join the NEWMAC when it begins sponsoring football in 2017. The mens soccer, mens golf, cross country and gymnastics teams are members of the Eastern College Athletic Conference. The mens volleyball competes as an independent. Gulick is in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, which is named for Naismith, alumnus William G. Morgan, invented of the game of volleyball. On January 14,2017, the Springfield Wrestling team achieved their 1000th victory, Springfield College joined Oklahoma State, Iowa State, and Oregon State as the only schools to have achieved this milestone. The baseball team plays at Berry-Allen Field, the Springfield softball team appeared in one Womens College World Series in 1977. The Springfield College womens gymnastics won the first intercollegiate national championship in 1969
24.
RB Leipzig
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RasenBallsport Leipzig e. V. commonly known as RB Leipzig, is a German association football club based in Leipzig, Saxony. Mens professional football is run by the spin-off organization RasenballSport Leipzig GmbH, RB Leipzig plays its home matches at the Red Bull Arena. In its inaugural season in 2009–10, RB Leipzig dominated the NOFV-Oberliga Süd and was promoted as champions to the Regionalliga Nord, RB Leipzig won the 2012–13 Regionalliga Nordost season without conceding a single defeat and was promoted to the 3. Liga, then finished the 2013–143, liga season as runner-up and was promoted to the 2. Bundesliga as the first team since the introduction of the 3, liga to win promotion after only one season. On 8 May 2016, Leipzig ensured promotion to the Bundesliga for the 2016–17 season with a 2–0 defeat of Karlsruher SC. Before investing in Leipzig, Red Bull GmbH, led by co-owner Dietrich Mateschitz, besides Leipzig, the company also considered a location in West Germany and explored cities such as Hamburg, Munich and Düsseldorf. The company made its first attempt to enter the German football scene in 2006, by advice from Franz Beckenbauer, a personal friend of Dietrich Mateschitz, the company decided to invest in Leipzig. The local football club FC Sachsen Leipzig, successor to the former East German champion BSG Chemie Leipzig, had for years been in financial difficulties, Red Bull GmbH drew up plans to invest up to 50 million Euros in the club. The company planned a takeover, with a change of team colours, involved in the arrangements was film entrepreneur Michael Kölmel, sponsor of FC Sachsen Leipzig and owner of the Zentralstadion. By 2006, FC Sachsen Leipzig played in the Oberliga, by then the tier in the German football league system. Playing in the tier, the club had to undergo the German Football Association licensing procedure. Red Bull GmbH and the club were close to a deal, but the plans were vetoed by the DFB, after months of fan protests, which deteriorated into violence, the company officially abandoned the plans. Red Bull GmbH then turned to West Germany, the company made contact with cult club FC St. Pauli, known for its left leaning supporters, and met representatives of the club to discuss a sponsor deal. The supporters of FC St. Pauli had only a time before participated in protests against the companys takeover of SV Austria Salzburg. Once it became clear to the Hamburg side that the company had plans far beyond conventional sponsoring, it ended the contact. The company then took contact with TSV1860 Munich, negotiations began behind closed doors, but the club was not interested in an investment and ended the contact. In 2007, Red Bull GmbH made plans to invest in Fortuna Düsseldorf, the plans were immediately met with wild protests from club supporters
25.
1. FC Union Berlin
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FC Union Berlin is a professional German association football club based in Berlin. The club emerged under the current name in 1966 but can be traced back to 1906 and they have competed in the 2. The home ground Stadion An der Alten Försterei is the largest single-purpose football stadium in the German capital and it has been home to Union Berlin and its forerunners since it was opened in 1920. The stadium became famous for concerts and events like the annual Weihnachtssingen. The club is known for its enthusiastic and creative fan base. FC Union Berlin was used by two clubs that shared a common origin as FC Olympia 06 Oberschöneweide, founded in 1906 in the Oberschöneweide district of Berlin. The side took on the name SC Union 06 Oberschöneweide in 1910, early on the team was nicknamed Schlosserjungs, because of their then all blue kit, reminiscent of the typical work clothing worn in the factories of the industrial Oberschöneweide district. The popular cry of Union-supporters – Eisern Union, – also emerged at this time. In 1933, German football was reorganized under the Third Reich into 16 top flight divisions known as Gauligen, Oberschöneweide became part of the Gauliga Berlin-Brandenburg where they generally earned middling results. They were relegated in 1935 and returned to first division play in 1936 after only one seasons absence, in 1940, the team finished first in Group B of the division and then defeated Blau-Weiss to win the overall division title. That advanced the club to the playoffs where they were put out by Rapid Wien in the opening group round. Union resumed its place as an unremarkable side and they were relegated again in 1942 and played the final war-shortened Gauliga season in 1944–45. After World War II, occupying Allied authorities ordered the dissolution of all organizations in Germany, including sports, a new Municipal Sports Group called SG Oberschöneweide was formed in late 1945 and it played in the City League organized immediately after the war which had four regional departments. The club finished the 1949–50 season in place in Berlin. However, escalating Cold War tensions led Soviet authorities to refuse the team permission to travel to take part. Two Union teams then emerged as most players and coaches fled to the west to form Sport-Club Union 06 Berlin which took part in the playoff match in Kiel against Hamburger SV. The players remaining in the east carried on as Union Oberschöneweide while a number of players who had fled to the west to form SC organized a third side called Berliner Ballspiel-Club Südost. The western team was a strong side until the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961, the division of the city led to a change of fortunes for the club which plays today in the lower divisions before meager crowds
26.
Karlsruher SC
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Karlsruher SC is a German association football club, based in Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg. KSC rose out of the consolidation of a number of predecessor clubs and they have played in the Bundesliga, but were relegated to the 2. Bundesliga in 1998 and in 2009, in 2012, they were relegated to the 3. Liga through play-offs, and in 2013, they were promoted back to the 2, the most successful of these ancestral clubs was Karlsruher Fussball Club Phönix, formed on 6 June 1894 by dissatisfied members of the gymnastics club Karlsruher Turngemeinde. In 1912, Phönix merged with KFC Alemannia, established in 1897 and it was as Phönix Karlsruhe that the club joined the Gauliga Baden, one of 16 top-flight divisions created in the re-organization of German football under the Third Reich. They slipped from the first division for a season in 1936. In the 1943–44 season, Karlsruhe played with Germania Durlach as the wartime side named KSG Phönix/Germania Karlsruhe. After World War II in 1946, Phönix re-emerged to compete in the newly formed first division Oberliga Süd, the club was relegated the following season. Two other threads in the evolution of KSC were the formation of FC Mühlburg in 1905 out of 1, FV Sport Mühlburg and Viktoria Mühlburg, and the merger of FC Germania and FC Weststadt to form VfB Karlsruhe in 1911. FC Mühlburg and VfB Karlsruhe would in turn merge to form VfB Mühlburg in 1933, the group of clubs which came together to form VfB Mühlburg were an undistinguished lot, sharing just one season of upper-league play between them. The new side, however, started to compete in the first-division Gauliga Baden immediately after the league was established in 1933, a lower-table side through the 1930s, VfBs performance improved considerably in the following decade. The Gauliga Baden collapsed in 1944–45 after playing a reduced schedule in which many teams. After the war the club slipped from top-flight competition until earning promotion to the Oberliga Süd in 1947. KFC Phoenix and VfB Mühlburg united to form the Karlsruher Sport-Club Mühlburg-Phönix e. V. on 16 October 1952, in 1955, they beat Schalke 04 3–2 to win the DFB-Pokal, and repeated the success next year with a 3–1 win over Hamburger SV. That season, they made an appearance in the national final. KSC was Oberliga Süd champion in 1956,1958 and 1960, as well as runner-up in the DFB-Pkal in 1960 and their record earned them admission as one of sixteen founding clubs into Germanys new professional football league, the Bundesliga, when it began play in 1963. Karlsruhe struggled in the top flight, never managing better than a 13th-place finish over five seasons before finally being demoted to the second-division Regionalliga Süd. Over the next three seasons, the team earned a first-place finish as well as two second-place finishes there, but were unable to advance in the promotion rounds, after the 1974 formation of the 2
27.
Canada
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Canada is a country in the northern half of North America. Canadas border with the United States is the worlds longest binational land border, the majority of the country has a cold or severely cold winter climate, but southerly areas are warm in summer. Canada is sparsely populated, the majority of its territory being dominated by forest and tundra. It is highly urbanized with 82 per cent of the 35.15 million people concentrated in large and medium-sized cities, One third of the population lives in the three largest cities, Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. Its capital is Ottawa, and other urban areas include Calgary, Edmonton, Quebec City, Winnipeg. Various aboriginal peoples had inhabited what is now Canada for thousands of years prior to European colonization. Pursuant to the British North America Act, on July 1,1867, the colonies of Canada, New Brunswick and this began an accretion of provinces and territories to the mostly self-governing Dominion to the present ten provinces and three territories forming modern Canada. With the Constitution Act 1982, Canada took over authority, removing the last remaining ties of legal dependence on the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Canada is a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy, with Queen Elizabeth II being the head of state. The country is officially bilingual at the federal level and it is one of the worlds most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, the product of large-scale immigration from many other countries. Its advanced economy is the eleventh largest in the world, relying chiefly upon its abundant natural resources, Canadas long and complex relationship with the United States has had a significant impact on its economy and culture. Canada is a country and has the tenth highest nominal per capita income globally as well as the ninth highest ranking in the Human Development Index. It ranks among the highest in international measurements of government transparency, civil liberties, quality of life, economic freedom, Canada is an influential nation in the world, primarily due to its inclusive values, years of prosperity and stability, stable economy, and efficient military. While a variety of theories have been postulated for the origins of Canada. In 1535, indigenous inhabitants of the present-day Quebec City region used the word to direct French explorer Jacques Cartier to the village of Stadacona, from the 16th to the early 18th century Canada referred to the part of New France that lay along the St. Lawrence River. In 1791, the area became two British colonies called Upper Canada and Lower Canada collectively named The Canadas, until their union as the British Province of Canada in 1841. Upon Confederation in 1867, Canada was adopted as the name for the new country at the London Conference. The transition away from the use of Dominion was formally reflected in 1982 with the passage of the Canada Act, later that year, the name of national holiday was changed from Dominion Day to Canada Day
28.
VfR Aalen
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Verein für Rasenspiele 1921 Aalen e. V. commonly known as simply VfR Aalen, is a German football club based in Aalen, Baden-Württemberg. The football team is part of a sports club which also offers its members gymnastics, table tennis. The clubs greatest success came in 2011–12 when it finished second in the 3, Liga and earned promotion to the 2. The club was founded on 8 March 1921 out of the department of the gymnastics club MTV Aalen and has led a largely unremarked existence as a lower division side. In 1939, Aalen was promoted to the first division Gauliga Württemberg and they played there until 1945, typically finishing in the lower half of the table. After the war the club was joined by Boxclub Aalen in 1950 and they went on to the third tier Landesliga Württemberg and in 1951 captured the title in what had become the Amateurliga Württemberg. After a single appearance in the 2nd Oberliga Süd in 1951–52 they returned to play in the III. The club slipped to fifth division play in the late 1970s for a couple of seasons before recovering itself, at the turn of the millennium Aalen managed an advance to the third division Regionalliga Süd and played at that level as a mid-table side from 1999 onwards. A fourth-place finish in 2007–08 qualified them for the new 3rd Liga and they were immedadiately relegated after just one season, but captured the Regionalliga title in 2011, and returned to third tier play. A second-place result in 2011–12 earned the promotion to the 2. After two good seasons in the league the club finished last in the league in 2014–15 and was relegated, following relegation the club experienced financial difficulties and was initially unable to provide coverage for the required €5.6 million for a 3. Liga licence but was able to apply for one. It deregistered its reserve team, VfR Aalen II, playing in the fifth tier Oberliga, in December 2016, the club filed for bankruptcy while competing in the 2016-17 season, leading to a nine point-deduction decided by the DFB on 10 March 2017. As of 26 January 2017 Note, Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules, players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. The team plays its matches in the Scholz-Arena – popularly known as the Rohrwang – which has a capacity of 11,183. Work was undertaken to upgrade the facility to accommodate Aalens promotion to the Regionalliga and it now includes 4,773 seats, new lighting, playing field improvements, and other features that bring the venue to the standard required for second division football. ‡ Denotes title won by reserve team, recent managers of the club, The recent season-by-season performance of the club, With the introduction of the Regionalligas in 1994 and the 3. Liga in 2008 as the new tier, below the 2
29.
Hannover 96 II
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Hannover 96 II is a German association football team from the city of Hannover, Lower Saxony. It is the team of Hannover 96. The teams greatest success has been winning the now defunct German amateur football championship on three occasions, in 1959–60, 1963–64 and 1964–65. The team also participated in the first round of the German Cup, the team, playing as Hannover 96 Amateure, first appeared in the highest league of Lower Saxony, the tier two Amateuroberliga Niedersachsen West, after promotion in 1959. The team won the league in its first season there but was moved to the eastern division which it won in 1963–64. The Amateurliga Niedersachsen became a league from 1964 onwards and Hannover 96 took out the first three league titles from 1964 to 1967. Hannover 96 II became the first reserve team to reach the final of the German amateur championship when it defeated BV Osterfeld 3–0 in the replay of the 1959–60 final and it took out two more titles in 1963–64 and 1964–65, on both occasions defeating SV Wiesbaden in the final. After this two unsuccessful final appearances followed in 1965–66 and 1966–67, losing to SV Werder Bremen Amateure, the 1966 final was to be the only one contested by two reserve sides while the 1967 was the last for the team. After the 1966–67 season the team declined somewhat, still a side in the Amateurliga. At the end of the 1973–74 season Hannover failed to qualify for the new Oberliga Nord, in 1984–85 the team was relegated from what had now become the Verbandsliga Niedersachsen, made an immediate return the following season but suffered another relegation in 1990. Hannover once more returned to the Verbandsliga and, in 1993–94, qualified for the new tier four Oberliga Niedersachsen/Bremen, finishing 14th, the team played in the Oberliga for three seasons as a lower table side until relegation in 1997. Back in the division of the Verbandsliga, once more divided, Hannover finished low in the table in 1998 and 1999 but won the league in 1999–2000. Another relegationin 2001 was followed by promotion in 2003, a fifth place in the league in 2003–04 qualified the team for the re-formed Oberliga Nord where it played for the next four seasons. A league reform in 2008, when the 3, liga was introduced, took Hannover up to the Regionalliga Nord, where it has been playing since. Hannover 96 II also participated in the first round of the German Cup, on each occasion the team was knocked-out in the first round, by Borussia Neunkirchen, FC Bayern Munich, VfB Eppingen, Bayer 04 Leverkusen and Rot-Weiß Oberhausen. Liga in 2008 as the new tier, below the 2. Bundesliga, all leagues below dropped one tier, as of August 2016 Note, Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality, official club site Hannover 96 II at Weltfussball. de
30.
SV Babelsberg 03
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SV Babelsberg 03 is a German association football club based in Potsdam-Babelsberg, on the outskirts of Berlin. The team was founded as Sport-Club Jugendkraft 1903 and again as SG Karl-Marx Babelsberg in 1948 as successor to the pre-war side SpVgg Potsdam 03, the club was relegated after just three seasons at that level never finishing better than eighth in their ten team division. The club returned to the Gauliga as SpVgg Potsdam in 1943 and earned third-, following the war, occupying Allied authorities ordered the dissolution of all organizations in the country, including sports and football associations. The former membership of SpVgg was re-organized as SG Karl Marx Babelsberg in 1948 in the Soviet-occupied eastern half of the country, on 1 August 1949, they merged with the local club SG Drewitz and the following year were renamed BSG Motor Babelsberg. The side was a second division team in East Germanys DDR-Liga with the exception of short spells in the third tier in 1968–71, 1972–73. The clubs record in matches and in regular FDGB-Pokal tournament appearances was undistinguished. Just prior to German reunification the team suffered relegation from the second division, on 10 December 1991 Motor adopted the name Sportverein Babelsberg 03. They remained a lower side in the united Germany until breaking through to the NOFV-Oberliga Nord in 1996. The teams budget increased tenfold in the period from 1996 to 1999 and they immediately captured the league title there and won promotion to the Regionalliga Nordost. A second-place finish in 2001 in what had become the Regionalliga Nord advanced the club to the 2, SV also played its first DFB-Pokal matches in 2000 and 2001, but was eliminated in the early rounds. Babelsbergs time in the division was a short one. They finished at the bottom of the table and by 2003–04 had fallen all the way back to the Oberliga, the club declared bankruptcy in 2003 but managed to continue playing through the adoption of a creditor supported bankruptcy plan. SV fielded strong sides and achieved several top three finishes until they were promoted to the Regionalliga Nord for the 2007–08 campaign, in 2009–10 season Babelsberg were promoted back to the 3. Liga after finishing champions of the Regionalliga Nord, after three seasons at this level the club was relegated again in 2013 and now plays in the Regionalliga Nordost again. Filmstadt Inferno 99 are the ultras group. The fanatics stand in the North part of the stadium, the supporters hold left-wing and antifascist political views. As a result they have strong friendships with Partizan Minsk and St. Pauli, players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Official website The Abseits Guide to German Soccer Ultras website
31.
VfB Auerbach
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VfB Auerbach is a German football club from the city of Auerbach, Saxony. The club also has a tennis department, the association was founded as the Auerbacher Fußball Club on 17 May 1906 making it the second-oldest side in Vogtland. They won their first title in the second class Gau Vogtland, part of the VMBV, in the aftermath of World War II occupying Allied authorities ordered the dissolution of existing organizations in the country, including sports and football clubs. In the fall of 1945 the club was re-established as the department of Sport- und Kultur-Kartell Auerbach i. V. A new sportsclub known as BSG KWU Auerbach was created out of SuKK Auerbach in 1949, BSG was an unheralded local side in and out of the lower division Berziksliga Karl-Marx-Stadt in East Germany. In 1989, shortly before the end of the DDR-era BSG was the largest sports club in Auerbach with departments for bowling, boxing, fencing, gymnastics, hiking, roller skating, tennis, and table tennis. The club returned to its roots after German re-unification when it was re-established as VfB Auerbach, by the mid-90s they were playing in the Landesliga Sachsen, and after three second-place finishes, finally captured the division title in 2003 to earn promotion to the NOFV-Oberliga Süd. VfB played in the Oberliga for nine seasons, initially struggeling, the last of those, in 2012, qualified the team for the reformed Regionalliga Nordost, where it plays today. As of 29 July 2016 Note, Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules, players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. NOFV-Oberliga Süd Runners-up,2009,2011,2012 Landesliga Sachsen Champions,2003 Runners-up,1996,2001,2002 The club plays in the VfB Stadion built in 1921 and it has a capacity of 5,000 and after renovations features 750 seats and floodlighting. Official website Abseits Guide to German Soccer Das deutsche Fußball-Archiv historical German football league tables
Lukáš Nový
Jan Löhmannsröben
Ryan Malone
André Hainault
12', 21', 42'