These days marks the 25th anniversary of one of the biggest sensations in the Bundesliga: 1. FC Kaiserslautern celebrated the championship in 1998 as a promoted team. SWR Sport honors the miracle with a podcast series.
It is still one of the biggest football sensations in Germany. Some also speak of a football miracle – a “diabolical miracle”. 25 years ago, 1. FC Kaiserslautern won the German championship as a promoted team. In addition to the 45-minute, emotional documentary, available in the ARD media librarySWR Sport honors the Red Devils’ hussar ride with a podcast series.
Episode 1: The descent
In the first part we look back, two years before the triumph, to the tragic relegation, the first in 33 years for Bundesliga founding member 1. FC Kaiserslautern. After the 1-1 draw in Leverkusen on the last day of the 1995/96 season, the Red Devils were relegated. As a result, Rudi Völler, who remembers the crying FCK captain Andreas Brehme, and Martin Wagner, among others, have their say. Due to a suspension, he not only missed the game on the pitch, but also the timely journey to Leverkusen due to a lack of fuel.
“I got off the radio,” remembers Wagner of the worst moment of his career up to that point. Only a week later he was crowned hero – as a goal scorer in the 1-0 victory in the DFB Cup final against Karlsruher SC.
Episode 2: King Otto
Coach at the Lauterer Cup success was Eckhard Krautzun – a coach on call. Because Otto Rehhagel was fired at Bayern Munich at the end of April 1996, which of course did not go unnoticed by the head of the FCK supervisory board at the time, Jürgen “Atze” Friedrich. Both, who played together for the Red Devils in the Bundesliga in the late 1960s and early 1970s, met in Frankfurt.
“They were in trouble and he said, ‘Otto, you have to help us.’ Then I decided and said, ‘Ok, I’ll do it,'” Rehhagel recalls. And the miracle took its course. The direct resurgence as second division champions with a ten-point lead. Then came the first matchday of the new season, of all things, at King Otto’s former club, Bayern Munich, where FCK triumphed 1-0 with a goal from Denmark’s Michael Schjønberg.
Episode 3: Miracles happen
The success in the Munich Olympic Stadium was the start an incredible season. Except for match days one and three, 1. FC Kaiserslautern was the top of the table throughout and created a sensation on the 33rd match day. Since the competitor from Munich only drew 0-0 at MSV Duisburg, the celebrations in the Fritz-Walter-Stadion after the 4-0 win over VfL Wolfsburg knew no bounds. A whole city, a whole region was in a constant party frenzy. Or, as Martin Wagner put it 25 years later: “An incredible journey. From the Valley of Hell up to Mount Olympus. And all within two years.” It was definitely a journey that everyone involved and the many fans of the Red Devils will never forget for the rest of their lives. FCK’s “diabolical miracle”.
All three episodes are available in the ARD Audiothek and wherever there are podcasts.
