DFB Cup winner in 1985
Traditional club KFC Uerdingen files for bankruptcy
January 13, 2025 – 6:58 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
The regional league team has filed for bankruptcy for the fourth time in the club’s history. A board member finds clear words about the situation in the club.
The financial crisis at KFC Uerdingen has reached its lowest point. The Krefeld tax office has filed an application with the district court to open insolvency proceedings against the traditional club, which now plays in the Regionalliga West.
As KFC board member Dirk Röthig explained in a statement on the club’s website, this development did not come as a surprise. “Since we took office in October 2024, we have tried everything to bring the club into stable conditions,” wrote Röthig. But efforts to avert the impending bankruptcy failed.
The financial situation of the 1985 DFB Cup winner has been alarming for a long time. At the start of the season the loss was 600,000 euros and grew to one million by October. If we continued like this, the liabilities would add up to 2.2 million euros by the end of the season, explained Röthig.
The team costs in the current season alone amount to 1.4 million euros – an enormous sum for the fourth division, which is not affordable without sufficient financing. The board therefore sees the insolvency proceedings as an unavoidable step to save the club.
People in Krefeld are used to financial emergencies. The club had to file for bankruptcy in 2003, 2005 and 2007.
This time the board tried to secure new financial resources through discussions with fans, potential donors and insolvency lawyers. Nevertheless, it was not possible to find enough sponsors or to present signed contracts to stabilize the club. “It has to be said so harshly: one castle in the air was built after another,” commented Röthig on the situation.
Just a few days after winning the indoor city championship, the news hits KFC Uerdingen supporters particularly hard. Röthig regretted the development: “I’m very sorry for the many loyal fans and the struggling team around coach René Lewejohann that we had to take this step.” At the same time, he expressed the hope that the insolvency proceedings could enable a long-term new beginning.
Röthig also pointed out the personal hostility that he and his board colleague Peter Kahstein have experienced in recent months. These would have made their work even more difficult, but he doesn’t want to delve into these topics any further at the moment.
With the help of an insolvency administrator, a way should now be found to stabilize KFC Uerdingen in the long term. The general meeting planned for January 22nd will become invalid as a result of the motion.
What will happen next in terms of sport is also questionable. According to the regulations of the West German Football Association (WDFV), insolvency proceedings initiated mean the deduction of nine points in the Regionalliga West. This would mean the club would fall back to second-to-last place in the table with just eleven points.
The saving grace would then only be four points away, but the club’s already tense situation calls into question whether remaining in the regional league is realistic and sensible.