According to the Chief Executive Officer of FC Kaiserslautern, Soeren Oliver Voigt, “If you spend more than you earn, if you act like you are bigger than you are, you will end up like FC Kaiserslautern”. This statement by Voigt gives credence to how poor the ‘Die Roten Teufel’ were badly managed during their reign in the top flight.
Without doubt, only few would have expected Kaiserslautern to become German champions in 1991, though the team from the smallest city of 100,000 or thereabout in Southwest Germany, close to the French border did have a rich football history having been champions in 1951 and 1953 respectively, plus runners up three times in that period.
23-years since Die Roten Teufel won the Bundesliga in the 1997-98 season, 22-years since reaching the Champions League quarterfinals, and 20 years since a certain Spaniard side Alaves denied them the opportunity to face England Champions Liverpool in a UEFA Cup final, once again Kaiserslautern was able to once again ruffled shoulders with the big boys when they played a jaded Bayern Munich in a friendly match at the end of 2018-19 season.
Having enjoyed a rollercoaster campaign in the 1997-98 Bundesliga season, ‘Die Roten Teufel’ decided to spend more than they earn, and acted bigger than they are in German football, ironically they attempted to compete with Bayern Munich at the time the ‘Bavarian’ were known as “FC Hollywood”, but sadly that decision by the management of Kaiserslautern began the slippery slope into the second tier of German football, and a steady decline into the third tier of recent.
Mistakes after mistakes, mismanagement and misfortune had been the Achilles of Kaiserslautern, since the last time they won the title, as such that has made them look like a club that is not serious and full with turmoil on the pitch and near-constant backroom shenanigans, which has further pushed them down the more in the third tier.
“It feels like there is a curse, the club has huge financial problems that could only be solved if we are back in the second tier or ideally the top flight, but we aren’t and we are trapped in a vicious circle, and it’s like the club is dying bit by bit”.
These were the word of Frederik Paulus, a journalist who also writes for the Der Betze Brennt, the club blog, his statement further explained the precarious situation Kaiserslautern is in.
Kaiserslautern Journey to Wilderness
Spending more than they earn came to fore when they signed former World Cup Champion Youri Djorkaeff and Mario Basler who is renowned for smoking and drinking, but his footballing talent is fantastic, after joining the Southwest German side, within a couple of years Djorkaeff couldn’t start regularly in the team having failed to learn German, as such he was relegated to the bench while a lot of questions were been asked concerning Basler attitude and why Kaiserslauten spent a lot of money in signing him, and the secretive five million Deutschmark signing-on fee which Die Roten Teufel tried to sweep under the carpet.
After lot of questions were asked concerning the mismanagement of the club, Rene Jaeggi one of the top officials of the club, brought in an auditor who duly uncovered widespread tax evasion, and how players of the club are been paid via foreign bank accounts, which shouldn’t have been so, having found out all of the mismanagement, a sum of €9m fine from the German tax office was added to the club’s debt, which made Kaiserslauten debt increased to around €50m by 2003.
As Kaiserslautern debt keeps increasing, so does glory and success on the pitch keeps eluding them, with that lot of their backroom supremo had the intentions to turn the fortunes of the club around, but they all failed as their decline and fruitless debacles continue, since their first relegation away from the top flight in 2005-06, which still remains a big shock to ‘Die Roten Teufel’ faithful and Germany as a whole, up until now they’re still in the lower division.
READ ALSO: 10 Of The Top Admirable Kings Of Football
Following their return back to the Bundesliga, landing a seventh-place finish in the club’s first season in the top flight in 2010-11 looks like it’s going to be a great season for them, but sadly it’s turned out to be another wasted opportunity when they found themselves deep into a relegation battle halfway through the following season, and to rescue their season they headed into the transfer market in January, unfortunately for Kaiserslautern, the new signings couldn’t turn things around as they went further deep in the relegation waters
During this period former club legend Stefan Kuntz was appointed as CEO, and he was well-received as the messiah that will turn things around for the club, when he stepped down in 2016 the club were in as much financial disarray as when he was appointed, and to make matter worse all the money borrowed from the fans bond, were invested into the team academy, with the hope that they benefit from such decision then payback in 2019, but surprisingly nothing positive came out of the youth development and Kaiserslautern on-field position became worse than ever.
Life in the Bundesliga 2 was tough and rough, as former Turkey midfielder Halil Altintop couldn’t prevent a squad filled with experienced players in finishing bottom of the league table in 2017-18 season, and of the 31 man squad of that team only five stood by the team, while many left, even the fans stood by the club and about 1,500 of them traveled with the team to Bielefeld to see their darling team relegated to the third tier with banners and chant stating “Wherever you go, we are coming with you, love doesn’t recognize football divisions”.
In preparation for life in the third tier, over 1,500 came to see them trained ahead of their match against fellow fallen giant 1860 Munich, surprisingly the match attracted 41,000 fans which were the third-largest ever recorded in the third division, and as the season progresses over 21,000 fans came into the stadium to see Kaiserslauten play, which shows how well the fans still love them despite their worse situation.
READ ALSO: 15 Of Top Most Injury Prone Footballers
Kaiserslautern first season in the third tier ended with a relatively decent 9th position finish in the league, but a bit below expectation for a team that was once the champions of the Bundesliga, so in other to come off the third tier, the club embraced the ideas of putting together a squad filled with young and hungry players, without considering the experience and physical presence needed to navigate the tough, rough, and tumble nature of the third division football, even with the so-called young and hungry players, the fortune of Die Roten Teufel hasn’t changed positively.
As it stands, the sight of top-flight football looks very blur for Kaiserslautern, because it doesn’t seem they would be out of the third tier wilderness soon, although their fans may want to tap from the old-time spirit for inspiration, and believe that their darling could still make it down to the top flight, but with the season currently over and Kaiserslautern placed in 10th position, then it doesn’t seem they would be exiting the third tier wilderness soon, perhaps next season, only time would tell.
