1. FFC Frankfurt
Encyclopedia
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
women's association football club based in Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
, Hesse
Hesse
Hesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
and has a membership of about 430. The team currently plays in the German first division women's Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga (women)
The Women's Football Bundesliga is the main league competition for women's football in Germany. In 1990 the German Football Association created the German Women's Bundesliga, based on the model of the men's Bundesliga. It was first played with north and south divisions, but in 1997 the groups...
.
History
The club has its origins at the SG Praunheim. At Praunheim a women's football department was established in 1973. The club had no showings at national championship or cup tournaments, but managed qualification for the BundesligaFußball-Bundesliga (women)
The Women's Football Bundesliga is the main league competition for women's football in Germany. In 1990 the German Football Association created the German Women's Bundesliga, based on the model of the men's Bundesliga. It was first played with north and south divisions, but in 1997 the groups...
at its inception in 1990 nonetheless. In the early 1990s Praunheim achieved mid-table results with a tendency for slight improvements from season to season.
The foundation for the club's later success was laid in the 1993–94 season when former captain Monika Staab as coach and head of the women's football division and Siegfried Dietrich as manager and investor developed a professional concept to lead the club to lasting success — the first such concept in German women's football as FFC Frankfurt claims. Thus Frankfurt qualified for the playoffs for the German football championship for the first time in 1995–96, losing the final 0–1 to TSV Siegen
Sportfreunde Siegen
Sportfreunde Siegen is a German association football club based in Siegen, North Rhine-Westphalia. The club was founded in 1899 as the football department of the gymnastics club Turn Verein Jahn von 1879 Siegen...
. In the following seasons FFC Frankfurt managed to stay amongst the top clubs in German football, but won no titles. Also during that time they were always put behind by local rival FSV Frankfurt
FSV Frankfurt
FSV Frankfurt is a German association football club based in the Bornheim district of Frankfurt am Main, Hesse and founded in 1899. The club plays in the shadow of larger and much more successful Eintracht Frankfurt, which has recently returned to 2nd tier football...
.
On 1 January 1999 the women's department left Praunheim to form 1. FFC Frankfurt. The club had success immediately winning the cup and the championship in their first season. In 1999–2000 Frankfurt won their second cup, but lost the championship to FCR Duisburg
FCR 2001 Duisburg
FCR 2001 Duisburg is a German women's football club from Duisburg. The first team plays in the Fußball-Bundesliga . They originate from a women's team formed in 1977 under the umbrella of FC Rumeln-Kaldenhausen and have existed as an independent club since 8th. June 2001...
which in the previous season had finished second only to Frankfurt in both competitions. From 2000 to 2003 Frankfurt won three consecutive doubles
The Double
The Double is a term in association football which refers to winning a country's top tier division and its primary cup competition in the same season...
while also rising to the pinnacle of European football with a victory in the UEFA Women's Cup
UEFA Women's Cup
The UEFA Women's Champions League is the first international women's association football club competition for teams that play in UEFA nations. Initially known as the UEFA Women's Cup, the competition has been re-branded since the 2009-2010 edition as the UEFA Women's Champions League...
's inaugury season in 2002. During these years a club from Potsdam had begun to challenge the supremacy of FFC Frankfurt. Thus in 2003–04 Turbine Potsdam
1. FFC Turbine Potsdam
1. FFC Turbine Potsdam is a women's football club team in Potsdam, Germany. The full name is 1. Frauen-Fußball-Club Turbine Potsdam 71 e. V. . They are one of the most successful teams in Germany...
won a double of their own, leaving Frankfurt without a title after winning ten titles in five years.
In the following seasons both clubs retained their dominance in German football, but European success was elusive as Umeå IK
Umeå IK
Umeå IK is a prominent women's association football club based in the city of Umeå, Sweden. The club was established in 1917 as a general sports club, and started competing in women's in 1985. In 1996 the team reached the premier division, the Damallsvenskan but was relegated the following year. In...
from Sweden won two consecutive titles in the UEFA Cup, also brushing away FFC Frankfurt 8–0 on aggregate in the 2004 final. After Turbine had won its own UEFA Cup title in 2005 both clubs met in the final of the UEFA Cup. Thanks to a 4–0 victory at Potsdam in the first leg Frankfurt was able to claim their second European title. The final was attended by a record crowd of 13,100 and even German chancellor Angela Merkel
Angela Merkel
Angela Dorothea Merkel is the current Chancellor of Germany . Merkel, elected to the Bundestag from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, has been the chairwoman of the Christian Democratic Union since 2000, and chairwoman of the CDU-CSU parliamentary coalition from 2002 to 2005.From 2005 to 2009 she led a...
was amongst the spectators.
Having conceded the preceding three cup finals to Potsdam Frankfurt won another double in 2006–07, but lost in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup to Norwegian Kolbotn. Frankfurt won their second treble in the 2007–08, thus becoming the first and as yet only club to win the UEFA Cup three times. The second leg of the final against Umeå was attended by 27,640, a new record attendance for a women's club football game in Europe.
Frankfurt's performance dropped considerably in the 2008–09 season. A fourth place finish in the league was the club's worst performance since a uniform Bundesliga was put into place. Also Frankfurt did not reach the cup final for the first time since 1998, losing in the second round to Bayern Munich, thus marking their worst cup performance since 1991–92. In the UEFA Cup Frankfurt was eliminated by FCR 2001 Duisburg
FCR 2001 Duisburg
FCR 2001 Duisburg is a German women's football club from Duisburg. The first team plays in the Fußball-Bundesliga . They originate from a women's team formed in 1977 under the umbrella of FC Rumeln-Kaldenhausen and have existed as an independent club since 8th. June 2001...
in the quarter-finals.
Stadium
Frankfurt plays their homegames in the Stadion am BrentanobadStadion am Brentanobad
Stadion am Brentanobad is a multi-use stadium in Frankfurt, Germany. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of 1. FFC Frankfurt and Rot-Weiß Frankfurt. The stadium has a capacity of 5,500 places....
, a stadium in the Rödelheim district of Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
they share with the men's team of Rot-Weiss Frankfurt. Stadion am Brentobad is owned by the city of Frankfurt and has a capacity of 5,200 with 1,100 of those being roofed seats. In recent seasons Frankfurt had the highest attendance average in the Bundesliga with more than 1,000 spectators on average.
On a few occasions FFC Frankfurt has held their homegames at the Commerzbank-Arena
Commerzbank-Arena
The Commerzbank-Arena is a sports stadium in Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany. Commonly known by its original name, Waldstadion , the stadium opened in 1925. The stadium has been upgraded several times since then; the most recent remodelling was its redevelopment as a football-only stadium in preparation...
of Eintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht Frankfurt is a German sports club, based in Frankfurt, Hesse that is best known for its association football club.- Club origins :...
. The UEFA-Cup final between Frankfurt and Potsdam
1. FFC Turbine Potsdam
1. FFC Turbine Potsdam is a women's football club team in Potsdam, Germany. The full name is 1. Frauen-Fußball-Club Turbine Potsdam 71 e. V. . They are one of the most successful teams in Germany...
in 2006 was attended by 27,400 spectators which is still a record for European club football matches.
Rivalry with Turbine Potsdam
A rivalry developed between Frankfurt and former East German women's champions 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam1. FFC Turbine Potsdam
1. FFC Turbine Potsdam is a women's football club team in Potsdam, Germany. The full name is 1. Frauen-Fußball-Club Turbine Potsdam 71 e. V. . They are one of the most successful teams in Germany...
early in the 2000s as that club began its own ascent to the Bundesliga. That rivalry spilled over into the DFB Pokal
Women's German Cup
The Frauen DFB-Pokal is the main national women's football cup competition in Germany, thus the female counterpart to the DFB-Pokal. It was created in 1980, and since 1991 includes Eastern teams as well. The most recent champions are Turbine Potsdam. FFC Frankfurt has won the most titles with seven...
and the European Cup
UEFA Women's Cup
The UEFA Women's Champions League is the first international women's association football club competition for teams that play in UEFA nations. Initially known as the UEFA Women's Cup, the competition has been re-branded since the 2009-2010 edition as the UEFA Women's Champions League...
when Potsdam qualified by taking the national title from Frankfurt and succeeded them as European champions.
Aside from the sporting and east-west rivalry, the two clubs have different team-building philosophies. Frankfurt, in a Western "capitalist" fashion, prefers buy up local and foreign players, while Potsdam, in the Eastern socialist tradition focuses on the development of young players within its own club-system. The defection of Petra Wimbersky
Petra Wimbersky
Petra Wimbersky is a German football striker. After four years at FFC Frankfurt she returned to her former club Bayern Munich. She also plays for the German national team.-External links:*...
and Karolin Thomas
Karolin Thomas
Karolin Thomas is a German football midfielder. She currently plays for 1. FFC Frankfurt, and has been capped once for the German national team. After the 2010 season she stopped playing football due to injuries....
from Potsdam to Frankfurt inflamed the rivalry, as the two clubs had abided by an unwritten agreement not to poach each other's players without first consulting the German Football Association
German Football Association
The German Football Association is the governing body of football in Germany. A founding member of both FIFA and UEFA, the DFB organises the German football leagues, including the national league, the Bundesliga, and the men's and women's national teams. The DFB is based in Frankfurt and is...
.
Due to the lack of hooliganism in the women's game, this rivalry has developed healthy competition within the Bundesliga and has strongly contributed to the success of the women's national team
Germany women's national football team
The German women's national football team represents Germany in international women's football and is directed by the German Football Association . The team – informally called West Germany in English – played its first international match in 1982...
. There is a potential Old Firm
Old Firm
The Old Firm is a common collective name for the association football clubs Celtic and Rangers, both based in Glasgow, Scotland.The origin of the term is unclear. One theory has it that the expression derives from Celtic's first game in 1888, which was played against Rangers. However, author,...
-style problem, however, as these two clubs are currently the wealthiest in the women's game and there is a fear that this may hinder the league's competitiveness if they become too dominant.
Honours
- Fußball-Bundesliga (women)
- 7x Winners: 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008
- 4x Runners-up: 1996, 1998, 2000, 2004, 20112010–11 Fußball-Bundesliga (women)The 2010–11 season of the Fußball-Bundesliga was the 21st season of Germany's premier women's football league. The season started on 15 August 2010 and ended early on 13 March 2011, so that the German national team has time to prepare for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup. At the end of the season...
- DFB-Pokal
- 8x Winners (record): 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2008, 20112010–11 Frauen DFB-PokalThe DFB-Pokal 2010–11 was the 31st season of the cup competition, Germany's second-most important title in women's football. 1. FFC Frankfurt defeated 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam 2–1 in the final in Cologne on 26 March 2011.-Participating clubs:...
- 3x Runners-up: 2004, 2005, 2006
- 8x Winners (record): 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2011
- UEFA Women's CupUEFA Women's CupThe UEFA Women's Champions League is the first international women's association football club competition for teams that play in UEFA nations. Initially known as the UEFA Women's Cup, the competition has been re-branded since the 2009-2010 edition as the UEFA Women's Champions League...
- 3x Winners (record): 2002, 2006, 2008
- 1x Runners-up: 2004
Current squad
As of 5 August 2011Notable former players
Germany
- Steffi JonesSteffi JonesStephanie Ann "Steffi" Jones is a retired German football defender. She now works as a football administrator, and was in charge of organizing the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup in Germany.- Biography :...
- Renate LingorRenate LingorRenate Lingor is a retired female German international football player.-Club career:Lingor began her career in 1981 with SV Blankenloch at the age of six, in 1983 she joined the youth team of Karlsruher SC. Aged 14 she signed with SC Klinge Seckach where she started her professional career in...
- Anna Marciak
- Heidi MohrHeidi MohrHeidi Mohr is a former German footballer. As a footballer she was renowned for her speed and her ability to shoot with both feet. In 1999 she was voted Europe's Footballer of the Century.-Club career:...
- Birgit PrinzBirgit PrinzBirgit Prinz is a former German female professional association football player. She last played for 1. FFC Frankfurt and the German national team. Prinz is one of the game's most prolific strikers and the FIFA Women's World Cup all-time leading scorer with 14 goals . She has been named FIFA...
- Jutta NardenbachJutta NardenbachJutta Nardenbach is a former German international footballer. She plays the position of defender. Currently Nardenbach is player in the first team and coach of the youth teams at third tier FFC Montabaur.-Club career:...
- Silke RottenbergSilke RottenbergSilke Rottenberg is a former German football goalkeeper.-Career:She last played for 1. FFC Frankfurt. She announced her retirement from the German national team on May 27, 2008. After the game Germany versus Wales on May 29, 2008, she formally retired from international football...
- Karolin ThomasKarolin ThomasKarolin Thomas is a German football midfielder. She currently plays for 1. FFC Frankfurt, and has been capped once for the German national team. After the 2010 season she stopped playing football due to injuries....
South Korea
- Lee Jang-Mi
Norway
- Leni Larsen KaurinLeni Larsen KaurinLeni Larsen Kaurin is a Norwegian footballer, who currently plays for VfL Wolfsburg.-Career:She joined 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam from Asker, at the end of 2007. She was then the only Norwegian woman footballer playing in Germany. On 2 February 2010 she announced that she would transfer to 1...
Spain
- Laura del RíoLaura del RíoLaura del Río García is a Spanish footballer currently playing for Philadelphia Independence of WPS.-Club career:...
United States
- India TrotterIndia TrotterIndia Ashlei Trotter is an American soccer player who currently plays in Sweden for Dalsjöfors GoIF.-Career:She graduated from Florida State University and helped put Florida State women's soccer on the map...
- Ali KriegerAli KriegerAlexandra Blaire "Ali" Krieger is an American soccer player currently playing for 1. FFC Frankfurt of the Frauen-Bundesliga and is a member of the United States Women's National Soccer Team.-Youth and High School:...