The history of 1. FC Kaiserslautern
Milestones and background from the club's history, in chronological order.
More milestones and background for each event.
Categories
Competitions
Nicknames through the years Three names tell a story of near misses, late goals and an unbeaten season. Read the storiesClose the stories
The Walter era
First German championship final
The team led by Fritz Walter reaches its first German championship final.
Kaiserslautern lose 2-1 to 1. FC Nürnberg at Cologne’s Müngersdorfer Stadion and finish as runners-up.
First DFB-Pokal final
FCK reach the DFB-Pokal final for the first time.
SV Werder Bremen win the final in Gelsenkirchen 2-0, leaving Kaiserslautern still waiting for their first cup triumph.
Bundesliga and Europe
A founding member of the Bundesliga
One of the Bundesliga’s 16 founding members, Kaiserslautern begin with a 1-1 draw at Eintracht Frankfurt.
FCK had finished the final season of the top-flight Oberliga Südwest as champions.
The first European match
FCK play their first European match away to English League Cup winners Stoke City.
The first leg of the UEFA Cup first round ends in a 3-1 defeat at the Victoria Ground.
First European victory and first tie won
A 4-0 victory on the Betzenberg overturns the 3-1 first-leg defeat by Stoke City.
FCK’s first European home match brings their first European win and progress to the next round.
5-0 against Real Madrid: a first European semi-final
Real Madrid3:1
1. FC KaiserslauternFirst leg · March 3, 1982 · Location: Madrid Stadium: Betzenberg-Stadion1. FC Kaiserslautern5:0Real MadridSecond leg · March 17, 1982 · Location: Kaiserslautern Stadium: Betzenberg-StadionAfter losing 3-1 in Madrid, FCK beat Real 5-0 in the return leg.
The famous night on the Betzenberg secures a 6-3 aggregate victory and the club’s first European semi-final.
First European semi-final match
Kaiserslautern draw 1-1 with IFK Göteborg on the Betzenberg in the club’s first European semi-final match.
The eventual UEFA Cup winners prevail after extra time in the return leg.
Biggest Bundesliga victory
Kaiserslautern beat Karlsruher SC 7-0.
By goal margin, this is the club’s biggest Bundesliga victory.
Cup triumphs and championships
European Cup debut
Kaiserslautern make their European Cup debut against Bulgarian champions Etar Veliko Tarnovo.
FCK win the first leg on the Betzenberg 2-0.
Thirteen goals against Meppen
Already crowned champions, Kaiserslautern end the season with a 7-6 victory over SV Meppen.
Its 13 goals make this the highest-scoring match in the single-division 2. Bundesliga.
German champions as a promoted club
1. FC Kaiserslautern4:0
VfL WolfsburgMatch 1 · May 2, 1998 · Location: Kaiserslautern Stadium: Fritz-Walter-StadionKaiserslautern beat Wolfsburg 4-0 while Bayern Munich draw 0-0 in Duisburg.
The fourth championship is thereby secured with a game to spare. For the first time, a newly promoted club wins the Bundesliga title in its first season back.
First Champions League match
Kaiserslautern beat Benfica 1-0 on their Champions League debut.
Martin Wagner scores FCK’s first goal in this competition format on the Betzenberg.
Reaching the Champions League quarter-finals
Benfica2:11. FC KaiserslauternMatch 1 · November 25, 1998 · Location: Lisbon Stadium: Estádio da Luz
HJK Helsinki1:3
PSV EindhovenMatch 2 · November 25, 1998 · Location: Helsinki Stadium: Olympiastadion HelsinkiJürgen Rische’s late goal in the 2-1 defeat at Benfica secures the decisive head-to-head advantage: following the 1-0 home win, the away goal counts.
Helsinki’s simultaneous defeat by PSV confirms FCK as group winners and quarter-finalists before the last group match. There is no round of 16 at the time.
First Champions League quarter-final match
In their first Champions League quarter-final match, Kaiserslautern lose 2-0 to Bayern Munich at the Olympiastadion.
A 4-0 defeat in the return leg eliminates FCK against the eventual finalists.
European nights and setbacks
Lowest Bundesliga finish: 18th place
After a 5-2 defeat by Dortmund, Kaiserslautern can no longer reach even the penultimate position.
Eighteenth place is thus confirmed as the club’s lowest Bundesliga finish. The season ultimately ends with 23 points.
