Rot-Weiss Essen is a
German association football club based in
Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia. The club currently plays in the 3. Liga, at the
Stadion an der Hafenstraße
Stadion an der Hafenstraße, known as Stadion Essen until 2022, is a stadium in Essen, Germany. Located in the borough of Bergeborbeck, it has a capacity of 20,650 spectators. It is the home of Rot-Weiss Essen in the third-level men's 3. Liga and ...
.
The team won the
DFB-Pokal
The DFB-Pokal ( is a German knockout football cup competition held annually by the German Football Association (DFB). Sixty-four teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2. Bundesliga. It is considered ...
in 1953, and the
German championship in 1955. The latter success qualified them to the first season of the
European Cup.
History
Early years
The club was formed as ''SV Vogelheim'' on 1 February 1907 out of the merger of two smaller clubs: ''SC Preussen'' and ''Deutsche Eiche''. In 1910, ''Vogelheim'' came to an arrangement with ''Turnerbund Bergeborbeck'' that allowed the two clubs to field a football side. The footballers left in 1913 to set up their own club, ''Spiel- und Sportverein Emscher-Vogelheim'', which changed its name to ''Spiel und Sport 1912'' after World War I. Finally, in 1923, this side turned again to ''Turnerbund Bergeborbeck'' to create ''Rot-Weiss Essen''.
Breakthrough to the Gauliga
In 1938, ''RWE'' broke into top-flight football in the
Gauliga Niederrhein
The Gauliga Niederrhein was the highest football league in the northern part of the Prussian Rhine Province from 1933 to 1945. Shortly after the formation of the league, the Nazis reorganised the administrative regions in Germany, and the '' Gaue' ...
, one of sixteen premier divisions formed in the 1933 re-organization of German football under the
Third Reich
Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
, and came within a point of taking the division title in 1941. In 1943 they played with ''BV Altenessen'' as the combined wartime side ''KSG SC Rot-Weiß Essen/BV 06 Altenessen''. The next season this club was in turn joined by ''BVB Essen'', but played only a single match in a stillborn season as World War II overtook the country.
Rise and golden years
The club returned to first division football in the
Oberliga West in 1948, where a series of solid performances led to a divisional championship in 1952. The pinnacle of the club's success came with a 2–1 win over
Alemannia Aachen in the 1953
DFB-Pokal
The DFB-Pokal ( is a German knockout football cup competition held annually by the German Football Association (DFB). Sixty-four teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2. Bundesliga. It is considered ...
final, followed by a national championship in 1955 when it beat
1. FC Kaiserslautern
1. Fußball-Club Kaiserslautern e. V., also known as 1. FCK, FCK (), FC Kaiserslautern () or colloquially Lautern (), is a German sports club based in Kaiserslautern, Rhineland-Palatinate. In addition to football, the club also operates in sev ...
4–3. The following season, Rot-Weiss became the first German side to qualify for the
European Cup.
Their performance tailed off after this and ''RWE'' became just another mid-table side before they were relegated in 1961. The club then played most of the 1960s as a second division side, but did manage its first appearance in the top-flight
Bundesliga
The Bundesliga (; ), sometimes referred to as the Fußball-Bundesliga () or 1. Bundesliga (), is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of the German football league system, the Bundesliga is Germany's primary footba ...
in
1966–67. It returned to the Bundesliga for two seasons in
1969–70, and again, for four seasons beginning in
1973–74.
Financial problems and slow decline
Between 1978 and the end of the century, Rot-Weiss was a solid second- or third-tier club, with just one season spent in the
Oberliga Nordrhein (IV) in 1998–99. During this period, the club was plagued by financial problems that saw it denied a licence in 1984, 1991, and 1994, leading to relegation from the 2. Bundesliga each time as a result. Bright spots during this period included winning the
German amateur championship
The German amateur football championship was a national football competition in Germany organized by the German Football Association (German: Deutscher Fußball-Bund; DFB) and in existence from 1950 to 1998.
History
Overview
The championship was ...
in 1992 and an appearance in the
1994 DFB-Pokal final, which they lost 1–3 to
SV Werder Bremen.
''RWE'' returned to the
Regionalliga Nord
The Regionalliga Nord ( en, Regional League North) is the fourth tier of the German football league system in the states of Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, Bremen and Hamburg. It is one of five leagues at this level, together with the Regional ...
(III) in 1999, but dropped to the Oberliga (IV) the next season. In 2004, they won promotion back to the 2. Bundesliga, but stumbled to a 17th-place finish and were relegated once again.
In November 2005
Pelé became an honorary club member (membership number 23101940).
The team reappeared in the 2. Bundesliga after winning the Regionalliga Nord in
2006, but narrowly missed staying up when they lost the critical final match of the
2006–07 season 3–0 to
Duisburg
Duisburg () is a city in the Ruhr metropolitan area of the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Lying on the confluence of the Rhine and the Ruhr rivers in the center of the Rhine-Ruhr Region, Duisburg is the 5th largest city in No ...
.
Rot-Weiss became a fourth division side following the introduction of the
3. Liga
The 3. Liga is a professional association football league and the third division in Germany. In the German football league system, it is positioned between the 2. Bundesliga and the fourth-tier Regionalliga.
The modern 3. Liga was formed for th ...
in 2008 and a fifth division team after insolvency in 2010. They won the fifth level
NRW-Liga in 2010–11 and returned to
Regionalliga West
The Regionalliga West is a German semi-professional football division administered by the Western German Football Association based in Duisburg. It is one of the five German regional football associations. Being the single flight of the Western ...
for the
2011–12 season.
Stadium
Until 2012 Rot-Weiss used to play in the
Georg-Melches-Stadion (capacity 15,000), named in honour of a former club president. In 1956, the team's home field became the first stadium in West Germany to have floodlights.
Since August 2012 RWE has played in the new
Stadion Essen (capacity 20,000). The naming rights to the stadium include
RWE AG
RWE AG is a German multinational energy company headquartered in Essen. It generates and trades electricity in Asia-Pacific, Europe and the United States. The company is Europe's most climate threatening Company, the world's number two in offs ...
.
Supporters
Rivalries
Fortuna Düsseldorf
Düsseldorfer Turn- und Sportverein Fortuna 1895 e.V., commonly known as Fortuna Düsseldorf (), is a German football club in Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, which competes in the 2. Bundesliga.
Founded in 1895, Fortuna entered the league ...
,
Rot-Weiß Oberhausen
Rot-Weiß Oberhausen is a German association football club in Oberhausen, North Rhine-Westphalia. The club was formed as ''Oberhausener SV'' in December 1904 out of the merger of ''Emschertaler SV'' (1902) and the football enthusiasts of ''Oberh ...
and
Wuppertaler SV
Wuppertaler SV is a German association football club located in Wuppertal, North Rhine-Westphalia. The city was founded in 1929 out of the union of a number of smaller towns including Elberfeld, Barmen, Vohwinkel, Cronenberg and Ronsdorf – e ...
are local rivals when they are playing in the same league (as took place in the
2007–08 season). The club's fiercest rivalry is with
FC Schalke 04, from nearby
Gelsenkirchen, with whom they contest the
Ruhrderby.
In the past, the local derbies versus
Schwarz-Weiß Essen
Schwarz-Weiß Essen is a German association football club based in Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia. The side has its origins in the gymnastics club ''Essener Turnerbund'' founded in 1881. A football department was formed in January 1900 and this b ...
were big events, sometimes followed by more than 30,000 fans, however since their rivals decline the rivalry has waned in importance. Although often clouded in political terms, the "reds" were
left-wing
Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy. Left-wing politics typically involve a concern for those in soci ...
and the "blacks"
right-wing, in reality there was no real distinction. The rivalry was more based on geography of the city, a north (RWE) versus south (SWE) city divide. While the reputation of northern Essen has been attached to the working class in the past decades, the south of the city is generally regarded as a wealthier area, inhabited by an upper-middle class.
Friendships
The RWE followers have a strong fan friendship with
SV Werder Bremen, while another with
Borussia Dortmund
Ballspielverein Borussia 09 e. V. Dortmund, commonly known as Borussia Dortmund (), BVB (), or simply Dortmund (), is a German professional sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. It is best known for its men's professional fo ...
ended.
Attendance
Although mostly playing in lower divisions, the club enjoys solid fan support, with an average attendance of better than 6,000 per game.
Honours
The club's honours:
League
*
German championship
** Champions: 1955
*
German amateur championship
The German amateur football championship was a national football competition in Germany organized by the German Football Association (German: Deutscher Fußball-Bund; DFB) and in existence from 1950 to 1998.
History
Overview
The championship was ...
** Champions: 1992
*
Oberliga West
** Champions:
1952
Events January–February
* January 26 – Black Saturday in Egypt: Rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses.
* February 6
** Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh, becomes m ...
,
1955
*
Regionalliga West
The Regionalliga West is a German semi-professional football division administered by the Western German Football Association based in Duisburg. It is one of the five German regional football associations. Being the single flight of the Western ...
(II)
** Champions:
1973
Events January
* January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark 1973 enlargement of the European Communities, enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union.
* January 15 – Vietnam War: ...
*
Regionalliga Nord
The Regionalliga Nord ( en, Regional League North) is the fourth tier of the German football league system in the states of Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, Bremen and Hamburg. It is one of five leagues at this level, together with the Regional ...
(III)
** Champions: 2004, 2006
*
Oberliga Nordrhein (IV)
** Champions: 1985, 1986, 1993, 1999
*
Regionalliga West
The Regionalliga West is a German semi-professional football division administered by the Western German Football Association based in Duisburg. It is one of the five German regional football associations. Being the single flight of the Western ...
(IV)
** Champions:
2022
File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretariat; The global monkeypo ...
*
NRW-Liga (V)
** Champions: 2011
Cup
*
DFB-Pokal
The DFB-Pokal ( is a German knockout football cup competition held annually by the German Football Association (DFB). Sixty-four teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2. Bundesliga. It is considered ...
** Winners:
1952–53
*
Lower Rhine Cup
The Lower Rhine Cup (German: ''Niederrheinpokal'') is a German football club Cup competition open to teams from the Lower Rhine region of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The competition is one of the 21 regional cup competitions of German foo ...
(Tiers 3–5)
** Winners: (10) 1993, 1995, 2002, 2004, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2015,
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...
,
2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...
Current squad
Notable players
Former coaches
*
Elek Schwartz (1955–1957)
*
Fritz Pliska (1965–1967)
*
Erich Ribbeck
Erich Ribbeck (born 13 June 1937) is a German former professional football player and manager, best known for coaching in the Bundesliga. In 1988, he won the UEFA Cup as manager of Bayer Leverkusen, the first title in the club's history.
Club c ...
(1967–1968)
*
Herbert Burdenski (1969–1971)
*
Janos Bedl (1971–1972)
*
Horst Witzler (1973)
*
Ivica Horvath (1975–1976)
*
Diethelm Ferner (1978–1979)
*
Rolf Schafstall
Rudolf 'Rolf' Schafstall (22 February 1937 – 30 January 2018) was a German football coach and a player. He was born in Duisburg, Germany.
Schafstall died on 30 January 2018 in Krefeld
Krefeld ( , ; li, Krieëvel ), also spelled Crefe ...
(1979–1981)
*
Rolf Bock (1982–1983)
*
Janos Bedl (1983–1984)
*
Siegfried Melzig (1984)
*
Horst Hrubesch
Horst Hrubesch (; born 17 April 1951) is a German professional football manager and former player who last managed Hamburger SV. As a player, Hrubesch won three West German championships with his club side, Hamburger SV, as well as the European C ...
(1986–1987)
*
Peter Neururer
Peter Neururer (born 26 April 1955) is a German professional football manager, notable for coaching a number of Bundesliga clubs.
Managerial career
Neururer had a minor playing career in the lower leagues before moving into coaching at TuS Hal ...
(1987)
*
Horst Franz (1987–1988)
*
Siegfried Melzig (1988)
*
Hans-Werner Moors
Hans-Werner Moors (born 24 July 1950) is a German former professional football player, who played as a defender, and later manager.
References
1950 births
Living people
German men's footballers
TuRU Düsseldorf players
SC Preuà ...
(1989–1991)
*
Jürgen Röber (1991–1993)
*
Wolfgang Frank
Wolfgang Frank (21 February 1951 – 7 September 2013) was a German football manager and player.
Frank was born in Reichenbach an der Fils, and made a total of 215 appearances in the Bundesliga during his playing career, scoring 89 goals. Fo ...
(1994–1995)
*
Rudi Gores (1995–1997)
*
Klaus Berge
Klaus Berge (born 4 October 1961) is a former German football player and current manager who last managed DSC Wanne-Eickel.
As player he most notably played for FC Schalke 04 and 1. FC Saarbrücken.
In 1997, he started his managerial career at ...
(1998–1999)
*
Fritz Fuchs (1999)
*
Klaus Berge
Klaus Berge (born 4 October 1961) is a former German football player and current manager who last managed DSC Wanne-Eickel.
As player he most notably played for FC Schalke 04 and 1. FC Saarbrücken.
In 1997, he started his managerial career at ...
(1999–2001)
*
Harry Pleß (2001–2003)
*
Holger Fach
Holger Fach (born 6 September 1962) is a German football manager and former professional player. Mainly a defensive midfielder, he could also pitch in at centre back.
Club career
Between 1981 and 1998, Fach played 416 Bundesliga games for Fort ...
(2003)
*
Jürgen Gelsdorf
Jürgen Gelsdorf (born 19 January 1953) is a German Association football, football coach and former player who is currently youth teams coordinator at Bayer 04 Leverkusen.
Sporting career As a player
For the 1972–73 Regionalliga, 1972/73 seas ...
(2003–2005)
*
Uwe Neuhaus (2005–2006)
*
Lorenz-Günther Köstner
Lorenz-Günther Köstner (born 30 January 1952) is a retired German footballer who is now a football manager who last managed Fortuna Düsseldorf. Following the sacking of Armin Veh on 25 January 2010, he was named interim manager of VfL Wolfsbur ...
(2006–2007)
*
Heiko Bonan
Heiko Bonan (born 10 February 1966) is a German football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach of FC 99 Aa Nethetal.
Playing career
In the East German and (unified) German top-flight the midfielder
A midfielder ...
(2007–2008)
*
Michael Kulm (2008–2009)
*
Ralf Aussem (2009)
*
Ernst Middendorp (2009)
*
Ralf Aussem (2009–2010)
*
Uwe Erkenbrecher
Uwe Erkenbrecher (born 14 November 1954) is a German football manager and a former player who is the current manager of MTV Gifhorn.
References
External links
*
1954 births
Living people
People from Delmenhorst
Footballers from Lowe ...
(2009–2010)
*
Waldemar Wrobel
Waldemar, Valdemar or Woldemar is an Old High German given name. It consists of the elements ''wald-'' "power", "brightness" and ''-mar'' "fame".
The name is considered the equivalent of the Slavic name Vladimir, Volodymyr, Uladzimir or WÅ‚o ...
(2010–2014)
*
Marc Fascher
Marc Fascher (born 4 August 1968 in) is a German football manager and former player, who last managed Sportfreunde Lotte.
Coaching career
Fascher began his coaching career with Harburger SC, before being named head coach at SC Concordia in 2000 ...
(2014–2015)
*
Jürgen Lucas (2015)
*
Markus Reiter (2015)
*
Jan Siewert (2015–2016)
*
Sven Demandt (2016–2017)
*
Argirios Giannikis (2017–2018)
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Essen, Rot-Weiss
Football clubs in Germany
Football clubs in North Rhine-Westphalia
Association football clubs established in 1907
Sport in Essen
1907 establishments in Germany
Bundesliga clubs
2. Bundesliga clubs