In the almost 110-year history of the club, Würzburger Kickers have been in the second division twice. The team from Lower Franconia first achieved promotion in 1977 but the adventure in the second tier ended one year later. Following relegation, the ‘Red Shorts’ ended up in the lower reaches of amateur football with 2003 providing the low point with relegation to the seventh tier Bezirksliga. For many years it was left for the basketball star Dirk Nowitzki to provide sporting representation for the city of 130,000 inhabitants in the north of Bavaria.
It is only in recent years that football has made more positive headlines in Würzburg: With four successive promotions between 2011 and 2016 Würzburg rose like a rocket from the state league to the second division – no other club has achieved the leap from amateur to professional football as quickly. A large part was played by the Würzburg-born and former HSV pro Bernd Hollerbach who took over as coach in the summer of 2014. At the end of the 2015/16 campaign, he led his team to victory in the play-offs against MSV Duisburg to take the Kickers up into the second division. However, in spite of an impressive first half of the season (sixth place on 27 points) the team ended the second season in the second tier in 17th position and that meant relegation to the third division.
Relaunch under Stephan Schmidt
Contrary to the wishes of the club management, Bernd Hollerbach threw in the towel at Würzburg. The coaching position was filled by Stephan Schmidt who previously worked in the youth academies at Wolfsburg and Schalke. This is the third opportunity for Schmidt to establish himself in professional football after two unsuccessful stays at second division clubs Cottbus and Paderborn. Now comes a complete new start. Only eight players remain from last season's second division squad: 16 players have left the club and 16 of arrived. All the squad has third division experience with the exception of three players. Goalkeeper Wolfgang Hesl, defender Sebastian Schuppan and striker Elia Soriano have played in the top two divisions in Germany.
Würzburger Kickers are well advanced in their pre-season preparations as the third division season kicks off in ten days time with a fixture at Meppen. The friendly against the Werkself represents the dress rehearsal for the start of the league campaign.
JAKO have organised the match on the artificial pitch in Hollenbach. The event starts two hours before kick-off at 15.30 CET. Entrance is free for children up to and including the age of 13. 14 to 17-year-olds, school students, students, OAPs and women pay the concession rate of €5. Full price admission is €10.
Bayer 04 are back at the BayArena! Under the slogan “One day. Two teams. One club.”, the Leverkusen stadium grounds will be transformed into a world of experiences – with a wide range of exclusive activities both on and off the pitch. Keep track of all the highlights in our blog for the 2026 season launch.
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Kicking off the new season with a fresh look: Bayer 04, in collaboration with sportswear manufacturer New Balance, has unveiled the official kit for Leverkusen’s e-Sports players for the coming season. The jersey is now available from the Bayer 04 online shop and the Fanwelt.
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Paulo Sergio and Bayer 04 have enjoyed close ties since the Werkself training camp in his native Brazil last summer. The club legend is in charge of the Bayer 04 Soccer Academy, which opened in the summer of 2025, and he has also been at this year’s training camp in the Weimarer Land. As well as interacting with the many fans who travelled to the camp, the 1994 World Cup winner used the time to plan the next steps for the Academy together with club officials. In an interview with bayer04.de, Sergio spoke about the project’s future development, the upcoming visit by young Academy players to Leverkusen, and plans for the coming months in Germany and Brazil.
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A round-up of the Werkself training camp in the Weimarer Land, all in one place: in our daily blog you’ll find all the insights and updates from the day. Day five (Thursday 6 August) is as follows: The squad have the final open session of the training camp in the morning. After lunch, there will be a team event.
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When Afonso Moreira arrived for his interview with bayer04.de, he had to take a deep breath first. Asked how the morning session had gone, the 21-year-old replied with a slight smile: “Tough. Intense.” That’s really sums up the workload for the Werkself so far at the training camp in the Weimarer Land region. Head coach Carles Martínez and his team demand hard work, team spirit and the determination to improve every day. Those are values Moreira wholeheartedly identifies with – and the Portuguese player has not only taken them to heart, but also permanently noted in the form of a tattoo.
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