| Clubname: | KFC Uerdingen 05 |
| Upright: | 0.8 |
| Fullname: | Krefelder Fußballclub Uerdingen 05 e.V. |
| Founded: | 1905 |
| Ground: | Grotenburg-Stadion |
| Capacity: | 34,500 |
| Chrtitle: | Chairman |
| Chairman: | Christian Gummert |
| Mgrtitle: | Head coach |
| Manager: | Levan Kenia |
| League: | Oberliga Niederrhein (V) |
| Season: | 2022–23 |
| Position: | Oberliga Niederrhein, 6th of 21 |
| Website: | http://www.kfc-uerdingen.de/ |
| Pattern La1: | _kfcu2021h |
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| Current: | 2023–24 KFC Uerdingen 05 season |
KFC Uerdingen 05 is a German football club in the Uerdingen district of the city of Krefeld, North Rhine-Westphalia. The former Bundesliga side enjoyed its greatest successes in the 1980s but now plays in the fourth-level Regionalliga.
The club was founded on 17 November 1905 as Fußball-Club Uerdingen 05. On 1 August 1919, following World War I, FC was joined by Sportvereinigung des Realgymnasiums Uerdingen. During World War II from 1941 to 1945 the club played as part of the combined wartime side Kriegspiel-Gemeinschaft KSG Uerdingen alongside VfB 1910 Uerdingen (which was known from 1910 to 1919 as Sport-Club Preussen Uerdingen). That partnership continued after the war with the two clubs playing as Spielvereinigung Uerdingen 05. On 20 February 1948, VfB became independent again and in 1950 SpVgg resumed their original identity as FC Uerdingen 05.[1]
In 1953, the club merged with the Werkssportgruppen Bayer AG Uerdingen, the local worker's sports club of the chemical giant Bayer AG, becoming FC Bayer 05 Uerdingen. Bayer withdrew its sponsorship of the football team in 1995 at which time the club took on the name Krefelder Fußball-Club Uerdingen 05. Bayer continues to support the non-footballing departments of the club as Sport-Club Bayer 05 Uerdingen.
Uerdingen played in the amateur local leagues throughout their early history. By the early 1960s they had advanced as far as the Amateurliga Niederrhein (III) where they would play until 1971 when they stepped up into the Regionalliga West (II). The club then enjoyed a succession of strong finishes: a second-place result in 1974–75 earned them promotion to the top flight Bundesliga, where they finished dead last. After three seasons in the second tier 2. Bundesliga Nord, another second-place finish returned Uerdingen to the Bundesliga in 1979, this time for a two-year stay. The club would go on to enjoy its most successful years through the 1980s. They returned to the Bundesliga in 1983 and earned a best-ever third-place result there in 1986. Uerdingen also captured the DFB-Pokal (German Cup) in 1985 with a 2–1 victory over Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich in Berlin's Olympiastadion.[2]
Legendary in the club's history from this time is their victory over Dynamo Dresden in the quarter-finals of the 1986 European Cup Winners Cup. Down 2–0 after the first leg away and behind 3–1 by half-time at home in the return leg, Uerdingen came storming back with six unanswered goals to win 7–3.
In 1987, Uerdingen also became the first club to win both the German under 19's and under 17's championship in the same season.
The team spent the first half of the 1990s as an "elevator crew" bouncing up and down between the Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga. After the 1995 season Bayer withdrew its sponsorship of the football team which has suffered chronic financial difficulties ever since. Uerdingen took up their final year of play in the Bundesliga in the 1995–96 season as Krefelder Fußball-Club Uerdingen 05. By the turn of the millennium they had slipped through the second division and into third division play. The club's persistent financial problems led the DFB to deny them a license for play in the Regionalliga Nord (III) in 2003 despite a mid-table finish and they were relegated to the Oberliga Nordrhein (IV).
Veteran manager and Fortuna Düsseldorf legend Aleksandar Ristić was put in charge of the team as German football was reorganised with the introduction the new 3. Liga in 2008–09. KFC attempted to qualify for the restructured Regionalliga (IV), but failed in its attempt and was instead relegated to the Verbandsliga (VI) after finishing 13th.
In 2009, KFC has struggled with financial difficulties and its efforts to raise money included auctioning on eBay the right to coach the squad for one match and inviting childhood fan Pete Doherty to a league match.[3]
In 2010–11, the club won the Verbandsliga and thus gained promotion to the NRW-Liga (V). It was the first promotion in 17 years. KFC finished 8th NRW-Liga and missed second consecutive promotion to Regionalliga West due to finishing behind VfB Hüls. After the disbanding of the NRW-Liga, KFC qualified for the Oberliga Niederrhein. It won a league championship at this level in 2013 and was promoted to the Regionalliga West but relegated back to the Oberliga again in 2015.
In 2017, Uerdingen won promotion to Regionalliga West and in 2018 after winning the playoff against Waldhof Mannheim won promotion to 3. Liga.
In January 2021, outgoing president Mikhail Ponomarev and his deputy Nicolas Weinhardt announced their departure from the club and shortly after, stated that due to financial losses caused mainly by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on association football and an unclear situation regarding the stadium in Krefeld, it had filed for insolvency.[4] On 10 February 2021 the club was bought by Armenian business man and owner of the Noah Company, Roman Gevorkyan, who was also the owner of Armenian FC Noah, Latvian FC Noah Jūrmala and Italian A.C.N. Siena 1904.[5]
In June 2021, due to financial insolvency, and the inability to meet the licensing requirements of the 3. Liga, KFC Uerdingen was relegated to the Regionalliga West.[6] This led to Gevorkyan and the Noah Company withdrawing their engagements in the club, and all players were released by the club.[7] In the 2021–22 season, Uerdingen suffered a second consecutive relegation, and were relegated to the Oberliga.
In 2024, the team won promotion back to the Regionalliga.[8]
| Year | Division | Tier | Position | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963–64 | Verbandsliga Niederrhein | III | 6th | |
| 1964–65 | Verbandsliga Niederrhein | 10th | ||
| 1965–66 | Verbandsliga Niederrhein | 5th | ||
| 1966–67 | Verbandsliga Niederrhein | 2nd | ||
| 1967–68 | Verbandsliga Niederrhein | 8th | ||
| 1968–69 | Verbandsliga Niederrhein | 2nd | ||
| 1969–70 | Verbandsliga Niederrhein | 9th | ||
| 1970–71 | Verbandsliga Niederrhein | 1st ↑ | ||
| 1971–72 | Regionalliga West | II | 7th | |
| 1972–73 | Regionalliga West | 3rd | ||
| 1973–74 | Regionalliga West | 3rd | ||
| 1974–75 | 2. Bundesliga | 2nd ↑ | ||
| 1975–76 | Bundesliga | I | 18th ↓ | |
| 1976–77 | 2. Bundesliga | II | 4th | |
| 1977–78 | 2. Bundesliga | 7th | ||
| 1978–79 | 2. Bundesliga | 2nd ↑ | ||
| 1979–80 | Bundesliga | I | 15th | |
| 1980–81 | Bundesliga | 18th ↓ | ||
| 1981–82 | 2. Bundesliga | II | 12th | |
| 1982–83 | 2. Bundesliga | 3rd ↑ | ||
| 1983–84 | Bundesliga | I | 10th | |
| 1984–85 | Bundesliga | 7th | ||
| 1985–86 | Bundesliga | 3rd | ||
| 1986–87 | Bundesliga | 8th | ||
| 1987–88 | Bundesliga | 11th | ||
| 1988–89 | Bundesliga | 13th | ||
| 1989–90 | Bundesliga | 14th | ||
| 1990–91 | Bundesliga | 17th ↓ | ||
| 1991–92 | 2. Bundesliga | II | 1st ↑ | |
| 1992–93 | Bundesliga | I | 17th ↓ | |
| 1993–94 | 2. Bundesliga | II | 2nd ↑ | |
| 1994–95 | Bundesliga | I | 15th | |
| 1995–96 | Bundesliga | 18th ↓ | ||
| 1996–97 | 2. Bundesliga | II | 9th | |
| 1997–98 | 2. Bundesliga | 13th | ||
| 1998–99 | 2. Bundesliga | 16th ↓ | ||
| 1999–2000 | Regionalliga | III | 11th | |
| 2000–01 | Regionalliga | 12th | ||
| 2001–02 | Regionalliga | 5th | ||
| 2002–03 | Regionalliga | 10th | ||
| 2003–04 | Regionalliga | 7th | ||
| 2004–05 | Regionalliga | 9th ↓ | ||
| 2005–06 | Oberliga Nordhein | IV | 11th | |
| 2006–07 | Oberliga Nordhein | 10th | ||
| 2007–08 | Oberliga Nordhein | 13th ↓ | ||
| 2008–09 | Verbandsliga Niederrhein | VI | 8th | |
| 2009–10 | Verbandsliga Niederrhein | 3rd | ||
| 2010–11 | Verbandsliga Niederrhein | 1st ↑ | ||
| 2011–12 | NRW-Liga | V | 8th | |
| 2012–13 | Oberliga Niederrhein | 1st ↑ | ||
| 2013–14 | Regionalliga West | IV | 17th | |
| 2014–15 | Regionalliga West | 15th ↓ | ||
| 2015–16 | Oberliga Niederrhein | V | 2nd | |
| 2016–17 | Oberliga Niederrhein | 1st ↑ | ||
| 2017–18 | Regionalliga West | IV | 1st ↑ | |
| 2018–19 | 3. Liga | III | 11th | |
| 2019–20 | 3. Liga | 13th | ||
| 2020–21 | 3. Liga | 16th ↓ | ||
| 2021–22 | Regionalliga West | IV | 19th ↓ | |
| 2022–23 | Oberliga Niederrhein | V | 6th | |
| 2023–24 | Oberliga Niederrhein | V | 3rd ↑ | |
| 2024–25 | Regionalliga West | IV | ongoing |