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Rot-Weiß Erfurt
Full name	Fußballclub Rot-Weiß Erfurt e.V.
Founded	26 January 1966; 58 years ago
Ground	Steigerwaldstadion
Capacity	18,611
President	Lars Fuchs
Coach	Fabian Gerber
League	Regionalliga Nordost
2022–23	Regionalliga Nordost, 3rd of 18
Website	https://www.rot-weiss-erfurt.de
Home colours	Away colours

FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt is a German association football club based in Erfurt, Thuringia.

History

Foundation to World War II

The club has roots that go back to a cricket club founded in 1895. As they broadened their interests they came to be called Sport Club Erfurt. The club was a founding member of the German Football Association in 1900 and in 1904 they joined the Verband Mitteldeutscher Ballspielvereine (Central German Football League). The side won the league championship in 1908–09 and advanced as far as the semi-final of the national round where they lost to the eventual champion. While Erfurt did manage to play for a number of seasons in the premier level Gauliga Mitte, formed after 1933, they failed to earn any honours.

Post-World War II era

In the aftermath of World War II, the Allies banned all organizations, including sport and football clubs. In 1946, the Soviet occupation authorities permitted the organization of five district sports clubs in Erfurt. SG Erfurt West encompassed the area of the city once served by SC Erfurt 1895 and VfB Erfurt and drew footballers who had played for these clubs. Success came quickly with an appearance in the 1948 Thüringer final, followed by a title in 1949. A quick series of name changes went hand-in-hand with a series of failed cup and final appearances: as SG Fortuna Erfurt in 1949, KWU Erfurt in 1950, and BSG Turbine Erfurt in 1951. In 1954 and 1955, Turbine captured consecutive East German national titles, but then slipped back into the pack and out of tier I for the first time in 1959. The team moved up and down between the first and second divisions through the 1960s, being relegated three times, but always winning immediate promotion. Like other East German clubs at the time, they suffered as the best players were routinely chosen to play for clubs with politically powerful sponsors.

1960s–1980s

East German football underwent major changes in 1965 with the creation of dedicated football clubs in the place of broadly generalised sports clubs. The number one football sides of SC Turbine Erfurt and BSG Optima Erfurt were merged in 1966 and revived the name FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt, while the more junior sides stayed with their original clubs. The name (Rot-Weiß meaning the two colours red and white) was unusual for its time in that the club did not have a name that honoured a socialist virtue. In 1980, Rot-Weiß Erfurt appeared in the East German Cup final, losing 3–1 to Carl Zeiss Jena.

Reunification

German reunification and the merger of the leagues of East and West Germany in the early 1990s brought exciting times to Rot-Weiß. A third-place finish in the NOFV-Oberliga in 1990–91 earned them a spot in the 2. Bundesliga, as well as qualification for the UEFA Cup. They eliminated Groningen in the first round, and went out against the eventual winners Ajax in the second round. This fixture made them the last side to appear internationally for East Germany.

Through the 1990s and into the new millennium, Rot-Weiß remained a tier three side. They had a close call in 2001 when they avoided relegation only because SSV Ulm 1846 was denied a licence due to financial difficulties. During this period of time, the club went through to the regional cup final seven times. They came away as Thuringian cup winner each time which qualifies for the nationwide German cup (DFB-Pokal), although they never advanced beyond the first round. In 2004, the club was promoted to the 2. Bundesliga, but finished last and was relegated back to Regionalliga Nord (III). In 2008, Erfurt finished in seventh place in Regionalliga Nord (III) and therefore qualified for the new nationwide 3. Liga. They played at this level until they were relegated to the Regionalliga Nordost (IV) in 2018.

Bankruptcy and reformation

On 4 February 2020, the club ceased operations due to financial difficulties, and as a result, withdrew from the Regionalliga Nordost,^[2] with all their results being annulled and all further matches cancelled.^[3] The club formed a new team and organisation, playing in the Oberliga in the 2020/21 season; their first home game against FC Grimma was sold out.^[4]

Honours

League competitions

DDR-Oberliga:
- Winners: 1953–54, 1954–55
- Runners-up: 1950–51
Soviet Zone championship:
- Runners-up: 1948–49

Cup competitions

FDGB-Pokal:
- Runners-up: 1949–50, 1979–80
DFV-Toto-Sonderrunde (de)
- Winners: 1974

Regional

Verband Mitteldeutscher Ballspiel-Vereine:
- Champions: 1908–09
Thuringia Cup: (tiers III–VII)
- Winners: 1993–94, 1997–98, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2004–05^‡, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2016–17
- Runners-up: 1995–96, 1996–97, 2003–04^‡, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2015–16
^‡ Won by reserve team.

Players

Current squad

As of 15 September 2024^[5]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
1	GK	GER	Lorenz Otto
2	DF	GER	Ben-Luca Moritz
3	MF	GER	Til-Linus Schwarz (captain)
6	DF	GER	Maxime Awoudja
7	FW	GER	Andy Trübenbach
10	MF	GER	Marco Wolf
11	FW	GER	Dennis Lerche
13	FW	NGA	Obed Chidindu Ugondu
16	DF	GER	Pablo Santana Soares
17	FW	GER	Lars Kleiner
18	MF	GER	Robbie Felßberg
19	FW	TUR	Ömer Uzun


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
20	GK	GER	Pascal Manitz
21	DF	GER	Robin Fabinski
23	FW	GER	Philip Aboagye
27	MF	GER	Benny Boboy
28	FW	GER	Maxime Langner
29	FW	COD	Yesua Motango (on loan from Türkgücü München)
30	DF	GER	Jeremiaha Maluze
33	DF	GER	Lucas Zeller
34	MF	JPN	Hinata Gonda
39	GK	GER	Emmanuel Mensah
77	MF	USA	Dominic Duncan

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
—	DF	ENG	Ayooluwa Adesida (at Türkspor Dortmund until 30 June 2025)


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
—	MF	ALB	Milot Ademi (at SV Wilhelmshaven until 30 June 2025)

Managers

1964–1966: Helmut Nordhaus
1966–1970: Martin Schwendler
1970–1971: Gerhard Bäßler
1971–1973: Siegfried Vollrath
1973–1978: Gerhard Bäßler
1978–1982: Manfred Pfeifer
1982–1984: Siegmar Menz
1984–1987: Hans Meyer
1987–1988: Manfred Pfeifer
1988–1989: Wilfried Gröbner
1990–1991: Lothar Kurbjuweit
1991–1991: Rüdiger Schnuphase
1991–1992: Josip Kuže
1992–1995: Klaus Goldbach
1995–1995: Horst Kiesewetter
1995–1997: Frank Engel
1997–1997: Hans-Günter Schröder
1997–1997: Rudi Gores
1997–2000: Jürgen Raab
2000–2000: Frank Engel
2000–2001: Hans-Ulrich Thomale
2001–2002: Jens Große
2002–2003: Michael Feichtenbeiner
2003–2003: Alois Schwartz
2003–2005: René Müller
2005–2005: Ján Kocian
2005–2008: Pavel Dotchev
2008–2008: Heiko Nowak
2008–2009: Karsten Baumann
2009: Henri Fuchs
2009–2010: Rainer Hörgl
2010: Henri Fuchs
2010–2012: Stefan Emmerling
2012–2013: Alois Schwartz
2013–2015: Walter Kogler
2015: Christian Preußer
2016–2017: Stefan Krämer
2017: David Bergner
2017–2018: Stefan Emmerling
2018–2019: Thomas Brdarić
2019–2020: Robin Kruger
2020–2022: Goran Miscevic
2022–present: Fabian Gerber

Recent seasons

The recent season-by-season performance of the club:^[6]^[7]

Year	Division	Tier	Position
1999–2000	Regionalliga Nordost	III	7th
2000–01	Regionalliga Süd		15th
2001–02	Regionalliga Süd		5th
2002–03	Regionalliga Süd		9th
2003–04	Regionalliga Süd		2nd ↑
2004–05	2. Bundesliga	II	18th ↓
2005–06	Regionalliga Nord	III	14th
2006–07	Regionalliga Nord		11th
2007–08	Regionalliga Nord		7th
2008–09	3. Liga		10th
2009–10	3. Liga		9th
2010–11	3. Liga		5th
2011–12	3. Liga		5th
2012–13	3. Liga		13th
2013–14	3. Liga		10th
2014–15	3. Liga		12th
2015–16	3. Liga		8th
2016–17	3. Liga		14th
2017–18	3. Liga		20th ↓
2018–19	Regionalliga Nordost	IV	5th
2019–20	Regionalliga Nordost	IV	18th ↓
2020–21	NOFV-Oberliga Süd	V	Abd-3rd

With the introduction of the Regionalligas in 1994 and the 3. Liga in 2008 as the new third tier, below the 2. Bundesliga, all leagues below dropped one tier.

Key

↑ Promoted	↓ Relegated

Reserve team

The club's reserve team, FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt II, most recently in the tier five NOFV-Oberliga Süd. It first played at this level from 2005 to 2007, and again since 2008 with a third place in 2012 as its best result.^[6]^[8] At the end of the 2015–16 season the team was withdrawn from competition.^[9]

The team also made a losing appearance in the 2004 Thuringia Cup final but won the competition in the following year. This win allowed the team qualification for the 2005–06 DFB-Pokal where it lost 0–8 to Bayer 04 Leverkusen.