Defying Gravity - Kaiserslautern’s Two-Year Climb to the Bundesliga Summit
Sam White from Maldini’s Chain tells the scarcely believable story of ‘Die Roten Teufel’s’ title victory in 1997/98
Want more in-depth coverage of German football and its culture?
‘Die 56’ is our new series that will see Bundesletter visit all the grounds in the top three tiers of German football.
Pledgers will receive exclusive writing and podcasts from our travels, while premium backers will also get ground hopping guide.
In the long and storied history of German football, not many achievements stand alone. Especially those so improbable that they feel more like the plot of a Hollywood film than fact. One such story belongs to a club from the Palatinate: 1. FC Kaiserslautern.
In the space of just two seasons, they went from Bundesliga relegation to lifting the trophy. This is a feat no promoted side has ever repeated - let alone after bouncing straight back from relegation. It remains a true German fairytale.
The 1995/96 campaign was all set to be unremarkable. FCK were a steady mid-table outfit with roots in German football’s establishment and a core of seasoned players, including the iconic Andreas Brehme. Instead, it unravelled quickly.
The team floundered from one defeat to the next, with injuries to key players piling up. Their confidence was eroded, and by the end of the season, the unthinkable happened: Kaiserslautern were relegated from the Bundesliga for the first time in 33 years. In case that wasn’t painful enough, their silver lining was snatched away as they were beaten by Karlsruher SC in the final of the DFB-Pokal.
A campaign that promised stability ended in calamity. This wasn’t just a sporting setback - it was a shock to the system for a club long considered part of the Bundesliga furniture.
With wounds still fresh and egos bruised, Kaiserslautern turned to a manager recently cast aside by Bayern Munich. Otto Rehhagel arrived in the summer of 1996 with a point to prove. The timing was pure poetry. Bayern, who had sacked him just weeks earlier, were about to play a supporting role in his revenge.
Rehhagel didn’t overhaul the squad, but he did reshape it. Veterans like Ciriaco Sforza returned to the fold, while lesser-known figures like Harry Koch became key. The squad found a delicate balance between defensive discipline and front-footedness.
This resulted in a composed, dominant campaign. FCK won the 2. Bundesliga with swagger, playing with the authority of a side that knew its true place was in the top tier. Promotion was secured with minimal fuss, lifting the title with a 10 point lead. But Rehhagel’s ambitions went beyond a return to the top flight. He felt the group he had was capable of much more than survival.
Known for a pragmatic approach and a sharp tongue, Rehhagel fused tactical nous with old-school man-management. His sides were structured and well-prepared, but, crucially, he instilled belief.
This approach would incredibly underpin another of football’s biggest underdog stories when he led Greece to an unlikely European Championship in 2004. At Kaiserslautern though, he needed to do more than coach a team - he needed to help the club rediscover its identity.
The opening day of the 1997/98 Bundesliga season was Kaiserslautern’s opening salvo. Freshly promoted, the Red Devils travelled to Bavaria to face Bayern Munich, and left with three points. It wasn’t a fluke, but a statement of intent.
What followed, that season, was a story straight out of a writers’ room. FCK were structurally compact, mentally resilient and had just enough attacking flair to hurt resolute opponents when it mattered. At home, fans packed the steep sides of the Betzenberg and roared on the team.
A handful of key figures emerged on the road to glory. Olaf Marschall, not expected to be a goal machine by any means, bagged 21 that season. His journey through Austrian football and the old DDR-Oberliga had given him a rugged edge, and Rehhagel trusted him completely.
Former Bayern man Ciriaco Sforza added technical class in midfield, having returned to Germany with unfinished business. Brazilian livewire Ratinho gave the team pace and caused chaos in the wide areas.
And then there was Michael Ballack, still raw but clearly something special. His development at Kaiserslautern laid the foundation for a glittering career. After a move to the BayArena in ‘99, he became a central figure in their impressive, if ultimately heartbreaking, 2001/02 season, when they finished as runners-up in the Bundesliga, the DFB-Pokal and Champions League.
Ballack’s performances eventually attracted enough interest from Bayern, where he won multiple domestic titles and cemented his status as one of the best midfielders of his generation. Later, at Chelsea, he added Premier League and FA Cup medals to his cabinet. Though he never won a major trophy with Germany, Ballack was long regarded as the engine of the national team’s midfield, and it all began with lessons learnt at the Betzenberg.
As the Winterpause passed and Kaiserslautern kept winning, it became clear that this wasn’t just a hot streak. Die Roten Teufel were genuine contenders, if not favourites. Then came the return fixture: Kaiserslautern hosted the mighty Bayern in April. They beat them again in what proved to be the season’s crowning moment. Belief became inevitability, and a 4-0 demolition of Wolfsburg in May confirmed the title. FCK, one year removed from the second division, were champions of Germany.
Kaiserslautern’s feat has never been replicated. No other newly promoted team has ever lifted the Meisterschale. While there have been other surprise packages in Germany since - Stuttgart’s 2006/07 side, Wolfsburg’s 2008/09 winners, Leverkusen’s 2023/24 invincibles - none came directly from the second tier. These were all unexpected seasons, but not quite the unimaginable turnaround FCK achieved in the late ‘90s.
Sadly, the years that followed didn’t quite reach the same level. Rehhagel left in 2000 after an unsuccessful attempt to build on his title success, and the club gradually lost its way. Key players gradually moved on and financial difficulties crept in. By Germany’s World Cup summer of 2006, Kaiserslautern were once again relegated. They have since bounced between the second and third divisions.
For those who lived it, the memories from what is now known as the Fritz Walter Stadion still burn bright. Fans who had seen their side collapse just a year earlier suddenly found themselves part of something extraordinary.
Like Leicester City in England, Kaiserslautern’s 1997/98 title feels like a folk story, impossible to repeat. Yet, it will continue to give hope to plucky underdogs who dream of succeeding against all odds. Rehhagel’s side lives in the memory as a team that climbed from the basement to the summit in two breathtaking years.
Sam writes the newsletter Maldini’s Chain, which covers insights and stories from the world of international football, including its culture and history. https://maldinischain.substack.com/
 | A guest post by
|