FC Würzburger Kickers (German: Fußball‑Club Würzburger Kickers e.V.) is a German association‑football club based in Würzburg, Bavaria. The club currently competes in the Regionalliga Bayern (fourth tier of German football) and plays its home matches at the Flyeralarm Arena, which has a capacity of approximately 13,090 spectators.
History
- Foundation – The club was founded on 17 November 1907 by a group of high‑school students. Early successes saw the team promoted to the Kreisliga Bayern in 1912.
- Pre‑World War II – Würzburger Kickers briefly played at the highest regional level in the Bezirksliga Bayern (1930–33) and later in the wartime Gauliga Bayern (1940–41, 1942–43).
- Post‑war period – After World War II the club merged with TSV Würzburg, becoming SV Würzburger Kickers. It spent much of the following decades in the Amateurliga Bayern (II/III) and the Landesliga Bayern (II). The team earned promotion to the 2. Bundesliga Süd for the 1977–78 season, their sole appearance at that level, before returning to the Bayernliga.
- 1990s–2010s – The club fluctuated between the fourth and seventh tiers, achieving notable promotions to the Regionalliga Bayern in 2012 and the 3. Liga in 2015. In the 2015–16 season the Kickers finished third in the 3. Liga and secured promotion to the 2. Bundesliga via the play‑offs, returning to professional football after almost four decades.
- Recent years – After a single season in the 2. Bundesliga (2020–21), the team suffered consecutive relegations, dropping back to the Regionalliga Bayern for the 2022–23 season.
Achievements
- League titles – Winners of the Regionalliga Bayern (2014–15) and multiple champions in lower‑division leagues, including the Bayernliga (1977) and Landesliga Bayern‑Nord (1990, 1997, 2012).
- Cup successes – Bavarian Cup winners in 2014, 2016 and 2019, which earned the club qualification for the DFB‑Pokal on several occasions. Their best DFB‑Pokal performance was reaching the second round in 2014–15, defeating Fortuna Düsseldorf before losing to Eintracht Braunschweig.
Stadium
Since 1967 the club has played at the Stadion am Dallenberg, renamed Flyeralarm Arena after a naming‑rights agreement with the logistics company Flyeralarm. The ground was renovated in 2005 and expanded with floodlights in 2014; a further upgrade before the 2016–17 2. Bundesliga season added under‑soil heating.
Supporters and Rivalries
Würzburger Kickers maintain a local rivalry known as the Würzburg derby with neighbouring club Würzburger FV. The two clubs have contested numerous league and cup matches since their first meeting in 1908.
Current status (2024–25 season)
- League: Regionalliga Bayern (IV) – finished 6th of 18.
- President: Michael Grieger.
- Manager: Marc Reitmaier.
- Website: www.wuerzburger-kickers.de
The club’s long history reflects a trajectory from a modest local side to intermittent periods of professional competition, underscored by strong regional support and a tradition of cup participation.
