DOING IT (FOR) DOWN UNDER
UNEMPLOYED
So as you guys know, I resigned from Newcastle United Jets after a second consecutive finals penalty loss, and for 12 months I’ve been looking for a job. I’ve been targeting the Premier League, the Championship, the Serie A, the Liga BBVA and the Bundesliga and its now March 2015 and I am nowhere.
But wait a second………………..
This is a great opportunity for me. No pressure, no chance of getting sacked, a good wage budget and a decent position in the league. If I can cling on in the last 10 games and avoid relegation, I’ll go for one more season and then have a better chance of finding a better job. If we do get relegated, I’ll have a better chance anyway. So I viewed the offer, and was signed as the new manager of Kaiserslautern.
Here’s a look at the club that is Kaiserslautern.
History
1. Fußball-Club Kaiserslautern e. V., also known as 1. FCK, FCK or simply 1. FC Kaiserslautern, is a German association football club based in Kaiserslautern, Rhineland-Palatinate. On 2 June 1900, Germania 1896 and FG Kaiserslautern merged to create FC 1900. In 1909, the club went on to join FC Palatia (founded in 1901) and FC Bavaria (founded in 1902) to form FV 1900 Kaiserslautern. In 1929 they merged with SV Phönix to become FV Phönix-Kaiserslautern before finally taking on their current name three years later.
Kaiserslautern have won four German football championships, two DFB-Pokals, and one DFL-Supercup. Since 1920, Kaiserslautern's stadium is the Fritz-Walter-Stadion.
Honours
In the 1990s, Kaiserslautern was one of Germany’s better teams. With 2 Bundesligas, 2 German Cups and a German Super Cup to their name in that decade, they have steadily declined and in the past few years have been pinballing between the Bundesliga and 2.Bundesliga. Last season they won the latter and are currently doing well in the former sitting in 12th with 10 games to go.
The Stadium
Fritz Walter Stadion
Kaiserslautern have played at Fritz Walter Stadion since 1920, and the ground saw a major refurbishment for the 2006 World Cup in Germany. It now holds almost 50,000. One side of the ground, the ‘Westkurve’, is feared by opposition fans as it is home to Kaiserslautern’s most rabid and ferocious supporters.
Ok, so my new home is Kaiserslautern. After a year of wilderness, I am now in Germany and hopefully Kaiserslautern will be a stepping stone towards bigger and better things! Auf Wiedersehen!!