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| Full name | Spielvereinigung Unterhaching e.V. | ||
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| Founded | 1925 | ||
| Ground | Generali Sportpark | ||
| Capacity | 15,053 | ||
| Chairman | Engelbert Kupka | ||
| Manager | Heribert Deutinger | ||
| League | 2nd Bundesliga | ||
| 2005-06 | 2nd Bundesliga, 14th | ||
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SpVgg Unterhaching is a German sports club in Unterhaching, a semi-rural municipality on the southern outskirts of the Bavarian capital Munich. The football club has represented Munich in the Bundesliga alongside its more famous cousins Bayern Munich and TSV 1860 Munich, while the bobbsledding department has captured several world and Olympic titles.
History
editThe early years
editOriginally part of the gymnastics and sports club TSV Hachinger, SpVgg was established as an independent football club on January 1, 1925. Regarded by the Nazi regime as politically unreliable, the club was dissolved in 1933 and then re-established after the war in 1945. Over the next three-and-a-half decades, Unterhaching played as an anonymous local side until beginning to climb in 1980 – from Landesliga Bayern-Süd (IV) to the Amateur Oberliga Bayern (III) and, after a failed playoff appearance in 1983, finally on into the Second Bundesliga for the first time in 1989. The club was relegated after a 20th place finish, then promoted a second time in 1992, but was quickly sent down again after only being able to improve their standing to 18th place.
Late success
editOver the last dozen years, the club has earned the best results in its history, beginning with their third promotion to the Second Bundesliga in 1994. A second-place finish in the 1998-99 season resulted in promotion to the top-flight Bundesliga, where they surprised everyone with a respectable 10th-place finish in the 1999-2000 season. They took both their home and away matches against Borussia Dortmund, and also famously played the spoilers' role in deciding the Bundesliga champions title that year. In the final match of the season, visiting Bayer Leverkusen needed only a draw in Unterhaching to secure their first Bundesliga title, but went down to a 2:0 defeat to the determined home side: Leverkusen's Michael Ballack scored an own goal for a 1:0 Unterhaching lead at the half, followed by a Markus Oberleitner goal about 20 minutes before the end of the match. Meanwhile, Bayern Munich won their home match against Werder Bremen 3:1 and were able to overtake Leverkusen on goal difference to snatch the title away from them.
Goalkeeper Gerhard Tremmel, defender Alexander Strehmel, midfielders Jochen Seitz and Markus Oberleitner as well as strikers Altin Rraklli and André Breitenreiter, who scored 13 Bundesliga goals together that season, were among the most memorable players of a team that impressed by its discipline.
In the 2000-01 Bundesliga season, Unterhaching performed well against their local rivals with a surprise 1:0 win at home over perennial powerhouse Bayern Munich, followed by wins in both their home and away matches against TSV 1860 Munich. Overall, however, they were not as successful as in the previous year, with the team never standing better than 13th throughout the campaign. They were eventually relegated after losing thier final two matches against Borussia Dortmund and FC Schalke 04 and finishing 16th.
The club fell to the third-division Regionalliga Süd for the 2002-03 season before recovering and returning to the Second Bundesliga, where they play today. In 2005-06, they only narrowly avoided relegation to the Regionalliga with a 14th place result.
Current squad
editNote: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Team trivia
edit- In 2000, three teams based in Munich played in the Bundesliga – Unterhaching, Bayern Munich and TSV 1860 Munich. It was the first time a city had been so heavily represented.
- For many years, Unterhaching received financial support from their bigger, wealthier cousins Bayern Munich until the smaller club's much improved performance transformed it into a potential rival.
Stadium
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Unterhaching's home stadium is the municipal Stadion am Sportpark (capacity 15,053), now known as Generali Sportpark under a sponsorship arrangement with the club. The club's fan base is local in character, although it has developed a small following as one of Germany's "Kult" teams.
Bobsleigh
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Local entrepreneur and club sponsor Anton Schrobenhauser († 1982) founded the bobsleigh department, which he presided over until 1979. The club bobsledders have since achieved a number of excellent results on the national and international level. Numerous Olympic medals and world championship titles make Christoph Langen Unterhaching's outstanding bobsledder. His honours include:
- Olympics 2-man crew: 2002 (Gold); 1992, 1998 (Bronze)
- Olympics 4-man crew: 1998 (Gold)
- World champion 2-man crew: 1993, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001
- World champion 4-man crew: 1996, 2001
- World Cup 2-man crew: 1996, 1999, 2004
- World Cup 4-man crew: 1996, 1999
- European champion 2-man crew: 1994, 1995, 1996, 2001, 2004
- European champion 4-man crew: 1996, 1999
External links
edit[Category:German football clubs|Unterhaching]]