The 1964–65 Bundesliga was the second season of the Bundesliga, West Germany's premier football league. It began on 22 August 1964 and ended on 15 May 1965. 1. FC Köln were the defending champions.

Season overview

The championship was won by Werder Bremen. Schalke 04 and Karlsruher SC were originally going to be demoted to the Regionalliga. However, the German FA became aware of irregularities regarding transfer fees, signing bonuses and player wages paid by Hertha BSC. A cash audit was ordered, and the evidence collected from there was enough to revoke Hertha's license. In order to avoid any legal battles over Bundesliga membership, the FA decided to expand the league from sixteen to eighteen teams, meaning Schalke and Karlsruhe were spared relegation. Since Berlin should have a representative in the league as well, Tasmania Berlin were promoted besides the winners of the promotion play-off groups for the 1965–66 season.

The 1964–65 season saw the debut of Brazilian players in the Bundesliga. Zézé became the first Brazilian to play in the league when he fielded for 1. FC Köln against Hertha BSC on 22 August 1964 while Raoul Tagliari scored the first-ever Bundesliga goal by a Brazilian for Meidericher SV against 1. FC Nürnberg on 21 November 1964.

Teams Preußen Münster and 1. FC Saarbrücken were relegated to the Regionalliga after finishing in the last two places. They were replaced by Hannover 96 and Borussia Neunkirchen, who won their respective promotion play-off groups.

Club Ground Capacity Olympiastadion 100,000 Eintracht-Stadion 38,000 Weserstadion 32,000 Stadion Rote Erde 30,000 Waldstadion 87,000 Volksparkstadion 80,000 Niedersachsenstadion 86,000 Stadion Betzenberg 42,000 Wildparkstadion 50,000 Müngersdorfer Stadion 76,000 Wedaustadion 38,500 Stadion an der Grünwalder Straße 44,000 Ellenfeld 32,000 Städtisches Stadion 64,238 Glückauf-Kampfbahn 35,000 Neckarstadion 53,000

League table

Results

Top goalscorers 24 goals Rudolf Brunnenmeier (1860 Munich)

22 goals Friedhelm Konietzka (Borussia Dortmund)

19 goals Christian Müller (1. FC Köln)

15 goals Heinz Strehl (1. FC Nürnberg)

14 goals Franz Brungs (Borussia Dortmund) Uwe Seeler (Hamburger SV)

12 goals Peter Grosser (1860 Munich) Hartmann Madl (Karlsruher SC) Klaus Matischak (FC Schalke 04) Elmar May (Borussia Neunkirchen) Karl-Heinz Thielen (1. FC Köln) Lothar Ulsaß (Eintracht Braunschweig)

Champion squad SV Werder BremenGoalkeeper: Günter Bernard (30). Defenders: Horst-Dieter Höttges (29 / 1); Sepp Piontek (28 / 3); Helmut Jagielski (26); Heinz Steinmann (26); Wolfgang Bordel (1). Midfielders: Diethelm Ferner (29 / 1); Arnold Schütz (28 / 10); Max Lorenz (27 / 2); Willi Soya (8 / 2); Helmut Schimeczek (6). Forwards: Gerhard Zebrowski (28 / 11); Klaus Matischak (19 / 12); Hans Schulz (19 / 4); Theo Klöckner (17 / 4); Klaus Hänel (7 / 1); Dieter Thun (2). (league appearances and goals listed in brackets)

Manager: Willi Multhaup.

On the roster but have not played in a league game: Klaus Lambertz; Horst Dudjahn; Walter Nachtwey; Erwin Jung.

References

External links DFB archive, 1964–65 season