Sportfreunde Siegen von 1899 e. V. is a German association football club based in Siegen, North Rhine-Westphalia. The club competes in the Regionalliga West, the fourth tier of the German football league system.
Sportfreunde Siegen was founded on 8 September 1899 as Fußballclub Jahn Siegen, originating as the football department of Turnverein Jahn Siegen 1879. In 1923, it merged with Sportverein 07 Siegen to form its modern identity. Aside from a brief period following the Second World War, the club has operated continuously under its current name since then.
The team won the German Amateur Championship in 1955 and reached the professional ranks in the early 2000s, including a single season in the 2. Bundesliga in 2005–06. In the following years, Sportfreunde Siegen experienced significant fluctuations between the fourth and fifth divisions, including insolvency proceedings in 2008 and 2017. After several seasons in the lower leagues, the club earned promotion back to the Regionalliga West in 2025.
The club plays its home matches at the Leimbachstadion, a multi-purpose stadium in Siegen with a capacity of 18,500 spectators.
History
The early years The club was founded in 1899 as the football department of a gymnastics club called Turnverein Jahn von 1879 Siegen, being one of the first clubs in Western Germany to offer organized football to its members. In 1923, it merged with Sportverein 07 Siegen to become an independent football club called Sportfreunde Siegen von 1899.
The 1920s also marked the club's first ascension to the national level, competing in the Western German championship after claiming the crown in the district league four times in a row. Despite these results, the team did not qualify for the first division when German football was re-organized in the Third Reich. After World War II, the club initially could not match its pre-war successes until it won the German amateur championship in 1955 with a stunning 5–0 win over 05 Bad Homburg.
Two years later, Sportfreunde captain Herbert Schäfer was called up by national coach Sepp Herberger to play for the German national team. In 1954, Schäfer had been the last player being cut from the team which went on to win the World Cup. To this day, Herbert Schäfer still ranks as one of the best players to ever wear a Sportfreunde jersey.
Six years after winning the German amateur championship, Sportfreunde Siegen made the jump to professional football in 1961. When the Bundesliga was introduced in 1963, the club settled in the Regionalliga, which was the second highest division at the time. League games against renowned clubs such as Bayer Leverkusen, Fortuna Düsseldorf or Borussia Mönchengladbach were common during these days.
After some years of struggle, Sportfreunde Siegen fought its way back to professional football in 1972, claiming the West German amateur championship and promoting to the second-tier Regionalliga once again. Siegen remained on the professional stage for two more years before the introduction of the 2. Bundesliga forced the club to withdraw from this level in 1974. For the following twelve years, Sportfreunde Siegen continuously played in Germany's third division. After several ups and downs in the late 1980s and early '90s, the club made it back to third-tier Regionalliga in 1997, narrowly missing out on the promotion to the 2. Bundesliga by one game in 1999. In the same year, the team advanced to the quarter-finals of the DFB-Pokal, the German cup, before losing to Bundesliga side VfL Wolfsburg in a highly contested match.
Recent history
The first decade of the new millennium turned out to be the most eventful in the club's rich history. After a last-minute victory on the last match day of the 2004–05 campaign, the club was finally promoted to 2. Bundesliga. Local hero and future German international Patrick Helmes led the team with 21 goals.
The following season saw the refurbishment of Leimbachstadion, the club's home ground since 1957, to its current capacity of 18,700 and quite decent results in the first half of the 2005–06 campaign in the 2. Bundesliga. German football heavyweight VfL Bochum was beaten 3–0, as was SC Freiburg. However, after a lacklustre performance in the second half of the season, the team was not able to avoid relegation. Two years later, Sportfreunde Siegen had to file for insolvency after failing to qualify for the newly established 3. Liga. The club managed to resume operations in fifth-division NRW-Liga. It returned to the Regionalliga West with the 2012–13 campaign and came in fifth in its first season back in semi-professional football, repeating this result in the following season. The team finished second-last in the Regionalliga in 2015 and was relegated from the league but bounced back immediately by winning the Oberliga Westfalen championship. Following another relegation they have been again playing in the Oberliga since 2017.
Honours The club's honours: German amateur championship Winners: 1955 Oberliga Westfalen Champions: 1997, 2016 Westphalia Cup Runners-up: 2003, 2004, 2014
Current squad
Out on loan
Former managers
Gerd vom Bruch (1986–1987) Ingo Peter (1994–2003) Michael Feichtenbeiner (2003–2004) Gerhard Noll (2004) Ralf Loose (2004–2005) Jan Kocian (2005–2006) Uwe Helmes (2006) Hannes Bongartz (2006) Ladislav Biro (2006) Ralf Loose (2006–2007) Marc Fascher (2007–2008) Peter Németh (2008–2009) Rob Delahaye (2009–2010)Rob Delahaije trainer Sportfreunde Siegen – Limburgse Courant Andrzej Rudy (Jun 2010–2011)"Kein Verein für Wunschkonzerte" – Der Westen Michael Boris (2011–2014) Matthias Hagner (2014) Michael Boris (2014–2015) Ottmar Griffel (2015–2016) Thorsten Seibert (2016–2017) Dominik Dapprich (2017–2019) Tobias Cramer (2019–2022) Lirian Gerguri (2022) Patrick Helmes (2023) Thorsten Nehrbauer (2023–2025) Boris Schommers (2025–2026) Volkan Uluç (2026–)
Women's football In 1996 the women's department of TSV Siegen moved to the Sportfreunde. At that time the team had been the most successful team in the Bundesliga. Since the team was denied a license for the 2001–02 Bundesliga season they have not returned to the Bundesliga, moving between second and third league. In the 2008–09 season they have played in the Regionalliga (III), were relegated to the fourth tier Verbandsliga Westfalen in 2009–10 but managed direct promotion to the Regionalliga West for the 2010–11 season.
Honours All the honours were gained when the women's department was still a part of TSV Siegen. German women's champions: 1987, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996 Women's German Cup champions: 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1993
Sportfreunde Siegen (women’s football) All time Table All time Table from 1996-97 to 2023/2024 seasons
German Site +SeasonLeaguePlaceMP(SP)W(S)D(U)L(V)GFGAGDPTSDFB CUP1996/97Bundesliga North3rd1813145215 +37401997/98Frauen-Bundesliga5th2212284623 +2338Halbfinale1998/99Frauen-Bundesliga3rd2210753228 +437Achtelfinale1999/00Frauen-Bundesliga3rd2213364828 +2042Final2000/01Frauen-Bundesliga8th2275102846−1826Round of 162001/02Regional League West2nd2415547939 +40501st round2002/03Regional League West13th2432194189 -4811not qualified 2003/04Westphalia League2nd28215211040 +7068not qualified 2004/05Regional League West6th22114771512037not qualified2005/06Regional League West6th2293103242 -1030not qualified2006/07Regional League West8th2275103036 -626not qualified2007/08Regional League West7th207672630 -427not qualified2008/09Regional League West12th2685133443 -929not qualified2009/10Westphalia League1st26251098188076not qualified2010/11Regional League West3rd26134956411543not qualified2011/12Regional League West4th24135646331344not qualified2012/13Regional League West9th2485114344 -1291st round2013/14Regional League West6th26132115560 -5611st round2014/15Regional League West10th2694135467 -1331not qualified2015/16Regional League West12th2672173472 -3823not qualified2016/17Westphalia League3rd28193682374560not qualified2017/18Westphalia League4th24146496366048not qualified2019/20 Westphalia League1st15121255114537not qualified2018/19Westphalia League3rd26163782374551not qualified2019/20 Westphalia League1st15121255114437not qualified2020/21Regional League West1st65102271516not qualifiedRegionalliga West playoff round1st320151 -462021/22Regional League West9th28125116370 -741Round of 162022/23Regional League West9th2490153353 -2027not qualified2023/24Regional League WestWithdrawal, no play Green --> promoted
Orange --> relegated
References
External links