1968–69 1. FC Nürnberg season

1. FC Nürnberg played the 1968–69 season in the Fußball-Bundesliga.

1. FC Nürnberg
1968–69 season
ChairmanWalter Luther
ManagerMax Merkel (until 24 March 1969)
Robert Körner (25 March 1969 – 12 April 1969)
Kuno Klötzer (from 14 April 1969)
1. Bundesliga17th (relegated)
DFB-PokalSemi Final
UEFA European CupFirst Round
Top goalscorerHans Küppers (10)

Season review

Despite winning the championship at the end of the previous season, coach Max Merkel decided to make significant changes to the squad. Merkel added 13 new players to the first team squad, and several of the club's more experienced players were sold, including Franz Brungs, the team's leading goalscorer in their championship winning season, and Austrian international August Starek.

Nuremberg started the season poorly, losing their opening two games, but soon recovered and spent the next couple of months in a mid-table position. As reigning champions, the club entered the UEFA European Cup, but lost 5–1 on aggregate to Ajax in the first round. Nuremberg began to struggle from November onwards, and went the next ten games without a win, dropping to the bottom of the table. Merkel was sacked on 24 March and replaced by Kuno Klötzer a few weeks later. With Klötzer in charge, Nuremberg went on to win their next three matches, including a victory against eventual champions Bayern Munich. This was followed by two draws, which took the club to 16th (one place above the relegation zone) with one game in the season remaining. This was a match away at 1. FC Köln, who were also in danger of being relegated. Nuremberg were defeated 3–0, confirming their relegation to the Regionalliga as 17th-placed Borussia Dortmund had won their final match.

Aftermath

Nuremberg's relegation came as a major surprise having won the Bundesliga 12 months earlier – former player Max Morlock described the season as being "like a bad dream".[1] They were the first champions of the Bundesliga to be relegated, and did not return to the top flight until 1978. Max Merkel is the figure often blamed for the club's relegation due to the wholesale changes made to the squad during the pre-season, with Horst Leupold later remarking that he "didn't understand why so many new players joined us after we won the title".[2] Defender Ferdinand Wenauer pointed to more sinister reasons, claiming that goalkeeper Jürgen Rynio had been bribed by Borussia Dortmund, although this was never proven.[3]

Match results

Legend

Win Draw Loss

League

GameDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersNotes
117 August 1968Alemannia AachenHome1420,000Walter (og)MR
224 August 1968Kickers OffenbachAway1233,000KüppersMR
331 August 1968Borussia MönchengladbachHome4040,000Zaczyk, Čebinac (pen), Strehl, BeerMR
44 September 1968Hannover 96Away2240,000Beer, NüssingMR
57 September 19681. FC KaiserslauternHome1026,000ČebinacMR
614 September 19681860 MunichAway0230,000MR
721 September 1968Hamburger SVHome0012,000MR
828 September 1968Schalke 04Away1425,000VolkertMR
95 October 1968Hertha BSCHome3019,000Volkert, Zaczyk, KüppersMR
1019 October 1968Eintracht FrankfurtAway0320,000MR
1126 October 1968MSV DuisburgHome1112,000KüppersMR
1230 October 1968Eintracht BraunschweigAway2018,000Strehl, KüppersMR
132 November 1968VfB StuttgartHome1120,000L. MüllerMR
1412 November 1968Bayern MunichAway0340,000MR
1516 November 1968Werder BremenHome1110,000L. MüllerMR
1630 November 1968Borussia DortmundAway1316,000KüppersMR
177 December 19681. FC KölnHome0111,000MR
1811 January 1969Alemannia AachenAway2422,000L. Müller, NüssingMR
1918 January 1969Kickers OffenbachHome2245,000Zaczyk, ČebinacMR
2025 January 1969Borussia MönchengladbachAway1135,000VolkertMR
211 February 1969Hannover 96Home1230,000L. Müller (pen)MR
228 February 19691. FC KaiserslauternAway118,000H. MüllerMR
2322 February 19691860 MunichHome3050,000Küppers (2), Kroth (og)MR
248 March 1969Schalke 04Home1135,000L. MüllerMR
2515 March 1969Hertha BSCAway0235,000MR
2622 March 1969Eintracht FrankfurtHome1018,000Wirth (og)MR
2729 March 1969MSV DuisburgAway0118,000MR
289 April 1969Hamburger SVAway2422,000Strehl (2)MR
2919 April 1969Eintracht BraunschweigHome2017,000Nüssing (2)MR
3026 April 1969VfB StuttgartAway3222,000Nüssing, Volkert (2)MR
3117 May 1969Bayern MunichHome2045,000Volkert (2)MR
3223 May 1969Werder BremenAway3327,000Küppers (2), Strehl (pen)MR
3331 May 1969Borussia DortmundHome2250,000Küppers, L. Müller (pen)MR
347 June 19691. FC KölnAway0353,000MR

Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersNotes
First5 January 1969Eintracht TrierAway3118,000Hansen, L. Müller, NüssingMR
Second2 April 1969Sperber HamburgAway004,500MR
Second (replay)12 April 1969Sperber HamburgHome707,000L. Müller (2), Zaczyk (2), Nüssing, Lehr (2)MR
Quarter Final23 April 1969Hannover 96Home1012,000ČebinacMR
Semi Final3 May 1969Bayern MunichAway0225,000MR

Europe

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersNotes
First (1st leg)18 September 1968AjaxHome1154,000VolkertMR
First (2nd leg)2 October 1968AjaxAway0463,000MR
Ajax won 5–1 on aggregate

Player details

[4]

Pos.Nat.PlayerLeagueDFB-PokalEuropeTotal
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
GKJürgen Rynio2504020310
GKRoland Wabra1001010120
GKWalter Pradt00----00
DFFerdinand Wenauer3405020410
DFFritz Popp3203020370
DFLudwig Müller2965310359
DFHorst Leupold2700010280
DFJohnny Hansen2102120251
DFPeter Czernotzky8030--110
DFAmand Theis70----70
DFFranz Zimmert1030--40
DFEwald Schäffner00----00
MFKlaus Zaczyk3435220415
MFHans Küppers331040203910
MFHeinz Müller2814020341
MFHeinz Strehl2053010245
MFHans Rigotti40201070
MFTheodor Homann00----00
FWGeorg Volkert2875021358
FWErich Beer2522010282
FWDieter Nüssing2355210297
FWZvezdan Čebinac2233110264
FWJürgen Lehr0012--12

Transfers

In

Player Pos From Fee Date
Erich BeerFWSpVgg Fürth
Peter CzernotzkyDFBorussia Neunkirchen
Johnny HansenDFVejle BK
Theodor HomannMFSSV Werne
Hans KüppersMF1860 MunichDM 175,000
Jürgen LehrFW1. FC Nürnberg Amateure
Dieter NüssingFW1. FC Nürnberg Amateure
Walter PradtGK1. FC Nürnberg Amateure
Hans RigottiMFBayern Munich
Jürgen RynioGKKarlsruher SC
Amand TheisDF1. FC Nürnberg Amateure
Klaus ZaczykMFKarlsruher SC
Franz ZimmertDF1. FC Nürnberg Amateure

Out

Player Pos To Fee Date
Horst BlankenburgFWWiener SCDM 45,000
Claus-Jürgen BraunDFReleased
Franz BrungsDFHertha BSCDM 200,000
Manfred EbenhöhMFSpVgg Fürth
Karl-Heinz FerschlMFHertha BSC
Helmut HilpertFWSV Waldhof Mannheim
Adolf RuffFW1. FC Nürnberg Amateure
Hubert SchöllGKHamburger SV
August StarekMFBayern Munich
Gyula TóthGKJahn Regensburg
Wulf-Ingo UsbeckDFReleased

References

  1. "Böser Traum" (in German). Der Spigel. 16 June 1969. Retrieved 31 January 2012.
  2. "From zero to hero to zero". Bundesliga. 25 December 2006. Retrieved 31 January 2012.
  3. "Abstieg als Titelverteidiger" (in German). Retrieved 31 January 2012.
  4. "1. FC Nürnberg - Bundesliga 1968/1969". Fussballdaten. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
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