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'TSV 1860 München', commonly known as '1860 Munich' is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. The club's football team currently plays in the Second Bundesliga, after relegation from the Bundesliga following the 2003-04 season. The club was one of the founding members of the Bundesliga in 1963 and has played a total of 20 seasons in the top flight.

Contents

History

Origins of the club

From the turn of the century to WWII

Post war

The 1970s and 1980s

The 1990s to the present

Stadium

Honours

Players

Current squad

Notable former players

Notable former coaches

External links

History

Origins of the club

The roots of the ''TSV's founding as a physical fitness and gymnastics association go back to a meeting held July 15, 1848 in a local pub, ''Buttleschen Brauerei zum Bayerischen Löwen''. The club was formally established on May 17, 1860 and after mergers with a number of other local associations in 1862 was known as ''Turnverein München''. A football department was created on March 6, 1899 and played its first matches against other squads three years later.
See also: 1860 in football (soccer).

From the turn of the century to WWII

In 1911, the team adopted the familiar lion to their crest and in 1919 was re-named ''TSV München 1860''. By the mid-20s they were playing competitive football in the country's upper leagues, making a national semi-final appearance in 1927. ''Die Löwen'' challenged for the championship in 1931 but dropped a 2:3 decision to ''Hertha BSC Berlin''. Two years later they made another semi-final appearance which they lost to ''Schalke 04'' who were on their way to becoming the dominant side in German football through the 30s and 40s.
In 1933 German football was re-organized under the Third Reich into sixteen top-flight divisions known as Gauligen. ''TSV'' joined the Gauliga Bayern where they earned second place finishes in 1934, 1938, and 1939, before finally capturing a division championship in 1941. Their subsequent playoff appearance saw ''München'' finish second in their pool to finalist Rapid Wien. The following season they failed to advance to the national playoff rounds, but did go on to earn their first major honours by defeating ''Schalke 04'' to capture the Tschammerpokal, known today as the German Cup. ''TSV'' returned to the national playoffs again in 1943, progressing to the quarterfinals.

Post war

After World War II, ''1860'' played in the top flight Oberliga Süd as a mid-table side, suffering relegation for a period of three years in the mid-50s. However, they counted when it mattered most in 1963 by winning the league championship and with it automatic entry into Germany's new professional league, the Bundesliga, ahead of rivals Bayern Munich who would have to wait three seasons for their own top flight debut. ''1860'' continued to perform well through the mid-60s: they captured their second German Cup in 1964, played the 1965 Cup Winners Cup final against West Ham – losing 0:2, came away as Bundesliga champions in 1966, and finished as vice-champions the next year.

The 1970s and 1980s

Those performances were followed by poor showings in three consecutive seasons leading to relegation in 1970. It took ''1860'' seven years to make their way back to the first division, only to be immediately relegated again. A year later they were back, this time for a two year stay. Then in 1982 disaster struck as they were relegated once again and then forced into the tier III Amateur Oberliga Bayern when financial problems led to the club being denied a licence.

The 1990s to the present

The club's exile from the Bundesliga would last a dozen years. They were promoted to the top flight in 1994, but found themselves in immediate danger being sent back down again. However, president Karl-Heinz Wildmoser and trainer Werner Lorant made several shrewd purchases including striker Olaf Bodden, winger Harald Cerny, playmaker Peter Nowak, and defensive stoppers Miroslav Stević, Jens Jeremies and Manfred Schwabl. Stars like Abedi Pele, Thomas Häßler and Davor Šuker played for ''1860'' as their careers were winding down, becoming crowd favourites and making important contributions.
Under the heavy-handed, dictatorial leadership of Wildmoser and Lorant, the combination of proven veterans and young talent helped the club avoid relegation and become a decent mid-table side. ''1860'' earned a fourth place Bundesliga finish in 2000 and were entered into the Champions League 3rd qualifying round where they faced Leeds United, however a 3-1 aggregate defeat saw them play in the UEFA Cup that season, advancing to the third round where they were put out by ''AC Parma''. However, the club was unable to build on this success and after some mediocre performances by the team, trainer Lorant was fired.
After a decade in the top division, ''1860'' spectacularly burnt out in the 2003-04 season with a 17th place finish that returned the club to the 2.Bundesliga. Wildmoser made the extremely controversial decision to co-habitate with hated rivals ''Bayern Munich'' in the Allianz Arena, a move that outraged fans and led to accusations of a sell-out. His downfall came when he and his son Karl-Heinz Wildmoser Jr. were caught in a bribery scandal around the awarding procedure for the contract to build the stadium.
In addition to flirting with relegation to the Regionalliga Süd (III) in the 2005-06 season, ''1860'' experienced severe financial difficulties. Stadium partner ''Bayern Munich'' bought out ''TSV's 50% interest in the Allianz Arena in late April 2006 for 11 million Euros, providing the club some immediate financial relief. Following this move, the DFB (Deutscher Fussball Bund or German Football Association) was satisfied with the financial health of the club and duly issued ''1860'' a licence to play in the 2. Bundesliga in 2006-07. [1]
In January 2006, ''TSV'' hired Walter Schachner as their new manager and Stefan Reuter as general manager.

Stadium

''TSV 1860 München'' play their home matches in the Allianz Arena, which they share with local rivals FC Bayern Munich. The club's inaugural game at the Allianz Arena was a friendly played against ''1. FC Nürnberg'' on May 30, 2005. The stadium hosted the opening match of the 2006 FIFA World Cup between Germany and Costa Rica and three other first round contests, a Round of 16 match between Germany and Sweden, and a semi-final between France and Portugal.
Until recently the club co-owned the facility with ''Bayern Munich'', but sold its 50% share on April 28, 2006 to help resolve a serious financial crisis that saw ''TSV'' facing looming bankruptcy.
Originally ''TSV'' played in the Stadion an der Grünwalderstraße (commonly known as "Sechzger Stadion"), built in 1911, and which they also shared with ''Bayern Munich'' between 1925 and 1972. Both clubs then moved to the new Olympiastadion built for the 1972 Olympic Games. ''TSV'' moved back to the old ground several times from 1972 on, with the years between 1982 and 1995 being the longest period. In the 2004 season "TSV" spent one last year at Sechzger as the Allianz was being readied.

Honours

★ German champions (Bundesliga): 1966

★ German vice-champions: 1931, 1967

★ German Cup: 1942, 1964

★ Cup Winners Cup finalist: 1965

★ UEFA Cup: 2001, third round

Players

Current squad

Notable former players

★ Ernst Willimowski

★ Rudi Brunnenmeier

★ Thomas Häßler

★ Jens Jeremies

★ Vidar Riseth

★ Martin Max

★ Erik Mykland

★ Piotr Nowak

★ Abedi Pelé

★ Petar Radenkovic

★ Dragoslav Šekularac

★ Davor Šuker

★ Rudi Völler

★ Taylor Twellman

★ Shao Jiayi

★ Awudu Issaka

★ Paul Agostino

Notable former coaches

★ Fred Spiksley

★ Max Merkel

★ Werner Lorant

★ Walter Schachner

★ Peter Pacult

External links

★ Official team website

★ The Abseits Guide to German Soccer

★ 1860wiki