Berlin football crisis: traditional clubs are fighting for survival!

Berlin football crisis: traditional clubs are fighting for survival!

In Berlin, numerous football clubs strive for a firm establishment in professional football, but many fail because of the challenges of the competition. In particular, the BFC Dynamo, the Berlin AK and FC Viktoria in 1889 symbolize the ambitions and setbacks of domestic football. The BFC Dynamo, founded in 1966 and known as the record champions of the GDR Oberliga, experienced a heyday with ten championship titles in a row between 1979 and 1988. But after the turn, the association had difficulty assisting itself in reunited Germany. In 2001, a financial crisis led to bankruptcy and the submission of the game authorization for the Oberliga. Despite these setbacks, the BFC Dynamo managed to climb into the Regionalliga Northeast in 2014, where it has been watching since then. In the 2021/22 season, the association won the regional league championship, but failed in the third division promotion against VfB Oldenburg.

the Berlin AK (BAK) was taken over by Mehmet Ali Han in 2001 when the club was faced with bankruptcy. After a short stabilization in the Regionalliga Northeast, however, there was a setback when the Han entrepreneurial family ended its commitment in the summer of 2023. This led to financial difficulties and the relegation of the association to the fifth -class top division. In the 2015/16 season, the BAK was only a goal from promotion to third class and tied with FSV Zwickau before the problems started. However, his ambitions remained unfulfilled and the search for a restructuring was unsuccessful.

fate of FC Viktoria 1889

FC Viktoria 1889 has set itself the goal of acting third force in Berlin football behind 1. FC Union and Hertha BSC. After the Chinese investor Alex Zheng entered the club in 2018, there was an insolvency proceedings due to the lack of payments just a few months later. A point deduction was the result, followed by a massive squad conversion and change of coach. In the 2021/22 season, Viktoria reached the 3rd football league, but immediately relegated. The association must currently initiate a preliminary insolvency proceedings via Football GmbH after it has relegated from the regional league to the Oberliga. The Charlottenburg District Court opened the proceedings on Thursday with the aim of protecting the assets of the GmbH until the decision on the bankruptcy application.

Although the insolvency proceedings do not affect the registered association (e. V.) and Frauenfußball-GmbH, a strong focus is on discussions with partners, sponsors and supporters to ensure economic stability. Despite the serious situation at Viktoria, there are currently no direct effects on the upcoming Oberliga season.

The challenges of the Berlin football clubs show how difficult it is to remain competitive in the high -class football landscape in Germany. While some traditional clubs like the BFC Dynamo are trying to reinvent themselves, others like the Berlin AK and FC Viktoria wrestle in 1889 for their financial future and the restoration of their former ambitions.