The Regionalliga Südwest: the A-Z guide

THE SCENARIO

The Regionalliga Südwest is now entering its seventh season, having been founded ahead of the 2012/13 campaign. Curiously, there have been seven different champions and only one of them, SG Sonnenhof Großaspach in 2014, has gone up and stayed up. The other two teams, SV Elversberg and 1. FSV Mainz 05, have been promoted to the third tier via the play-offs before coming back down again. For four years in a row, the two Südwest representatives have failed to come through the play-offs. Only the champions will go up this season, while the runners-up will finish empty-handed.

FAVOURITES

The usual suspects are all among the favourites: last year's winners 1.FC Saarbrücken are regarded as the likeliest contenders for the title and promotion − despite the loss of Kevin Behrens and Patrick Schmidt, both members of their prominent strike partnership. Despite the deduction of three points and the sense of deflation that followed their match against Uerdingen, which was called off, SV Waldhof Mannheim will be there or thereabouts, as will Kickers Offenbach. And then there's the newly-promoted FC 08 Homburg. Here's what TSG coach Marco Wildersinn had to say about his own objectives and the favourites.

NEWCOMERS

No-one has been relegated from the third tier, but Hessen Dreieich, TSG Balingen, FC 08 Homburg and FK Pirmasens are all among the new arrivals. The former Bundesliga club from Homburg strengthened significantly ahead of the last campaign and won all 18 matches in the first half of the season, meaning their senior management could start planning for promotion to the Regionalliga as early as the winter. Dreieich should have gone up last year but withdrew in favour of runners-up Stadtallendorf because the fledgling club, which was only founded in 2013, was not ready for the Regionalliga. Now, though, they are. FK Pirmasens secured their place via the play-off matches, drawing 0-0 against Bayern Alzenau and beating FC Villingen 2-0. TSG Balingen's promotion to the Regionalliga is the biggest success in their history.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Based on the current squads, TSG Hoffenheim have the youngest in the division (average age 20.1 years), while SV Elversberg (26.7 years) have the oldest.

The Spiesen-Elversberg-based club also have the most players with a foreign passport (10) in their squad, while TSG Balingen have the fewest (two).

Four clubs have been ever-present in the Südwest division since its inception in 2012/13: TSG are joined in this category by SV Waldhof Mannheim, Hessen Kassel and Wormatia Worms.

TSG sit in third-place in the all-time table, on 326 points, behind leaders SV Waldhof (371) and SV Elversberg (336) but ahead of Kickers Offenbach (312) and Hessen Kassel (306).

Since 2012, TSG have been top of the table for 16 rounds and bottom for four rounds. The position they have most commonly occupied after a round is fifth (26 times).

Marco Wildersinn, who has been in the role since 2014, is the second longest-serving coach in the Regionalliga Südwest after TSV Steinbach's Matthias Mink. Wildersinn has overseen 148 matches compared to Mink's 155. Nonetheless, Wildersinn is the most successful coach in the league's history, with 70 wins and 246 points.

OPPONENTS

 

TSG BALINGEN

Coach: Ralf Volkwein (45)
Stadium: Bizerba-Arena (7,000) [168 km | 2:01 h]
New signings: Pablo Gil (FC Villingen), Maximilian Pfau (FC Schonach), Pascal Schoch (SpVgg Unterhaching).
Departures: Shpejtim Islamaj (Neckarsulmer SU), Jonas Lang (SC Pfullendorf).
Last season: 1st in Oberliga Baden-Württemberg

 

SC HESSEN DREIEICH

Coach: Rudi Bommer (60)
Stadium: Hahn Air Sportpark (2,000) [112 km | 1:23 h]
New signings: Marcel Czirbus, Fidan Salii (both Viktoria Griesheim), Keanu Hagley, Can Cemil Özer (both Bayern Alzenau), Eduardo Landu (VfB Ginsheim), Denis Streker (TSV Schott Mainz), Henok Teklab (Rot-Weiß Frankfurt), Alexandros Theodosiadis (Kickers Offenbach).
Departures: Khaibar Amani, Tim Fliess (both FC Hanau 93), Jörn Kohl, Carlos McCrary (both SpVgg Neu-Isenburg), Alban Lekaj (FC Gießen), Nikola Mladenovic, Mike Wroblewski (both TSV Schott Mainz), Mark Fäth, Leon Hammel, Joshua Smith (all unknown).
Last season: 1st in Hessenliga

 

SV ELVERSBERG

Coach: Roland Seitz (53)
Stadium: Waldstadion Kaiserlinde (10,000) [179 km | 2:08 h]
New signings: Muhamed Alawie, Patryk Dragon (both FC Schalke 04 II), Luca Blaß (own reserves), Dominik Draband (TSG Hoffenheim II), Luca Dürholtz (Holstein Kiel), Mike Eglseder (SV Babelsberg 03), Manuel Feil (1.FC Nürnberg II), Kevin Lahn (TuS Koblenz), Oliver Stang (Borussia Mönchengladbach II), Israel Suero (Eintracht Stadtallendorf), Sinan Tekerci (FSV Zwickau), Nils Winter (Alemannia Aachen).
Departures: Florian Bichler (Rot-Weiss Essen), Steffen Bohl (U23), Konstantin Fuhry (SC Freiburg II), Bryan Gaul (FSV Zwickau), Moritz Göttel (TSV Steinbach), Edmond Kapllani (SV Spielberg), Fatih Köksal (1.FC Saarbrücken), Sven Sellentin (FC 08 Homburg), Aykut Soyak (SC Paderborn 07), Till Hermandung, Milad Salem (both unknown).
Last season: 5th in Regionalliga Südwest

 

FSV FRANKFURT

Coach: Alexander Conrad (51)
Stadium: Stadion am Bornheimer Hang (12,542) [129 km | 1:42 h]
New signings: Alexander Aschauer (SG Sonnenhof Großaspach), Marco Koch (TuS Koblenz), Benedict Rose, Adrian Schulze Solano, Niklas Schwaar, Kamil Tyminski (all own U19s), Ilias Soultani (TSV Schott Mainz), Steffen Straub (VfR Wormatia Worms).
Departures: Mateo Andacic (FSV Wacker Nordhausen), Leon Bell Bell (FSV Mainz 05 II), Manassé Eshele (SV Darmstadt 98), Cem Kara (FC Gießen), Adrian Matuschewski (SG Ober-Erlenbach), Yves Mfumu (FC Viktoria Köln), Nestor Djengoue, Alexander Loch, Javan Torre Howell, Elmir Muhic, Nico Seegert (all unknown).
Last season: 14th in Regionalliga Südwest

 

SC FREIBURG II

Coach: Christian Preußer (34)
Stadium: Möslestadion (5,000) [198 km | 2:24 h]
New signings: Tim Baschnagel, Carlo Boukhalfa, Daniele Bruno, Claudio Kammerknecht, Yannik Keitel, Elvin Kovac, Nico Schlotterbeck, Anthony Schmid, Lino Tempelmann (all own U19s), Konrad Faber (Freiburger FC), Konstantin Fuhry (SV 07 Elversberg), David Nieland (VfL Wolfsburg U19), Marvin Pieringer (SSV Reutlingen 05), Niclas Thiede (VfL Bochum U19s).
Departures: Constantin Frommann, Keven Schlotterbeck (both own senior squad), Manolo Rodas (FSV Zwickau), Jonas Huchler, Nicola Leberer, Kamran Yahyaijan (all FC 08 Villingen), Rico Wehrle (Bahlinger SC), Marvin Geng, Matej Jukic (all unknown).
Last season: 4th in Regionalliga Südwest

 

FC 08 HOMBURG

Coach: Jürgen Luginger (50)
Stadium: Waldstadion (16,488) [155 km | 1:49 h]
New signings: Andreas Knipfer (1.FC Nürnberg II), Luca Plattenhardt (SSV Reutlingen), Thomas Steinherr (SpVgg Unterhaching), Kevin Maek, Sven Sellentin (both SV Elversberg), Christopher Theisen (Fortuna Köln), Daniel di Gregorio (SV Waldhof), Maurice Neubauer (1. FSV Mainz 05 II), Bernd Rosinger (Sportfreunde Lotte), Michael Müller (U19s).
Departures: Norbert Neumann (Hertha Wiesbach), Kai Roob (TSV Bad Abbach), Athanasios Raptis, Jens Meyer (both unknown), Marc Gallego (TSV Essingen), Joel Ebler, Tim Schneider (both U23s).
Last season: 1st in Oberliga Rheinland-Pfalz/Saar

 

1. FSV MAINZ 05

Coach: Bartosch Gaul (30)
Stadium: Stadion am Bruchweg (13,508) [131 km | 1:38 h]
New signings: Michael Akoto (SV Wehen Wiesbaden), Leon Bell Bell (FSV Frankfurt), Julian Bauer, Tolga Demirbas, Jonas Fedl, Ahmet Gürleyen, Kennet Hanner-Lopez, Niklas Kölle, Nils Lihsek, Devante Parker, Vitus Scheithauer, Bleron Visoka (all own U19s), Besar Halimi (own senior squad), Antoine Makoumbou (AC Ajaccio / France), Lars Össwein (VfB Stuttgart II).
Departures: Ridle Baku (own senior squad), Kerem Bülbül (Berliner AK), Tevin Ihrig, Malte Moos (both VfR Wormatia Worms), Noah Korczowski (SG Wattenscheid 09), Heinz Mörschel (Holstein Kiel), Maurice Neubauer (FC 08 Homburg), Benjamin Trümner (SG Barockstadt Fulda).
Last season: 7th in Regionalliga Südwest

 

SV WALDHOF MANNHEIM

Coach: Bernhard Trares (52)
Stadium: Carl-Benz-Stadion (27,000) [50 km | 0:45 h]
New signings: Maurice Hirsch, Jesse Weißenfels (both Stuttgarter Kickers), Jan Just (TSV Schott Mainz), Timo Kern (FC-Astoria Walldorf), Morris Nag (Wormatia Worms), Valmir Sulejmani (Hannover 96 II).
Departures: Daniel di Gregorio (FC 08 Homburg), Nicolas Hebisch (FC Viktoria Köln), Andreas Ivan (New York Red Bulls / USA), Benedikt Koep (TSV Steinbach Haiger), Patrick Mayer (retired), Kevin Nennhuber (FC Gießen), Dennis Rothenstein (Germania Halberstadt), Simon Tüting (FV Fortuna Heddesheim) Ilias Tzimanis (FC-Astoria Walldorf), Jesse Weippert (Neckarsulmer SU), Kubilay Dogan, Alban Ramaj (both unknown).
Last season: 2nd in Regionalliga Südwest (lost to KFC Uerdingen in the promotion play-offs)

 

KICKERS OFFENBACH

Coach: Daniel Steuernagel (38)
Stadium: Bieberer Berg (20,500) [130 km | 1:46 h]
New signings: Lucas Albrecht (KSV Hessen Kassel), Luka Garic, Gerrit Gohlke (both own U19s), Jake Hirst (TSV Bad Nauheim), Kevin Ikpide (TSG Hoffenheim II), Julian Scheffler (1.FC Nürnberg II).
Departures: Luca Dähn (SV Viktoria Aschaffenburg), Stefano Maier (FC Viktoria Köln), Alexandros Theodosiadis (SC Hessen Dreieich), Grgo Zivkovic (Stuttgarter Kickers), Nicola Jürgens (unknown).
Last season: 3rd in Regionalliga Südwest

 

FK PIRMASENS

Coach: Peter Tretter (51)
Stadium: Sportpark Husterhöhe (10,000) [133 km | 1:39 h]
New signings: Erik Bischof, Sandro Kempf, Norman Klug (all own U19s), Florian Bohnert (FC Schalke 04 II), Kevin Dauenhauer (SC Hauenstein), Tim Hecker (Sportfreunde Bundenthal), Heraldo Jorrin (TuS Hohenecken), Ricky Pinheiro (Wormatia Worms), Benjamin Reitz (1.FC Kaiserslautern II).
Departures: Mauro Martin (break), Sebastian Reinert (SG Scheuern), Oliver Seitz (FC-Astoria Walldorf), Jonas Singer (1.FC Kaiserslautern II), Paolo Valentini (SV Bliesmengen).
Last season: 2nd in Oberliga Rheinland-Pfalz/Saar (drew with Bayern Alzenau and beat FC Villingen in the promotion play-offs)

 

1.FC SAARBRÜCKEN

Coach: Dirk Lottner (46)
Stadium: Hermann-Neuberger-Stadion in Völklingen (8,265) [192 km | 2:44 h]
New signings: Marcel Carl (FC-Astoria Walldorf), Gillian Jurcher (Germania Halberstadt), Benjamin Kessel (1.FC Kaiserslautern), Fatih Köksal (SV 07 Elversberg), Nino Miotke (1.FC Kaiserslautern II), José Pierre Vunguidica (SV Sandhausen).
Departures: Kevin Behrens (SV Sandhausen), Christoph Fenninger (SpVgg Oberfranken Bayreuth), Patrik Herbrand (SV Röchling Völklingen), Patrick Schmidt (1.FC Heidenheim), Kilian Staroscik (FC Hertha Wiesbach), Marwin Studtrucker (SC Wiedenbrück), Dominic Rau, Jordan Steiner (both unknown).
Last season: 1st in Regionalliga Südwest (lost to TSV 1860 München in promotion play-offs)

 

EINTRACHT STADTALLENDORF

Coach: Dragan Sicaja (51)
Stadium: Herrenwaldstadion (5,000) [223 km | 2:40 h]
New signings: Mirco Geisler (Kickers Offenbach U19s), Felix Nolte (FC Ederbergland), Perry Ofori (VfB Marburg), Dusan Olujic (SF/BG Marburg), Alieu Sawaneh (FC Bayern Alzenau), Arne Schütze (KSV Hessen Kassel), Yannick Wolf (Sportfreunde Siegen).
Departures: Markus Auer (Bayern Alzenau), Manuel Bachmeier (SV Bauerbach), Milano Michel (SF/BG Marburg), Dorian Miric (SV Zeilsheim), Steven Preuß (VfB Marburg), Israel Suero (SV 07 Elversberg), Dominik Völk (FSV Fernwald), Del-Angelo Williams (FC Hansa Rostock), Dennis Brandt (unknown).
Last season: 12th in Regionalliga Südwest

 

TSV STEINBACH HAIGER

Coach: Matthias Mink (50)
Stadium: Sportzentrum Haarwasen (4,000) [220 km | 2:38 h]
New signings: David Al-Azzawe (BFC Dynamo), Arnold Budimbu (FC Schalke 04 II), Moritz Göttel (SV 07 Elversberg), Moritz Hannappel (Sportfreunde Eisbachtal), Benedikt Koep (SV Waldhof Mannheim), Wilfried Sarr (Rot-Weiß Erfurt), Gani Sevim (Beşiktaş II / Turkey), Tom Zündorf (Fortuna Düsseldorf II).
Departures: Torge Bremer (TSV Havelse), Fatjon Celani (FC Memmingen), Simon Kranitz (FC-Astoria Walldorf), Alexander Mißbach (TuS Erndtebrück), Hüsni Tahiri (own reserves), Cem Felek (unknown).
Last season: 8th in Regionalliga Südwest

 

VFB STUTTGART II

Coach: Marc Kienle (45)
Stadium: Waldau-Stadion (11,410) [113 km | 1:32 h]
New signings: Yannick Becker, Oliver Wähling (both Karlsruher SC II), Daniel Bux, David Grözinger, Umut Günes, Manuel Kober, Pedro Morais, Jonas Preuß, José-Enrique Riós Alonso, Azad Toptik, Michel Witte (all own U19s), Daniel Nussbaumer (SCR Altach / Austria), Joel Sonora (CA Talleres II / Argentina), Mario Suver (Stuttgarter Kickers), David Tomic (1.FC Kaiserslautern), Tobias Werner (own seniors).
Departures: Ramon Castellucci (Stuttgarter Kickers), Lars Össwein (1.FSV Mainz 05 II), Stefan Peric (FC Wacker Innsbruck / Austria), Stjepan Radeljic (NK Osijek / Croatia), Marco Stefandl (Hannover 96 II), Georgios Spanoudakis (Vitória Guimarães / Portugal), Caniggia Elva, Andreas Scheidl, Philipp Walter (all unknown).
Last season: 10th in Regionalliga Südwest

 

SSV ULM 1846

Coach: Holger Bachthaler (43)
Stadium: Donaustadion (19,500) [188 km | 2:26 h]
New signings: Adrian Beck (Neckarsulmer Sport-Union), Lukas Hoffmann, Nico Gutjahr (both SG Sonnenhof Großaspach), Luis Grassow (FC Pipinsried), David Hundertmark (SV Grödig / Austria), Nicolas Jann (FV Illertissen), Kai Luibrand (Karlsruher SC), Vitalij Lux (SpVgg Unterhaching), Christian Ortag (Stuttgarter Kickers), Lennart Stoll (SC Preußen Münster), Aron Viventi (TSG Hoffenheim II).
Departures: Holger Betz (retired), Volkan Celiktas (FV Illertissen), Luca Graciotti (VfR Wormatia Worms), Olcay Kücük (FC Memmingen), Mergim Neziri (Petrolul Ploieşti / Romania), Kevin Birk, Tim Göhlert, Mustafa Özhitay, Stjepan Saric, Christian Sauter (all unknown).
Last season: 9th in Regionalliga Südwest

 

FC-ASTORIA WALLDORF

Coach: Matthias Born (46)
Stadium: Stadion im Dietmar-Hopp-Sportpark (5,000) [28 km | 0:32 h]
New signings: Christoph Batke, Tim Fahrenholz, David Veith (all Karlsruher SC II), Maik Goß (Karlsruher SC U19s), Darian Gurley (own reserves), Simon Kranitz (TSV Steinbach Haiger), Max Müller (Wycombe Wanderers / England), Niklas Schaffer (TSG Hoffenheim II), Oliver Seitz (FK Pirmasens), Ilias Tzimanis (SV Waldhof Mannheim).
Departures: Marcel Carl (1.FC Saarbrücken), Nico Hillenbrand, Harun Solak (own reserves), Timo Kern (SV Waldhof Mannheim), Thorben Stadler (1.FC Mühlhausen), Philipp Strompf (TSG Hoffenheim II), Steffen Haas, Christopher Hellmann, Michael Hiegl (all unknown).
Last season: 11th in Regionalliga Südwest

 

VFR WORMATIA WORMS

Coach: Steven Jones (40)
Stadium: Wormatia-Stadion (5,624) [82 km | 1:07 h]
New signings: Dimitrios Ferfelis (FSV Zwickau), Aret Demir, Dominique Jourdan (both FC Bayern Alzenau), Ahmed Diack (Rot-Weiß Frankfurt), Andreas Glockner, Chris Keilmann (both TuS Koblenz), Luca Graciotti (SSV Ulm 1846), Cedrik Heller (TuS Erndtebrück), Tevin Ihrig, Malte Moos (both FSV Mainz 05 II), Niklas Kern (SV Darmstadt 98), Sascha Korb, Cédric Mimbala (both KSV Hessen Kassel), Linus Radau (Karlsruher SC II), Lukas Rodwald (Eintracht Frankfurt U19s), Pascal Schmidt (U19s), Leon Volz (SpVgg Greuther Fürth II).
Departures: Daisuke Ando, Johnathan Zinram (both 1.CfR Pforzheim), Patrick Auracher (Stuttgarter Kickers), Thomas Gösweiner (TSG Hoffenheim II), Benjamin Himmel (TSG Pfeddersheim), Ugurtan Kizilyar (SV Viktoria Aschaffenburg), Steve Kroll (Sportfreunde Lotte), Benjamin Maas (retired), Marco Raimondo-Metzger (TSV 1860 München II), Morris Nag (SV Waldhof Mannheim), Henrik Nagel (SV Alemannia Waldalgesheim), Ricky Pinheiro (FK Pirmasens), Felix Reißmann (SG RWO Alzey), Sebastian Schmitt, Alan Stulin (both Alemannia Aachen), Steffen Straub (FSV Frankfurt), Mario Miltner, Ömer Yildirim (all unknown).
Last season: 13th in Regionalliga Südwest

Distances and travel times are from the Dietmar-Hopp-Stadion.