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Hansa Rostock

Founded 1965 Colours: Blue and white

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Hansa Rostock squadImage: dpa

East Germany had a host of successful clubs: Dynamo Dresden, Locomotive Leipzig and FC Magdeburg who even reached the final of the European Cupwinners Cup final in the seventies when they lost to AC Milan.

Hansa Rostock is an exception. Whilst all the others have more or less disappeared into the lower leagues, Hansa Rostock was the only eastern German Club to have a long run in the Bundesliga. Rostock were the last Champions of the East German League in 1991. This came as a sensation because Rostock was never one of the big shots of East German football. So, the club from the Baltic Sea is the club which all fans in eastern German pin their hopes on. The beginnings of the club were pretty unusual

Bundesliga 2003 Vereinslogos F.C. Hansa Rostock e.V.
Hansa Rostock emblem

The story begins nowhere near the sea, but in the middle of the Ore Mountains in the year 1952, in the charming little town of Lauter where the local club "Empor Lauter" had just gained promotion to the East German first divison – the so-called Oberliga. During the first two seasons everything seemed normal – the club fought hard, finishing tenth in their league. In 1954, "Empor Lauter" started off a great run of victories, and looked destined to become the next East German Champions. But these were difficult times – everything had to be planned and regulated by the state. The party members decided that there were too many first-division-clubs located in the Ore Mountains. And that there was a gap which had to be filled in Mecklenburg Western Pomerania. So they decided to transfer the whole of "Empor Lauter" to the coastal city of Rostock – Empor Lauter suddenly became Empor Rostock.

In 1965 the club was given the name Hansa Rostock.

In the following years Hansa Rostock never became one of the big names in East German football, they were actually known as the eternal runners-up. In crucial moments, luck was just not on their side. On four occasions they finished second in the league and not once did the team manage to win the national cup, although they played in seven cup finals.

Only once was luck was on their side, but at least at the right time. The last Oberliga season in 1991 was crucial for the future of the team. Hansa Rostock became the last East German Champion ever and was promoted to the Bundesliga. But after only one season the club was relegated back to the second division. It took them three hard years to find their way back to the Bundesliga. In 1995 the second chapter of Bundesliga history started in Rostock. But still the club struggled. In 1999 they very narrowly avoided relegation and it was the same situation last season too.

Shortly after reunification it was the traditional East German Teams from Leipzig and Dresden who played in the Bundesliga, but in the end only Rostock managed to survived. Many fans in eastern Germany pinned their hopes to the club and will be sad to see them relegated in the 2005 season. Although the club is located in the far north of the country, every Saturday fans from Berlin, Leipzig and Erfurt kept their fingers crossed that Hansa would somehow escape the drop. Inspite of a plucky showing the club from eastern Germany is now back in Germany`s second division and will hope to return to the top flight as soon as possible.

Current Squad

Keller, Axel (21) Hill, Delano (20) Hartmann, Michael (33) Allbäck, Marcus (24) Schober, Mathias (1) Lapaczinski, Denis (23) Lantz, Marcus (17) Arvidsson, Magnus (15) Madsen, Kim (5) Litmanen, Jari (28) Di Salvo, Antonio (19) Möhrle, Uwe (3) Maul, Ronald (6) Prica, Rade (11) Sebastian, Tim (13) Meggle, Thomas (10) Vorbeck, Marco (30) Melkam, Gabriel (18) Persson, Joakim (14) Rasmussen, David (8) Rasmussen, Thomas (27) Rydlewicz, René (7)

Coach: Jörg Berger

Alex Sisto