Holstein Kiel is a football club that is found in Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein. It was one of the best teams in northern Germany from the start of the 20th century up until the 1960s. They have many notable finishes in the league during those years, including capturing a German Football Championship in 1912.
Despite its early success, the team has never played in the top tier of German football since the Bundesliga system in its current form was introduced in 1963. Holstein Kiel plays its home games at the Holstein-Stadion which holds about 15,000 fans.
History of Holstein Kiel
1910
Holstein Kiel came about after two local sides merged together at the beginning of the 20th century. It didn't take too long for the team to become competitive, getting to the final of the German championship in 1910, before winning it for the first and only time two years later in 1912.
First World War
There was another merger following the First World War, with regular appearances in the playoffs over the course of the next few years. They were competitive during the Second World War but ultimately fell short of winning the title.
Second World War
Since the ending of the Second World War, Holstein Kiel has mainly been a club that has played in the second and third tiers of German football. In the first couple of decades after the war, Holstein Kiel played in the Oberliga Nord (I), twice finishing in second place.
1963
When the Bundesliga was formed in 1963, Holstein Kiel became a team in the second tier. In 1974, the Bundesliga 2 was created, with Holstein Kiel playing in the third tier at the time. Over the next years, Holstein Kiel managed to get promoted and relegated a number of times from the second tier.
1996
In 1996, the team got relegated to the fourth tier of football for the first time, before quickly recovering. They had a great run in the DFB-Pokal in 2011/2012 when they beat a number of notable teams before losing out to Borussia Dortmund in the quarter-finals.
2017
After being missing from the second tier for 36 years, Holstein Kiel made it back to the Bundesliga 2 in 2017. The following year, they finished third place and narrowly missed out on qualifying for the top flight for the first time after losing a play-off against Wolfsburg.
Home stadium
Holstein Kiel plays its home fixtures at the Holstein-Stadion for many years. It was originally built in 1911, with significant renovations taking place over the years.
It was in 2005 that the DFB announced that the stadium no longer was up to their standards for the minimum requirements of a stadium. If there were no significant changes made, Holstein Kiel would not be able to play in the Bundesliga 2. This is why the city and the team created a plan to renovate the stadium.
The new arena could then hold 10,200 fans, with the possibility of expanding it to 15,000 if Holstein Kiel ever makes it to the top tier of football in the country. It was in 2017 that the team made it back to the second tier and this expansion took place, with the construction finished in spring 2019.
Betting on the games
Holstein Kiel is on a mission to get to the top tier of German football. They ticked the box of getting back to the second tier and narrowly missed out in a play-off for another promotion. This quest adds a lot of excitement and betting opportunities for these games.
To check out the best football betting sites, you can look at the expert reviews on Roger.com. You can then sign up for an account in a few minutes and the get started placing bets on Holstein Kiel games.