Sportverein Sandhausen 1916 e.V., commonly known as simplySV Sandhausen or Sandhausen, is aGerman association football club that plays inSandhausen, immediately to the south ofHeidelberg in Baden-Württemberg. It is Germany's smallest professional football club.
The club's greatest success came in 2011–12 when it won the3. Liga and earned promotion to the2. Bundesliga for the first time.
After an initial period of financial instability, the club advanced steadily through the lower leagues until it earned promotion to theBezirksliga Rhein-Saar in 1931, but only played for a single season at that level before descending again. In 1943, it was merged withTSV Walldorf andVfB Wiesloch to form the wartime squadKSG Walldorf-Wiesloch. The combined squad was dissolved at the end of the conflict andSG Sandhausen was reestablished as an independent club late in 1945. A half dozen[vague] years later it re-claimed its original name.Sandhausen played football in theLandesliga or2. Amateurliga until 1956, when it advanced to the 1.Amateurliga Nordbaden. In 1977, the team finished as runner-up in the German amateur championship and progressed to theOberliga Baden-Württemberg in 1978, where it consistently earned finishes in the upper half of the table.Sandhausen won threeOberliga titles through[vague] the 1980s and the German Amateur Championship in 1993. It won back-to-backOberliga titles in 1995 and 2000 and, with its latest title in 2007, gained promotion to theRegionalliga Süd (III).
Negotiations held in late 2005 and early 2006 to mergeSandhausen withTSG 1899 Hoffenheim andFC Astoria Walldorf to createFC Heidelberg 06 were abandoned due to resistance to the idea on the part of bothSandhausen andWalldorf, and the failure to agree on whether the new side's stadium should be located in Heidelberg.
The 2007–08 season was a success for the club,[according to whom?] being in contention for2. Bundesliga promotion almost until the end of season and[according to whom?] qualifying for the new3. Liga by finishing 5th in the Regionalliga South.[2] In 2012, the club won the 3. Liga and thus promotion to the 2. Bundesliga. The club finished its inaugural 2. Bundesliga season in a relegation position but was saved when MSV Duisburg was refused a licence and played a much stronger[according to whom?] 2013–14 campaign, finishing 12th.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Current season
Kenan Koçak
Dennis Diekmeier
Rafael Lopez
(in German)
