RBC Sports One: Siovanija & Teusland Sporting News

by **Siovanija and Teusland** » Sat Dec 25, 2021 10:30 pm

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On the Hunt: VfL Reinbronn

Episode IV - Breaking Point

”...Thorsten Kramer ran circles around VfL Reinbronn’s midfield on Sunday, and Teussen’s excellent start to the campaign continues with a 4-2 victory over Reinbronn…”

“...oh it’s brilliant! That’s why Zdeno Stajskal is one of the best young players in the league, his second of the game, and it’s 4-0 for Vrnovo Mesto…”

“...that is the final here from Vrnovo, where Reinbronn have been utterly thrashed…”

“...Iron City prevailed here tonight, it’s a 3rd defeat of the Liga B Champions Trophy group stage for VfL Reinbronn, and you have to feel that their international journey is coming to an early end…”

“...they just don’t look a cohesive side at the moment, Stephen, and I can’t see them staying up…”

“...I think you have to ask questions about where they are going to get goals from, Schadre had that glimpse of hope against Iron City but he’s had nothing since then…”

“...a better performance tonight from VfL Reinbronn, but it will be little comfort as they suffer their 8th defeat of the league campaign here, falling 4-3 to 1912 Stelburg in Josh Meckler’s return to the 1912-Stadion…”

“...they are in serious trouble so far, they might not be bottom yet but they look like the worst team in the division...and it isn’t much better internationally, either…”

Sometimes you have a bad day. Sometimes, a bad week. For VfL Reinbronn, the second month of the season was… one from hell. 4 straight losses in all competitions, and little in the way of positives to take going forward. Only the loss against 1912 Stelburg offered some hope, with Fritz Schadre scoring again and Dieter Rosberg looking very much up to the challenge. But moral victories mean nothing when you don’t get any points - and for manager Torsten Bohmen, it means more and more long nights.

“It sucks. I mean, there isn’t much more to say. We need to find something inside of our team to really come together and get out of this hole, because it’s only going to come from inside ourselves,” he says. He’s encouraged the players to get together and have a meeting before the game tomorrow evening at home against Komunemos, telling them that the solution to this problem is going to come from them.

But Bohmer has other problems - some of the fanbase are not very happy with the way the season has gone, and are in fact calling for him to be sacked. Markus Eichel puts out a statement after the loss to 1912 Stelburg, saying that the result showed ‘positive signs’ and that the board has full confidence in the manager and players. But statements like that can often be a death wish…

“Of course, if I’m not doing a good job I won’t expect to be here very long, and Markus knows that too. But I believe that there are always going to be hard days in a project like this, and it’s how we move past them that counts.”

In Markus Eichel’s boardroom, we get his side of the situation. “Sacking a manager is… the toughest part of the job, of course. You know in your brain before in your heart, which is very hard. But I’m nowhere near that point. It was always going to be difficult to start under a new manager, with a lot of new players.”

Eichel says, however, that the toughest part is always the fans. “Fans always have expectations… and right now we aren’t meeting them. So obviously Torsten and I have talked about how that needs to change very quickly.”

In Siovanija & Teusland, football clubs must retain at least 51% ownership by the local community or the fan trust. In some cases, this is done through board elections - like at FC Teussen Stelburg, where shares can be purchased and club leadership can be voted on. At a club like VfL Reinbronn, things work a bit differently.

“When I bought the club, what I was really buying was the VfL Reinbronn Supporters’ Association, which owns 75% of the club - the city owns the rest because they own the stadium. So we are a fan-owned club, and we have regular meetings with members of the supporters’ association to make sure we’re incorporating how the fans feel about the club.”

One of those meetings is tonight, on the eve of the massive LBCT game. “I’m not looking forward to this one,” laughs Eichel.

Meeting with Eichel tonight are three of the board’s members, nominated each year by vote of everyone who has a membership with the club. They are Georg Faustler, Elisabeth Huttel and Johan Grieber - all of whom have been season ticket holders for over 15 years.

“It’s of course a thrill to be back in the Republikaliga where we belong,” says Huttel. “But the performances have been very concerning recently. We have a great relationship with Markus, but we’re always going to push for the club’s interests.”

Faustler is particularly unhappy with the club’s transfer business: “The players we’ve got in on loan are good business, sure… but they don’t understand what it means to be Reinbronn. Most of our players, historically, have come through the academy, and know what it means to play for this city. I’m worried some of these players, talented as they might be, aren’t fully committed to the club.”

Grieber, on the other hand, is a bit more patient: “The players we have are talented, no doubt, but they’re going to take time to gel as a team. It’s unforgiving at this level, but there are signs every week that something is possible with this group… I think we have to give Bohmer time to leave his mark on them.”

When the meeting begins, Eichel updates the board members on the club’s financial position, which has grown stronger thanks to international prize money as well as television contracts from the Republikaliga. Sponsors too are eager to get on the bandwagon of a team playing at the highest level - more and more local businesses are wanting to be the official ‘x’ of VfL Reinbronn.

The financial side of things is positive - the club is in good health. Now, however, Eichel comes to the hard part:

“Look, obviously we aren’t where we want to be in the league just yet. But we’ve seen the skill this team has, and we’ve seen flashes of the true potential they have. I have faith in Torsten Bohmer’s vision for our club. We’re confident that this will turn out. We’ve seen positive showings from our new signings - and I can tell you Josh Meckler is a great locker room presence - and I’m looking forward to watching this team make you proud.”

Huttel speaks first. “I do agree that there have been positive signs from the team. But we need to start seeing results. We’re already a third of the way through the season, and it isn’t going to get any easier. We’re in a relegation fight, and we’re going to need to scrape a few wins out here. When is that going to happen?”

Faustler nods. “I think this team has the talent, but I’m not sure they have the heart to fight it out… they aren’t all Reinbronn boys, we can’t count on that extra 2% boost on the pitch. How bad would it have to get before you changed your mind on this team?”

Eichel shakes his head. “I’m not going to go into negative hypotheticals… what I can tell you is, all of our players are committed to this club, to you as fans, and are going to do their best to fight every game.”

Grieber now speaks up: “We have to give this team time. Remember that win in Nephara? That is what this team is capable of. We have big games coming up, and I’m confident it’s going to click. The performance last weekend in Stelburg, that’s a win against most teams in this division. If they can’t get it together, obviously there’s conversations to be had. But Kaiserhaven this weekend, it’s a massive home six-pointer, and I’m willing to bet that our guys are going to be ready for it.”

Eichel nods. “I agree Johan. I understand the concerns right now - it hurts every game we lose, because I know how much everybody cares. But we have to stick behind the team and be confident.”

It’s agreed that the meeting will end on that note, with the next meeting to take place in a month’s time. Eichel sits back in his chair, summarizing his thoughts on the meeting for us:

“Fans like Georg… they remember a certain way things were when they were young, and it’s hard to lose your grip on that even now. There was a time within our lifetimes that the team was made up entirely of players born within 20km of the ground… that’s just not true anymore, you can’t expect to succeed like that. We’re proud to have plenty of local boys in the squad, but the talent from outside has just as much heart and passion. I think the overall mood of the fanbase, though, is mostly aligned somewhere between Johan and Elisabeth: maybe losing some patience, but willing to give time.”

In the locker room, it’s clear the players have faith in their direction. In the room before the Komunemos match the following evening, Josh Meckler addresses the team - they’ve had their players-only meeting just that morning. “Remember what we talked about boys, remember how we have to fight week in and week out from here on in. This group is capable of something special, let’s get it started tonight!”

Where the Savojar side were able to easily dominate Reinbronn in the match in Rushmore, this time Reinbronn are a much trickier side to face. Torsten Bohmer has his full best XI out on the field, with many of these players going to be putting in plenty of minutes with the huge game with Kaiserhaven coming up as well.

The Reinbronn fans can let out some excitement early when Falko Schatz scores on a great shot from the top of the box just a few minutes into the game, and the excitement grows as it’s made 2-0 before halftime after Janos rue Belois makes a great run into the box before getting a ball across for Nageler. The Savojars respond well after the break, taking the game to Reinbronn and scoring to make it 2-1. But Fritz Schadre earns a penalty late in the game after being taken down in the box, and he converts it to make the score 3-1. A massive, massive win for Reinbronn, and it means that they are still alive in this competition: a win on the road against Ulyanof will see them qualify.

Reinbronn are home again to take on FC Kaiserhaven in the league - and it’s arguably the most important match of the season. Kaiserhaven were deep in the relegation fight last season, and while they have been a bit better off this season, the game is practically a must-win for Reinbronn at this point. 10 games into the season, the club have only one win - that triumph over St. Jakob at home. If it’s going to happen, it has to be now.

The game takes place on Monday night, with the Reinbronn-Kaiserhaven match being the only game taking place on the day. So the eyes of the country are glued to the Hauser-Platz as the team take the field, with a massive chance to prove they have what it takes to be in this relegation battle with a real chance of coming out alive. It’s late October now, and the cool fall air sets the stage for this one.

Back under the lights, Reinbronn pick up almost right from where they left off on Wednesday evening. The team are flying, Dieter Rosberg in particular looking strong against the Kaiserhaven midfield, while Thomas Schalle gets the start on right wing - he played for the Admirals last season, coming off the bench on loan for 14 appearances, so he knows a thing or two about how the visitors line up. But for all of Reinbronn’s excellent play so far, they just can’t find the back of the net: Schalle with a shot that ends up over the bar, and rue Belois with an effort tipped aside by the goalkeeper.

At the half, it’s still 0-0. Torsten Bohmer doesn’t have to say much to keep his team motivated: “You have them on the ropes. Don’t you let them f****** get away with it.” Kaiserhaven can keep pace with Reinbronn coming out of the tunnel again - but the burst only seems to last a few minutes for the Admirals, with the Hunters dogging them down again. Finally, they break through: Rosberg to rue Belois, cross in for Schadre, goal! Five minutes after that marker, it’s Schalle coming from the other side with a cross in for Schadre, and he knocks in the header for his first multi-goal game of the year. For the first time this season, the Reinbronn players depart the pitch to a standing ovation from their home faithful.

A few nights later, on foreign territory in Kelssek, Reinbronn defeat NGSA Ulyanof 2-1 to secure qualification to the IFCF Liga B Champions’ Trophy Round of 16. From looking dead and dusted in both competitions, to 3 wins in a row and a major spark: there’s a long way to go yet, but the darkest days might be over for the Hunters.

by **Siovanija and Teusland** » Sat Dec 25, 2021 11:46 pm

Republikaliga Season XIV - Season III

Matchday 13

Energija Chernovets 2–1 1912 Stelburg
FC Einheit Marnau 2–1 Zvezda Vlaikograd
FC Felsenkirchen 1879 5–3 FC St. Jakob
SW Stahlberg 0–0 FC Rotmunde 1932
FC Teussen Stelburg 5–2 Marlesee 97
Vrnovo Mesto 0–0 Olympia Borograd
VfL Reinbronn 3–4 FK Metropola Borograd
FC Kaiserhaven 4–5 TSV Marzig

Energija Chernovets kicked off an important fixture against 1912 Stelburg in the best way possible - Jezdemir Ocokoljic scoring just 8 minutes into this one, and a second half follow-up from Gallegas would ensure the Canaries took the win home. Cezary Helmuth had Marnau’s winner as they beat a Zvezda side who have really struggled to find points this year despite some good performances - the fans are a bit agitated, and they need results immediately. Felsenkirchen, meanwhile, blew past St. Jakob, being up 4-1 at halftime and coasting in the second half. Stahlberg and Rotmunde had no answers for each other over 90 minutes, that one ending 0-0, while Teussen also crushed Marlesee. Bahr-Traeger-Kramer is becoming something of a nightmare for the league, dominating in nearly every match against even the league’s top midfields. This time, it was Bahr leading the charge - he’s gone a bit under the radar since the return of Kramer, but he was all over the scoresheet today with 2 goals and 2 assists. An Olympia Borograd side lacking their top scorer naturally laboured to score goals in a 0-0 draw with Vrnovo Mesto. During the match, the suspended Denis Dezelac tweeted a photo of himself watching a movie captioned “Feel like I should be doing something important right now. Can’t quite think of it though!” Things are much more joyful on the purple half of town, however, as Metropola sneak past Reinbronn 4-3. Finally, TSV Marzig beat Kaiserhaven 5-4, with Josef Kosch-Kovarik getting the winning goal.

President’s Cup Second Round

The second round of the President’s Cup saw Regionalliga-tier and 3 and 4. Republikaliga-tier squads facing off for the very first time - an exciting prospect for many fans of the game who eagerly tuned in for this week’s action. And the Regionalliga sides often held their own - Traktor Stavropol recording the first win for a Regionalliga side over a Republikaliga-tier side, beating FC Teufelsberg. Next round, the Republikaliga and second-tier sides will join the fun, and all eyes will be on the first-ever scheduled Republikaliga vs Regionalliga match as FC Rotmunde 1932 host Lintfort.

Matchday 14

1912 Stelburg 0–0 TSV Marzig
FK Metropola Borograd 3–2 FC Kaiserhaven
Olympia Borograd 2–2 VfL Reinbronn
Marlesee 97 3–2 Vrnovo Mesto
FC Rotmunde 1932 4–5 FC Teussen Stelburg
FC St. Jakob 1–3 SW Stahlberg
Zvezda Vlaikograd 2–4 FC Felsenkirchen 1879
Energija Chernovets 3–1 FC Einheit Marnau

While Marzig played a thriller last week, it was much less interesting this week, a 0-0 draw on the road against 1912 Stelburg with neither team offering much offensively. FK Metropola Borograd had to fight for their win against FC Kaiserhaven, but in the end they get it and maintain pace with FC Teussen Stelburg in the title fight. A Dezelac-less Olympia sputtered to a 2-2 draw at home with VfL Reinbronn, receiving boos from the home crowd. Dezelac’s suspension ends after the match next week, but who knows if he will return - interim manager Anton Velnikov refused to speak about his future in the press conference after the match. Marlsee defeated Vrnovo, 3-2 the final, while FC Teussen Stelburg turned a 4-2 deficit at halftime into a 5-4 win over Rotmunde thanks to goals from Boltzmann, Bahr and Kramer. SW Stahlberg picked up a much-needed win over FC St. Jakob, Wisse Tuininga getting the winner, while FC Felsenkirchen 1879 beat Zvezda convincingly, 4-2 the final in that one. Chernovets were also convincing winners in a 3-1 victory over FC Einheit Marnau.

Matchday 15

FC Einheit Marnau 1–5 1912 Stelburg
FC Felsenkirchen 1879 2–2 Energija Chernovets
SW Stahlberg 2–2 Zvezda Vlaikograd
FC Teussen Stelburg 1–0 FC St. Jakob
Vrnovo Mesto 1–2 FC Rotmunde 1932
VfL Reinbronn 1–2 Marlesee 97
FC Kaiserhaven 1–3 Olympia Borograd
TSV Marzig 4–4 FK Metropola Borograd

A game that many thought could be a bit of a trap for 1912 Stelburg turned out to be little more than a Sunday stroll, as the Bluebirds crushed FC Einheit Marnau 5-1. Felsenkirchen’s run of good from lately continued as they held Chernovets to a 2-2 draw - it wasn’t quite as memorable as the last few years, when these two titans battled it out for league titles, but still a good game nonetheless. Stahlberg and Zvezda each got much-needed points in a 2-2 draw, while Erich Thierse had Teussen’s only goal in a 1-0 win over St. Jakob. Rotmunde came from behind to defeat FC St. Jakob, while Marlesee pulled the same trick on VfL Reinbronn. It’s a genuine good performance from Olympia this week - Cestmir Adamek with a brace - as they beat FC Kaiserhaven, but the media focus is fully on whether Denis Dezelac will ever wear the green and white again. Currently, the money is on no - but Dezelac is not one to feel comfortable betting on. Who truly knows what goes on in his mind. FK Metropola Borograd, meanwhile, will be upset to have thrown away a 4-2 lead in the second half, with goals from Hackl and Thielen meaning it’s only 1 point going back to Borograd with the Violets - separating them further from league leaders Teussen as we reach the halfway point.

IFCF Cup Winners’ Cup Round of 16 - First Leg

Ulsa (EUR) 0-1 FC Teussen Stelburg

It’s a marquee matchup here as Ulsa hosts Teussen - and the game doesn’t quite live up to the billing. Mostly boring with a few moments of brilliance - the key one that has everyone talking the next morning is the brilliant goal from Boltzmann that gives Teussen the advantage heading back to Stelburg.

Matchday 16

1912 Stelburg 1–1 FK Metropola Borograd
TSV Marzig 2–0 Olympia Borograd
FC Kaiserhaven 0–0 Marlesee 97
VfL Reinbronn 2–1 FC Rotmunde 1932
Vrnovo Mesto 2–2 FC St. Jakob
FC Teussen Stelburg 1–2 Zvezda Vlaikograd
SW Stahlberg 1–2 Energija Chernovets
FC Felsenkirchen 1879 4–2 FC Einheit Marnau

FK Metropola Borograd fans were left frustrated after their 1-1 draw with 1912 Stelburg - although they’d appreciate it more later in the weekend - as they felt their side should’ve won the game. Metropola were certainly the most creative of the two sides, and perhaps deserved more than they got from this one. With Denis Dezelac watching on from the bench, TSV Marzig defeated Olympia 2-0 - Dezelac was not wearing team clothing, and seemed to be there only interacting with the squad. It’s unclear if he will play next weekend in the Borograd derby. Kaiserhaven and Marlesee were not worth the price of admission - or, frankly, free TV either. It was possibly the most dull game of the year, and the sides came away with a point each. Reinbronn beat Rotmunde at home in a surprising result that perhaps shows the Hunters are surging now in the league after last week’s draw in Borograd, while Vrnovo and St. Jakob tied, 2-2. Thorsten Kramer scored early, but struggled to get anything more going in the second half - which allowed Zvezda two quick goals late, from Drago Ward and Nwabudike Ugonna, that stole a win for Zvezda. They needed results, and while it might not have been pretty, they got one. Chernovets beat Stahlberg, 2-1, on the back of two from Emiliano Gallegas, while Felsenkirchen blew past Marnau, 4-2 the final.

President’s Cup Third Round

And the Republikaliga has officially joined the President’s Cup fun this season! Already there are some major upsets - NK Karjaska Gora knocking out Olympia Borograd in a match that did nothing to placate Olympia’s angry fanbase, and Traktor Stavropol grabbing a historic win over Marlesee 97. Several Regionalliga sides gave good accounts of themselves, such as Universiteit-Launitz and Jaromirgrad, both sides advancing to the Fourth Round. The Republikaliga clubs were also in good form - FC Felsenkirchen 1879, FK Metropola Borograd, Zvezda Vlaikograd and 1912 Stelburg all racking up big wins. Chernovets and Teussen also did enough to secure their advancement. A total of 13 Republikaliga clubs advanced to the Fourth Round, which will feature such fixtures as Zvezda Vlaikograd hosting FK Metropola Borograd, a northeastern derby but not quite the one you’d expect as 1884 Felsenkirchen host FC Rotmunde 1932, and FC Teussen Stelburg hosting NK Krakovo.

IFCF Cup Winners’ Cup Round of 16 - Second Leg

FC Teussen Stelburg 1-0 Ulsa (EUR)

Another boring game, another great Teussen goal - this time going to Traeger after a great run and shot into the bottom right corner. Either way, the black and gold advance to the Quarterfinals, where they will take on Steinaux of Graintfjall.

STFA Vase Semifinal

FC Teussen Stelburg 0–1 VfL Prutseren
Zvezda Vlaikograd 1–0 Rudar Trkev

Perhaps tired from a long run of fixtures, perhaps victims of depth players not taking the opponent too seriously - either way, FC Teussen Stelburg are out of the Vase as VfL Prutseren earned a berth in the final with a 1-0 win over the black and gold. Elsewhere, Drago Ward’s late goal saw Zvezda beat Rudar Trkev to earn their spot in the final, which will take place at the Nationalstadion in a few weeks’ time.

IFCF Cup Winners’ Cup Quarterfinal - First Leg

Steinaux (GRF) 0-2 FC Teussen Stelburg

No depth squad here - Teussen had the regulars out for the first leg of the Quarterfinal, and they got the job done tonight - Kramer and Reichwein with the goals as Teussen head back to the Franz-Gorz-Stadion quite comfortable in this one.

Matchday 17

FC Felsenkirchen 1879 2–1 1912 Stelburg
FC Einheit Marnau 0–2 SW Stahlberg
Energija Chernovets 1–3 FC Teussen Stelburg
Zvezda Vlaikograd 0–1 Vrnovo Mesto
FC St. Jakob 2–3 VfL Reinbronn
FC Rotmunde 1932 2–1 FC Kaiserhaven
Marlesee 97 1–2 TSV Marzig
Olympia Borograd 1–1 FK Metropola Borograd

Felsenkirchen are quietly putting together a great surge in the table here - up to 5th, and just 8 points behind Teussen now after a strong win over 1912 Stelburg. On form, they should be in the title race - but is it too late now for the Blues? Stahlberg defeat Marnau, 2-0, while Teussen grab an absolutely brilliant win on the road over Chernovets. Chernovets’ midfield is one of the few that can match Teussen’s this year, and while Armageddon and Hristov did a decent job up against ‘the trident,’ it was the wing play of Teussen and the genius of Ludwig Reichwein that did them in - Reichwein with 2 goals today, including a brilliant effort from outside the box, as Teussen consolidate further their lead at the top. Vrnovo defeat Zvezda Vlaikograd, while VfL Reinbronn get a great win over FC St. Jakob as well to continue a good run for them of late. Rotmunde defeated Kaiserhaven, 2-1, while Marzig moved up to 4th in the league with a win over Rotmunde.

“I’m doing this for one reason only - the fans, who I have always had an amazing relationship with and have always respected me.” Denis Dezelac’s words at the press conference announcing his return to the Olympia Borograd lineup seemed to signal something of a farewell tour for the rest of the season, but word from his agent suggests he’s willing to stay at Olympia if the club appoint a strong manager and make necessary signings. The board clearly appeased some of his demands already, recognizing the result of holding him out from the Borograd derby could be disastrous for the club. And so Dezelac returned for Olympia, to big cheers from the home faithful, as they took the field against the enemy - an enemy who have been watching their title hopes slip away in the last few weeks, and needed a win to keep pace with Teussen. For a while, it looked like they’d do it - Bunev scoring early, and a solid defensive performance keeping them on top. But who else but Denis Dezelac could score in the 84th minute, bringing the Olimpski-Stadion crowd as loud as it has been all season, earning a 1-1 draw with Metropola and further putting a dent in their title hopes. A turning point for one or both of these teams? We will have to find out.

IFCF Cup Winners’ Cup Quarterfinal - Second Leg

FC Teussen Stelburg 1-1 Steinaux (GRF)

The visitors came out needing to take the game to Teussen tonight, and while they did so with an early first half goal, Ludwig Reichwein’s 40th-minute marker all but ended the intensity of the proceedings and Teussen advanced to the semifinals, where they will face AC Izotz Zubia - a familiar foe for former 1830 Cathair man Thorsten Kramer.

Matchday 18

1912 Stelburg 3–5 Olympia Borograd
FK Metropola Borograd 3–1 Marlesee 97
TSV Marzig 0–1 FC Rotmunde 1932
FC Kaiserhaven 1–2 FC St. Jakob
VfL Reinbronn 0–1 Zvezda Vlaikograd
Vrnovo Mesto 4–3 Energija Chernovets
FC Teussen Stelburg 3–2 FC Einheit Marnau
SW Stahlberg 2–5 FC Felsenkirchen 1879

Denis Dezelac’s return was just what the doctor ordered for Olympia Borograd it seems - the momentum from a good derby last week sees them crush 1912 Stelburg, 5-3 the final, and Dezelac himself had two. Metropola, meanwhile, returned to winning ways by defeating Marlesee 97 3-1, while Rotmunde’s Szalai Fowler scored a great goal to beat Marzig 1-0. St. Jakob knocked off Kaiserhaven, 2-1, while a hard-fought game in Reinbronn ended with only 1 goal to the visitors. Energija Chernovets struggled at the back against Vrnovo Mesto - particularly having trouble containing Zdeno Stajskal, who earned 3 assists on the day. Lots of goals seemed to be the story around the country - 3 for Teussen, including a brace from Traeger, while Felsenkirchen put 5 past Stahlberg in a win that has brought the Blues now up to 3rd place in the league table.

Speaking of the table, let’s have a look as the Republikaliga season continues forward:

#  Republikaliga             Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 FC Teussen Stelburg        18   14   1   3    53   30  +23    43
 2 FK Metropola Borograd      18   11   4   3    49   30  +19    37
 3 FC Felsenkirchen 1879      18   10   5   3    48   38  +10    35
 4 Energija Chernovets        18   10   4   4    39   28  +11    34
 5 TSV Marzig                 18   10   3   5    39   27  +12    33
 6 FC Rotmunde 1932           18    8   6   4    41   33   +8    30
 7 1912 Stelburg              18    8   4   6    44   35   +9    28
 8 Olympia Borograd           18    6   9   3    39   36   +3    27
 9 Vrnovo Mesto               18    6   5   7    32   33   −1    23
10 Marlesee 97                18    5   6   7    27   34   −7    21
11 FC St. Jakob               18    4   4  10    28   40  −12    16
12 SW Stahlberg               18    3   6   9    29   41  −12    15
13 FC Einheit Marnau          18    4   3  11    27   48  −21    15
14 VfL Reinbronn              18    4   2  12    28   40  −12    14
15 Zvezda Vlaikograd          18    4   2  12    22   40  −18    14
16 FC Kaiserhaven             18    3   4  11    29   41  −12    13

by **Siovanija and Teusland** » Sun Dec 26, 2021 8:24 am

GDG Plus

On the Hunt: VfL Reinbronn

Episode V - The Kids are Alright

Dieter Rosberg and Thomas Schalle sit around the table of their hotel room in downtown Borograd.

“Mate, stop cheating, you can’t look at the cards before you put it down,” shouts Rosberg.

“What do you mean?” laughs Schalle, before throwing his hand on the table. “Whatever, I’m done with this game.”

“Yeah, cause you’ve lost the last 4 hands,” laughs Rosberg.

The two young stars of the team, both on loan from two of the biggest clubs in the country, have gotten on exceptionally well since they arrived here at the start of the season. Rosberg and Schalle are inseparable off the pitch, and have formed a good connection on it - with several of their finest moments resulting in goals for Reinbronn.

It’s not surprising that the two have become fast friends - they’ve been part of national team youth training camps from a young age, and competed in tournaments for a few years now. They’re the same age, and both have older sisters who play ice hockey, meaning they’ve hung out a few times in the past at tournaments. There is, however, one little thing that makes them an unlikely pair…

”And Segert pushes Tauscher, and oh my! We have a brawl on our hands here, Felsenkirchen vs Teussen again!”

“...a hard-fought league title campaign and in the end, it’s Felsenkirchen coming on top of Teussen by just one point to win their first Republikaliga title…”

“...in a President’s Cup Final that might be remembered more for the red cards and violence in the final minutes than the football, Teussen defeat Felsenkirchen…”

“...this is getting out of hand, Segert has thrown his water bottle at Kurt Eicher, Eicher throws it back, and the Teussen and Felsenkirchen players are at each other’s throats again…”

“...one year after losing it, FC Teussen Stelburg have won the league title and Felsenkirchen will have to settle for second..”

Rosberg laughs and shakes his head while watching the clip of the infamous ‘red apple incident,’ a clip now 5 years old. The battles between FC Teussen Stelburg and FC Felsenkirchen 1879 in those years were arguably the most heated the league has ever seen on the pitch, with two sets of players who absolutely despised each other, a hatred that manifested in every minute of every game.

“It was a fun time to be a fan, for sure,” Rosberg says. Schalle laughs too. “I think we won that game, didn’t we Dieter?” Rosberg shakes his head, replying “That was the best season, you knew every game was going to be a brawl, we looked forward to it for weeks.”

Rosberg was born in the city of Felsenkirchen just 3km from the club’s Mollin Park stadium. He’s risen quickly through the youth ranks at the Cogs, headed out on loan to Marnau last season and is now on loan here in Reinbronn, thought to be only a year or two away from stardom with the big club.

Schalle, on the other hand, was born in Stelburg’s Charlottenberg neighbourhood. He grew up cheering for FC Teussen Stelburg and made a similar path through the club’s academy, and was loaned out to Kaiserhaven last season and Reinbronn now - with a T3 million future fee should Reinbronn chose to extend his stay.

Felsenkirchen and Stelburg do not like each other, in any regard - that much is clear. And the two football clubs have held pure hatred in the past. Has it not affected their relationship?

“I mean, of course we both watched all those games and wanted our sides to win, and when we get there we’ll feel some of it. But it shouldn’t stop us from being friends, there’s more to life isn’t there?” says Rosberg.

Schalle nods in agreement. “We’re here in Reinbronn now, hopefully we’ll get chances to play on the national team maybe one day, and I don’t think hating someone just because of what club they play for is really worth it.”

But what if he throws a water bottle at you?

The duo laugh. “I’ll throw it back harder!” shouts Rosberg.

It’s the morning of one of the biggest games of the year, the trip to Borograd to take on Olympia Borograd. Things have been a bit more pleasant for Reinbronn in the league lately, there are still losses - only natural as the only promoted team, including last week’s 4-3 defeat against league leaders FK Metropola Borograd. But going into the Olimpski-Stadion for the first time, is a chance for the team to make a big statement. It’s a rough time for the home side, too - Denis Dezelac still suspended, and the entire Olympia Borograd organization still reeling from Black Sunday.

“These guys don’t think you’re worth anything. Did you hear what Kokalj said? ‘Just a routine game against the bottom feeders,’ he said. That f***** doesn’t know what’s about to hit him. Get out there and wipe the grin off their faces!” Bohmer’s words to the team offer up the fact they have very little to lose here tonight; almost no-one could expect a result.

But a result they will get. Falko Schatz picked up a knock in training earlier in the week, and that means that Thomas Schalle is in the squad to face the Greens - playing alongside his friend Dieter Rosberg. Early in the first half, Olympia show their superior quality with a great fluid play, Lojze Kokalj getting in deep before firing a cross to Flaxwood that the powerful midfielder turns in with ease. Reinbronn, however, fight back - less free-flowing than the home side, but competent on the counter, with Fritz Schadre scoring a shot from the top of the box and evening things up.

In the second half, Reinbronn get a magic moment: Rosberg takes the ball almost all the way up the field, finding his way past Ixtub Tun in the middle of the park, and has Schalle on his right side - Schalle fires a shot past Anatoli Sveteikov and gives the Hunters a 2-1 lead, the Borograd crowd in shock. Reinbronn can’t hang on, however - Flaxwood’s second of the game makes it 2-2, meaning the points are split.

The Reinbronn players, however, will take that result - a point on the road, and a point at one of the top clubs in the division. It’s something to celebrate for Schalle and Rosberg, at least, who have found a new card game on the bus ride home - “GOPS,” says Schalle. “Game of Pure Strategy.” Rosberg laughs. “It’s entirely based on luck.”

Schalle smiles back. “You wouldn’t be saying that if you were winning.”

And Schalle is right - everything is better when you are winning.

That’s why the next few weeks are so memorable for VfL Reinbronn.

”...rue Belois gets the winner, and Reinbronn have come from behind to defeat Rotmunde here! An excellent result for the hunters…”

“...it’s Schadre! Fritz Schadre, his second of the game, and Reinbronn have pulled off the upset here at the Draistadion, they defeat St. Jakob!”

“...they look like a much more cohesive squad now, everything is gelling together, and it’s almost perfect timing…”

“...I would not want to go out and play them right now, they are fighting for their lives and doing it in style…”

“...Energija Chernovets will have their hands full tonight…”

When Reinbronn arrive in Chernovets to face the Canaries, they’ve won 2 of the last four games, and have also drawn with Olympia Borograd. Meanwhile, the Canaries have not looked their typical powerhouse in recent weeks. The squad sense there’s a chance to do some damage here.

“Remember what we did in Borograd, a few weeks back? We have the same opportunity here tonight. Come on boys, let’s get it done!” Bohmer’s words clearly inspire his team in the first half.

Janos rue Belois created the first goal, with a great run down the wing and a pass perfectly timed for Dieter Rosberg to turn into the goal. And before Chernovets really knew what was happening, it was 2-0 - Rosberg getting his second of the game after a beautiful run from him to get in space with the ball. But the Canaries wouldn’t go away quietly - star forward Jezdemir Ocokoljic powered in a shot just before halftime, and after Emiliano Gallegas torched Josef Dietrich with a great run, it was 2-2 and all even again.

Reinbronn, however, had some magic left in them.

”Here’s Rosberg with the ball… he makes the run down the left side, he has options available in the box… the pass is in and it’s Schadre…. YES! Fritz Schadre gives Reinbronn the lead again! The Hunters are on top here in Chernovets!”

Coming away from Chernovets with 3 points was not exactly a scenario many around the club had imagined. And so Markus Eichel is delighted the morning after when we meet with him at the boardroom. On the television above, they’re discussing Reinbronn’s shocking win, and if the club can survive in the Republikaliga. 2 points clear of the drop - for now - and 11 games to go, including trips to FC Teussen Stelburg and FK Metropola Borograd.

“Crunch time,” says Eichel.

by **Siovanija and Teusland** » Sun Dec 26, 2021 10:26 am

Republikaliga Season XIV - Season Part IV

IFCF Challengers’ Cup Round of 32 - First Leg

Energija Chernovets 0-2 Rulandea Kosta (FFD)

Not the start to the Round of 32 that the Canaries were hoping for - it’s been a tough go for them lately, a real slump, and they will need to figure things out quickly if they hope to continue their push for the league title. They are certainly in a hole here as they will travel to Farfadillis for the second leg.

Matchday 19

SW Stahlberg 2–3 1912 Stelburg
FC Felsenkirchen 1879 4–3 FC Teussen Stelburg
FC Einheit Marnau 1–0 Vrnovo Mesto
Energija Chernovets 2–3 VfL Reinbronn
Zvezda Vlaikograd 1–2 FC Kaiserhaven
FC St. Jakob 3–2 TSV Marzig
FC Rotmunde 1932 1–2 FK Metropola Borograd
Marlesee 97 2–4 Olympia Borograd

1912 Stelburg get an important win over SW Stahlberg, 3-2 is the final as Erwin Lubeck scores the winning goal high up in the mountains. The Bluebirds needed this win to help get themselves back into the IFCF fight. Felsenkirchen’s home date with Teussen was something of a flashback to the good old days of this rivalry - lots of goals, and plenty of action on the pitch. Ludwig had two, including the winner, but a beautiful direct free kick from Caesar Lerche was perhaps the story of the afternoon. Timo Ulrich had Marnau’s winner against Vrnovo Mesto - while in a shock, Energija Chernovets were beaten at home by VfL Reinbronn. An unthinkable result for the Canaries, and there’s a real negative energy at the club right now - they need to sort things out, and immediately. Kaiserhaven defeat Zvezda, while FC St. Jakob get a good home win against a very strong Marzig side. Nandor Szots was the super sub as Metropola defeated Rotmunde, while Denis Dezelac had 2 as Olympia Borograd smashed Marlesee. Perhaps his return was the spark this team needed to put some good football together.

IFCF Challengers’ Cup Round of 32 - Second Leg

Rulandea Kosta (FFD) 2-2 Energija Chernovets

It was a much better performance from Chernovets tonight - picking up 2 away goals - but in the end, it would not matter as they are knocked out by Rulandea Kosta and their IFCF journey comes to an end for another year.

Matchday 20

1912 Stelburg 5–3 Marlesee 97
Olympia Borograd 1–0 FC Rotmunde 1932
FK Metropola Borograd 4–2 FC St. Jakob
TSV Marzig 3–2 Zvezda Vlaikograd
FC Kaiserhaven 1–2 Energija Chernovets
VfL Reinbronn 1–1 FC Einheit Marnau
Vrnovo Mesto 1–2 FC Felsenkirchen 1879
FC Teussen Stelburg 3–2 SW Stahlberg

Nicolas Lucchetti’s excellent debut season continues in Bluebirds colours, he managed 2 today in the win over Marlesee that has 1912 in 6th and really challenging the teams directly ahead of them, namely TSV Marzig. Cestmir Adamek scored for Olympia in a win over Rotmunde, and Olympia have looked really strong the last few weeks. FK Metropola Borograd got some revenge for their earlier defeat to St. Jakob, running out 4-2 winners, while TSV Marzig fans were very, very happy to get the big win over Zvezda Vlaikograd, with FK Pomorie in the second division this is the big game for Marzig and Horst Hackl’s goal gave them all three points. Chernovets pulled off a win over Kaiserhaven, Enigma Armageddon getting the winner with a long drive from the top of the box. Reinbronn get an important point in the relegation fight against Marnau, while Florian Krukenberg’s goal was enough for Felsenkirchen to top Vrnovo Mesto. Finally, Teussen stay top of the league with a 3-2 win over SW Stahlberg, Heinrich Bahr getting the winner.

STFA Vase Final

VfL Prutseren 1–3 Zvezda Vlaikograd

The Nationalstadion on Wednesday evening played host to the first-ever STFA Vase final. While the tournament itself was exciting, the final was unfortunately a bit of a dull one - as expecting in a match between a Republikaliga side playing a full-strength squad against lower tier opposition. Drago Ward opened the scoring just 5 minutes in, and Zvezda slowly built a lead over the first half. In the second, they backed off a bit, allowing Prutseren to score their only goal of the game. But at the end of the day Zvezda Vlaikograd lifted the first ever STFA Vase - and assuming they do not qualify for IFCF competition, earned a berth in the Vilitan Cove Invitational.

IFCF Champions’ League Round of 16 - First Leg

FK Metropola Borograd 1-3 Soldarian FC (VAL)

An unfortunate result for Metropola at home - and it most likely means the end to their IFCF campaign this year. Lukas Stonemoore scored in the second half to grab a key goal, but Soldarian were just a different level today and with the club fighting hard for the league title, it’ll be hard to expect a turnaround in Valanora.

Matchday 21

FC Teussen Stelburg 3–3 1912 Stelburg
SW Stahlberg 1–0 Vrnovo Mesto
FC Felsenkirchen 1879 0–1 VfL Reinbronn
FC Einheit Marnau 3–1 FC Kaiserhaven
Energija Chernovets 3–3 TSV Marzig
Zvezda Vlaikograd 1–3 FK Metropola Borograd
FC St. Jakob 2–1 Olympia Borograd
FC Rotmunde 1932 0–3 Marlesee 97

SW Stahlberg defeated Vrnovo Mesto by the skin of their teeth, getting a late goal from Lutz von Bergen to take all three points with them. VfL Reinbronn, meanwhile, have a second signature win of the campaign - defeating Felsenkirchen on the road! Unbelievable scenes as their fans were on cloud 9 as the team closed the deal, with Josh Meckler making a brilliant late tackle to save a goal and the win. Marnau defeated Kaiserhaven, 3-1 the final, while Chernovets and Marzig went back and forth in a very exciting 3-3 game, the last word going to Marzig as Frank Lundrigan scored late to equalize. Metropola handed the new STFA Vase holders a big loss, the Violets looked on top form all day and they’ve clawed back some vital points in the title race. St. Jakob have looked really strong in recent weeks, and it’s a major win for them over Olympia Borograd, moving up to 11th in the table now. Marlesee, meanwhile, crushed Rotmunde, with Ingolf Kruger and Max van Oosterend getting two first half goals that put the game out of reach.

The replay of the Stelburg derby also took place this week - and with Teussen leading the table, it was more important than ever. “We are fighting for an IFCF place, and of course we’re also fighting to stop them from winning the title. It’ll be a good game, it always is,” said Raphael Klopfer pre-match - and the Bluebirds would do their part to spoil a bit of the party at the Franz-Gorz-Stadion. Helek-Nenzi Ono was the hero of the day for the visitors, with two second half goals as they clawed back a 3-1 halftime deficit to earn a point for themselves and go unbeaten in the Stelburg derby this season. “Of course it’s disappointing to throw away the lead, but we feel confident going into the last bit of this season,” said Teussen manager Kaspar Knauer.

IFCF Champions’ League Round of 16 - Second Leg

Soldarian FC 1-1 FK Metropola Borograd

Not much to say about this one - Bunev had the goal for Metropola, in the first half, but it was never going to be enough against Soldarian, and when the home side scored in the second half you knew that time was up on Metropola’s IFCF campaign for this season.

Matchday 22

1912 Stelburg 2–0 FC Rotmunde 1932
Marlesee 97 5–6 FC St. Jakob
Olympia Borograd 4–2 Zvezda Vlaikograd
FK Metropola Borograd 1–1 Energija Chernovets
TSV Marzig 1–2 FC Einheit Marnau
FC Kaiserhaven 0–3 FC Felsenkirchen 1879
VfL Reinbronn 0–1 SW Stahlberg
Vrnovo Mesto 0–2 FC Teussen Stelburg

1912 Stelburg win again, with a dominant performance at home against Rotmunde enough to send them 5th in the league, Marlesee and St. Jakob played a very exciting fixture, perfect conditions for the game as St. Jakob ended up getting the winner late on as Erwin Bahnsen scored from the top of the box. Olympia Borograd returned to winning ways against Zvezda Vlaikograd, and they are seriously back in the IFCF race now, a great turn around so far under the caretaker manager Anton Velnikov. Metropola and Chernovets met in an important clash for both teams, and in the end, neither will be too happy - but neither will be too upset, either, both sides grabbing a point from a major contest. Marzig were shocked by a great second half turnaround from Marnau, while Felsenkirchen torched Kaiserhaven, 3-0 the final score as Felsenkirchen sit 3rd, 6 points off the top of the league. Reinbronn couldn’t follow up on last week’s heroics at home, falling 1-0 to Stahlberg, while goals from Bahr and Kramer saw Teussen past Vrnovo Mesto.

President’s Cup Fourth Round

Some interesting results here in the 4th round of the President’s Cup. Universiteit-Launitz get a big win, defeating Rudar Draijagrad, while Chernovets saw themselves past Shoringen 3-2. The mini-northeastern derby was won in dominating fashion by FC Rotmunde 1932, while VfL Reinbronn crushed Kaiserhaven 4-0 to advance. FK Pomorie served a big upset to 1912 Stelburg, while Teussen escaped a tricky game with NK Krakovo to advance. In the fifth round, interesting draws include Rotmunde hosting Reinbronn and FC Felsenkirchen 1879 hosting FC Teussen Stelburg.

AOCL Semifinal First Leg

FK Metropola Borograd 1-4 Jungle Strike FC (VIL)

Not pretty. Metropola are thrashed at home by Jungle Strike, and barring a miracle, their AOCL campaign is all but over.

Matchday 23

Vrnovo Mesto 3–3 1912 Stelburg
FC Teussen Stelburg 3–4 VfL Reinbronn
SW Stahlberg 1–4 FC Kaiserhaven
FC Felsenkirchen 1879 1–1 TSV Marzig
FC Einheit Marnau 4–4 FK Metropola Borograd
Energija Chernovets 4–2 Olympia Borograd
Zvezda Vlaikograd 4–1 Marlesee 97
FC St. Jakob 1–3 FC Rotmunde 1932

An almost unbelievable weekend of football! Tadeas Mirakovic scored twice to bring Vrnovo from 3-1 down to all square with 1912 Stelburg at the end of 90 minutes, a brilliant fightback and a key point for the Islanders. VfL Reinbronn, meanwhile, shocked the nation again in a 4-3 win over Teussen. Reinbronn are now 12th in the league and look like they have all but assured themselves a place in the top tier next year with recent form - they have defeated Chernovets, Felsenkirchen and Teussen in recent weeks. Kaiserhaven crushed Stahlberg, 4-1, while Felsenkirchen needed some late heroics from Lothas Ludwig to get a point against Marzig. FC Einheit Marnau fought Metropola Borograd to the very end, and in the end nothing could separate them, 4-4 the final in a game which saw each team convert a penalty. Jezdemir Ocokoljic’s hat-trick saw Chernovets defeat Olympia Borograd, 4-2 the final in that one, while Zvezda Vlaikograd smashed Marlesee 4-1. Rotmunde defeated St. Jakob in the final action of the weekend, 3-1 the final, and Rotmunde remain 8th in the table, 6 points out of an IFCF place.

AOCL Semifinal Second Leg

Jungle Strike FC (VIL) 3-1 FK Metropola Borograd

Not quite as bad as the first leg, but still not a great performance from Metropola Borograd, as they go out of the AOCL and are done with international competition for the year - all focus now turns to the league title fight with Teussen, where they are currently just 2 points behind.

President’s Cup Fifth Round

Jaromirgrad 1–0 Teufelsberg 97
VfB Launitz 2–3 Energija Chernovets
FC Rotmunde 1932 1–2 VfL Reinbronn
FK Metropola Borograd 4–0 FC St. Jakob
TSV Marzig 2–0 SW Stahlberg
Karakanovski Fabrika 3–3 FK Pomorie (3–3 AET) (3–4 pen.)
FC Felsenkirchen 1879 2–2 FC Teussen Stelburg (3–3 AET) (3–4 pen.)
Universiteit-Launitz 2–2 Traktor Stavropol (4–3 AET)

The fixtures are coming fast now, and we’re narrowing the field in the President’s Cup down to the last contenders for the title. Energija Chernovets defeated Launitz, 3-2 the final, while VfL Reinbronn picked up another great win, 2-1 over Rotmunde this time, to advance. Metropola crushed St. Jakob, while Pomorie needed penalties to get past Regionalliga side Karakanovski Fabrika. Teussen and Felsenkirchen played a typical hard-fought battle, with Thorsten Kramer giving the black and gold the lead in extra time before Bastian Kracht equalized - but Teussen would prevail on penalties. The Quarterfinal sees TSV Marzig hosting FC Teussen Stelburg, VfL Reinbronn hosting FK Pomorie, FK Metropola Borograd hosting Universiteit-Launitz and Jaromirgrad hosting Energija Chernovets.

IFCF Cup Winners’ Cup Semifinal - First Leg

FC Teussen Stelburg 1-3 AC Izotz Zubia (AUD)

A disappointing evening for Teussen against Zozi, who were clearly the better side at the Franz-Gorz-Stadion. With three away goals in the bag heading back to Audioslavia, that might be the death knell for Teussen’s hopes of winning a second Cup Winners’ Cup.

Matchday 24

1912 Stelburg 1–1 FC St. Jakob
FC Rotmunde 1932 0–0 Zvezda Vlaikograd
Marlesee 97 0–3 Energija Chernovets
Olympia Borograd 4–2 FC Einheit Marnau
FK Metropola Borograd 4–3 FC Felsenkirchen 1879
TSV Marzig 3–3 SW Stahlberg
FC Kaiserhaven 1–4 FC Teussen Stelburg
VfL Reinbronn 1–1 Vrnovo Mesto

FC St. Jakob do very well to hold 1912 Stelburg to a draw, with Ronald Wenz getting the late goal that earned a point. Rotmunde and Zvezda didn’t do much, meanwhile, in a 0-0 draw, while Energija Chernovets took down Marlesee 3-0. Denis Dezelac had a brace in Olympia’s win over Marnau, 4-2 the final in that one, while Metropola did some serious damage in the title race with a win over Felsenkirchen. It looked like it was the Blues’ day in the first half, as they took a 2-0 lead, but second half goals from Stonemoore, Bunev and Hicks gave Metropola a come-from-behind win. It all but ends Felsenkirchen’s title hopes, now sitting 4th and 8 points off the top, while keeping Metropola on pace with Teussen, who are only separated by 2 points. Teussen would crush Kaiserhaven 4-1 to keep the top spot, while Marzig and Stahlberg could not be separated. Reinbronn and Vrnovo Mesto fought a hard 1-1 draw, both sides are now level on 25 points and are 6 points clear of the drop zone.

IFCF Cup Winners’ Cup Semifinal - Second Leg

AC Izotz Zubia (AUD) 2-1 FC Teussen Stelburg

It was Thorsten Kramer’s return to Audioslavia, but not a happy one - or a welcome one either, at the home of his former club’s biggest rivals. Kramer would get a goal for Teussen, but the black and gold couldn’t do much else and they are eliminated from the Cup Winners’ Cup.

With 24 games in the books, and the title race heading down to the wire, let’s take a look at the Republikaliga table.

#  Republikaliga             Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 FC Teussen Stelburg        24   17   2   5    71   44  +27    53
 2 FK Metropola Borograd      24   15   6   3    67   42  +25    51
 3 Energija Chernovets        24   13   6   5    54   38  +16    45
 4 FC Felsenkirchen 1879      24   13   6   5    61   48  +13    45
 5 1912 Stelburg              24   11   7   6    61   47  +14    40
 6 TSV Marzig                 24   11   6   7    52   41  +11    39
 7 Olympia Borograd           24   10   9   5    55   48   +7    39
 8 FC Rotmunde 1932           24    9   7   8    45   42   +3    34
 9 FC St. Jakob               24    7   5  12    43   56  −13    26
10 FC Einheit Marnau          24    7   5  12    40   59  −19    26
11 Vrnovo Mesto               24    6   7  11    37   43   −6    25
12 VfL Reinbronn              24    7   4  13    38   48  −10    25
13 Marlesee 97                24    6   6  12    41   56  −15    24
14 SW Stahlberg               24    5   7  12    39   54  −15    22
15 FC Kaiserhaven             24    5   4  15    38   55  −17    19
16 Zvezda Vlaikograd          24    5   3  16    32   53  −21    18

by **Siovanija and Teusland** » Sun Dec 26, 2021 2:28 pm

GDG Plus

On the Hunt: VfL Reinbronn

Episode VI - Crunch Time

The N1 motorway between Stelburg and St. Jakob is usually full of traffic - and this Wednesday morning, before the sun is even up, is no different.

“I don’t really mind the commute,” says Josh Meckler, behind the wheel of his TMW. “It’s about an hour-forty five from my door to the training ground,” says the VfL Reinbronn captain.

35 years old, Meckler has had a storied Republikaliga career - part of the famous 1912 Stelburg side that captured the league title, and having been capped by his country. But as he got on in age, it was clear he couldn’t do a job for the Bluebirds anymore. That’s where Reinbronn comes in.

“Of course you don’t want to leave. I grew up at 1912, I have so many memories there. But I felt this could be an interesting opportunity, and it’s still close enough to Stelburg that I can do… well, this.”

Meckler commutes from his east end Stelburg home to the Reinbronn training facility each week, getting home just in time to have dinner with his wife and two young children - Ernst and Emma, 5 and 7 respectively, who both go to school in Stelburg. “I don’t want to make them miss out on anything because of me, so I’ll make the sacrifice,” he says.

Meckler is the most veteran player in the squad - and the respect he has from players around the league ensured he was awarded the captain’s armband by the club. “It’s a big honour, obviously, I spoke with Tristan a bit about what the club means to the community and I hope to bring some of what Rafa (Raphael Klopfer, the 1912 Stelburg captain) taught me over the years here.”

Despite not living in Reinbronn itself, the captain is active in the community, encouraging teammates to visit schools and hospitals to help out. He organized a Christmas food drive for the local food bank as well.

On the pitch, Meckler has adapted well to his role as the leader of the Reinbronn squad. He’s helped shore up the defence, and done exactly the job Torsten Bohmen had asked of him before this season:

“Josh has been worth every penny,” he said. “What he brings to the team in terms of leadership, experience, and being a top-level defender still, we couldn’t be happier with the job he’s done.”

But we’re coming down to the business end of the season now - and Meckler and his teammates know they still have a fight on their hands if they are to stay in the division. Meckler rallies the troops at training:

“We’ve got a long way to go yet. Look at that schedule - Felsenkirchen, Teussen and Metropola, all fighting for the title, all have to get through us. Then we’ve got trips abroad, the Cup, all of it coming at once. This is where you find out what you are really worth. It’s going to be f****** grueling. You’ll be tired, you’ll be hurt, you won’t know if you can dig that last 1% out that this team needs. But you can. We all can. We are f****** warriors, and we are going to stay up and we are going to do the best we can internationally.”

The team appreciate the kind words, before heading back to the onsite cafeteria.

“Obviously he’s a lot older than us, so it’s tough to really build a connection,” says Thomas Schalle. “But you can just feel his presence, and it’s a very positive one. I wouldn’t say we’re best friends - he’s 15 years older than me, after all, haha. But I know that I can go to him about anything, and I really respect his advice.”

A difficult road trip awaits Reinbronn this weekend: they are heading up to the north coast to take on FC Felsenkirchen 1879. Felsenkirchen are one of the most talented teams in the division, with exceptionally talented players in every position. They are fighting for the league title, and they are on home turf. Dieter Rosberg is unavailable to play in this game - he’s on loan from Felsenkirchen, after all. Many in Felsenkirchen will be expecting a massacre.

But that’s almost the opposite of what they get. In the rain, on Sunday afternoon, Reinbronn stand tall. Lothas Ludwig is one of the most dominant forwards in the game today - but on this day, Josh Meckler had his number. The midfield duo of Peters and Kurzl hold their own, putting up a strong fight against Felsenkirchen’s young pairing of Litt and Porsche. Felsenkirchen dominate the possession stats, and the shot charts - but they cannot get the ball in the back of the net.

And then… the breakthrough. Schalle, over to Nageler, the shot - goal. Reinbronn lead, with only 15 minutes to go. The Felsenkirchen fans are stunned. Surely they’ll fight back though, won’t they?

Of course. With just 3 minutes left, it’s Porsche over to Krukenberg, who as he’s done so many times before gets the ball to Ludwig in space… but there’s Josh Meckler. An incredible run and tackle from the 35 year old, he’s taken the ball away from Lothas Ludwig, and VfL Reinbronn hang on for a famous win. Three points in the bag.

“Even I didn’t expect that one,” says Torsten Bohmer with a smile on the way home.

But there was barely any time to think, let alone celebrate, the win over Felsenkirchen. The next morning, the squad flew to Banija for the first leg of the Round of 16 of the IFCF Liga B Champions’ Trophy. The Busukuma Force awaited them. For fans back home, however - they wouldn’t get to see this one.

“None of the networks picked it up,” says Markus Eichel. “We’re really disappointed, RSN was offered the game but they turned it down. So we’ll only have a radio broadcast, and of course the fans who travel with us. It’s important money for the club, and of course the chance for the fans to see the game, so we’re very disappointed.”

For the moment, the Liga B campaign isn’t on the radar back home - it’s only the second year clubs from Siovanija & Teusland have been in it, after all, and few neutrals could be convinced to watch two promoted sides face off on a Wednesday night. They missed a great game, however - Reinbronn defeated Buskuma 5-3 on the road, Fritz Schadre getting a brace including the winner. And a week later back home - this time on local TV - Reinbronn secured a 1-1 draw to advance to the Quarterfinals.

“A huge moment for the club,” says Eichel.

But over the next few weeks, we could make a montage of the man saying exactly that: there’s the 4-0 win over Kaiserhaven in the President’s Cup, and then two weeks later beating Rotmunde 2-1 on the road to advance to the Quarterfinal, a historic achievement for a club that has never tasted top-level silverware. In the Liga B Champions’ Trophy Quarterfinal, they eke out a 0-0 draw on the road against Golgafrincham before winning 2-1 at home, sending the club to the semifinal.

“I’ll admit to you now, there was a moment or two where I had some doubts,” says Torsten Bohmen to us after that game. “But my overall belief never wavered, and this is exactly what I imagined starting to come to life.”

That weekend, it’s a trip to FC Teussen Stelburg. Those words are often enough to fire up any team in the league - there’s a target on Teussen’s back, always, and everybody loves to beat them. For Josh Meckler, it adds a bit more incentive too.

“I’m a 1912 man, of course, so I’m not very fond of them,” he laughs. “I know some of them, obviously, and away from it we’re all friends, but I always feel particularly up for it when it’s against them.”

Meckler gets some added motivation with a surprise a few minutes before the game - his wife, Sophie, has brought the kids to the game, sitting all together in the Reinbronn away section. The game itself is back and forth - Thorsten Kramer scores early, but Reinbronn never quite go away. They always seem to find a way to fight back, and by the 80th minute, the score is 3-3 and Reinbronn have been awarded a corner.

”...rue Belois swings it in… it’s the head of Meckler… GOAL! GOAL FOR REINBRONN! JOSH MECKLER PUTS THE HUNTERS AHEAD!”

The 1912 Stelburg man hits his former rivals with a rare goal - only the 12th of his career - and delivers Reinbronn a miracle win over FC Teussen Stelburg. You couldn’t script it any better. Reinbronn are on an unbelievable run at the moment - winning in all competitions, and looking like a squad that deserves to be in the top 10 of the league.

Again, though - there’s not much time to dwell on one result. This is a particularly grueling period, the run in to the end of the season - Reinbronn are still in 3 competitions, and it feels like there’s a fixture every other day. And each one is more important than the last.

The 1-0 win over FK Pomorie in the President’s Cup Quarterfinal is massive, sending the club to the Semifinal for the first time. Then there’s the 4-1 win over San Ludovico in the first leg of the LBCT semifinals - this time on television, by the way. The return leg sees Reinbronn secure a spot in the final, too - an incredible achievement for the club, and one the city is buzzing about. The talk on the streets and in pubs has turned to who is travelling to Mertagne for the final, and if there’s any way to still get tickets.

But coming into this season, there was only 1 goal - avoiding relegation. Consolidating the position in the Republikaliga. And entering the matchday 28 clash with FK Metropola Borograd on the road, Reinbronn needed just one point to do exactly that - stay up.

“This season has been a dream,” says Meckler. “A final, a semi-final, and now a chance to confirm we’re back next year. We couldn’t be more excited,” he tells us in the hotel a few hours before the game.

The game itself is quite dull - Metropola are fighting hard for a league title, and perhaps they are trying a bit too hard - missing easy passes, sending shots into row z - while Reinbronn are comfortable and confident letting the game play out this way. Meckler makes a good tackle on Andrey Bunev with just minutes remaining that probably stopped a great chance at a goal - and the final whistle blows. 0-0. Reinbronn are staying up.

The celebrations are joyous, both in the away end and in the dressing room afterwards. Torsten Bohmer, however, is sat back at his desk, occasionally glancing out. What are your thoughts now, boss?

“It’ll be a challenge to stay up next year, we’ll need some good business in the window again. And of course, we still have 2 or 3 big games left this year. So it’s back to work for me.”

The team were greeted by the fans at the train station upon arriving back in Reinbronn - and as Josh Meckler gets to his car, ready to make the drive back to Stelburg, he tells us: “I sure hope we can bring a trophy back home to them this year.”

by **Siovanija and Teusland** » Sun Dec 26, 2021 4:06 pm

Republikaliga Season XIV - Season Part V

Matchday 25

VfL Reinbronn 0–1 1912 Stelburg
Vrnovo Mesto 1–2 FC Kaiserhaven
FC Teussen Stelburg 2–4 TSV Marzig
SW Stahlberg 0–2 FK Metropola Borograd
FC Felsenkirchen 1879 3–2 Olympia Borograd
FC Einheit Marnau 2–3 Marlesee 97
Energija Chernovets 2–3 FC Rotmunde 1932
Zvezda Vlaikograd 2–1 FC St. Jakob

We are very much into the business end of the season now - and we have a change at the very top! 1912 Stelburg defeated Reinbronn 1-0, while Kaiserhaven got by Vrnovo with a late goal. Felsenkirchen managed to come from down 2-1 to beat Olympia Borograd 3-2 at home, with Lothas Ludwig getting a late winner. Marlesee 97 defeated FC Einheit Marnau 3-2 on the road, with Elias Eicke scoring the winner. Chernovets were surprised at home by a Rotmunde side who clearly believe they can still reach IFCF football this year after a brilliant win, 3-2 the final in that one. Zvezda Vlaikograd got a much-needed win to help themselves in the relegation fight over St. Jakob

FK Metropola Borograd, meanwhile, go back on top of the league with a 2-0 win over SW Stahlberg in the mountains. It was a great performance from the Violets, and at the same time in Stelburg, Teussen were defeated 4-2 by TSV Marzig. Horst Hackl had a brace in that one, Marzig taking themselves up to 6th in the league and still fighting for that last IFCF place with the win. At the very top, now, Metropola are on 54 points (+27) and Teussen on 53 (+25) with only a few games remaining. Guess who face each other in Borograd next week?

President’s Cup Quarterfinal

TSV Marzig 3–2 FC Teussen Stelburg
VfL Reinbronn 1–0 FK Pomorie
FK Metropola Borograd 1–0 Universiteit-Launitz
Jaromirgrad 0–1 Energija Chernovets

TSV Marzig made it back-to-back wins over FC Teussen Stelburg in the Quarterfinal here, proving themselves again as a strong team in the Cup almost every year. Marzig have reached the semifinals again, but the same could not be said for the cross-town rivals FK Pomorie, who fell 1-0 to VfL Reinbronn. A pair of Republikaliga vs Regionalliga games were more lowkey affairs as Metropola won at home 1-0 over Launitz, and Chernovets had to get a goal from super-sub Jezdemir Ocokoljic to beat Jaromirgrad. In the semifinals, both at the Nationalstadion, Chernovets will face Marzig and Metropola will take on Reinbronn.

Matchday 26

1912 Stelburg 4–2 Zvezda Vlaikograd
FC St. Jakob 2–4 Energija Chernovets
FC Rotmunde 1932 2–1 FC Einheit Marnau
Marlesee 97 4–2 FC Felsenkirchen 1879
Olympia Borograd 2–0 SW Stahlberg
FK Metropola Borograd 2–2 FC Teussen Stelburg
TSV Marzig 2–1 Vrnovo Mesto
FC Kaiserhaven 2–3 VfL Reinbronn

1912 Stelburg are needing wins to keep their current position in the IFCF places, sitting 5th at the moment - and they get a big one here, defeating Zvezda Vlaikograd 4-2 thanks to two second half goals from Tegeler and Lucchetti. Chernovets recovered from last weekend’s defeat to cruise past St. Jakob, bringing them up to 3rd - still technically in position to grab the league title, as unlikely as it may be 7 points adrift with 4 games remaining. Rotmunde defeated Marnau, Thibodeux getting the winner, while Felsenkirchen’s hopes of playing spoiler in the title race were all but ended today as they fell 4-2 to Marlesee. Ingolf Kruger had a hat-trick including two first half goals in the win, and Felsenkirchen now sit 4th in the league. Olympia Borograd defeated Stahlberg and Marzig beat Vrnovo Mesto, both Olympia and Marzig are chasing down 1912 Stelburg for P5 in the league table and it’ll be a tight battle in the remaining fixtures. A big six pointer at the bottom of the league, meanwhile, sees VfL Reinbronn defeat Kaiserhaven, Reinbronn are now 6 points clear of the drop.

At the top, it was a fierce battle between Metropola and Teussen this Sunday evening. Both teams were desperate for a win that would be a significant blow in the title race, but neither would get it. Goals in the first half from Reichwein and Stonemoore cancelled each other out, and while Andrey Bunev gave the hosts a lead for long stretches of the second half with his goal in the 50th minute, Thorsten Kramer would equalize in the 83rd minute. 2-2 the final, and no change at the top - Metropola remain just 1 point ahead of Teussen.

Matchday 27

FC Kaiserhaven 2–3 1912 Stelburg
VfL Reinbronn 2–2 TSV Marzig
Vrnovo Mesto 1–4 FK Metropola Borograd
FC Teussen Stelburg 5–1 Olympia Borograd
SW Stahlberg 2–3 Marlesee 97
FC Felsenkirchen 1879 4–1 FC Rotmunde 1932
FC Einheit Marnau 3–5 FC St. Jakob
Energija Chernovets 3–3 Zvezda Vlaikograd

1912 Stelburg once again got all three points, they’ve been really strong down the stretch and with today’s results it should assure them a place in the IFCF competition for next season - TSV Marzig could only draw with Reinbronn, 2-2, and Olympia, well… we’ll get to that. FK Metropola Borograd cruised by Vrnovo Mesto, 4-1 the final score, as they stayed on top of the league table, while Marlesee were able to defeat SW Stahlberg 3-2 - Stahlberg are in real danger now, sitting 15th on 22 points. They will need to dig deep to avoid relegation after what has been a disastrous year full of injuries. The Mouth of the Drai Derby saw FC St. Jakob get some revenge for their defeat earlier this year, besting Marnau 5-3, while Chernovets and Zvezda could not be separated, 3-3 the final.

It was derby day again in the Northeast, with Felsenkirchen this time hosting Rotmunde. It’s always a beautiful sight to see the team in blue take on the team in red, and this time, the weather was perfect. Rotmunde needed a win to remain in the IFCF hunt, but unfortunately, it would be a depressing day for their fans. Felsenkirchen put them to the sword, with Kracht, Krukenberg and Litt scoring in the first half to make it 3-0 before Lothas Ludwig added some insurance in the second half, the score ending at 4-1. Felsenkirchen sit 3rd in the league now and are all but confirmed a place in IFCF football next season.

The last time FC Teussen Stelburg and Olympia Borograd faced off, it ended in… disaster for those wearing Green. But the team has had a bit of a rebirth since then, and under Anton Velnikov has made some positive steps… yeah, we’re not quite sure what happened today either. A Teussen team determined to fight to the end for the title crushed Olympia completely, the midfield once again being dominated by the trio of Bahr/Kramer/Traeger. The game showed that while Olympia’s defending and attack have been strong in recent weeks, the centre of the park is still very vulnerable - and Thorsten Kramer’s 2nd of the evening proved just that, an inspired run from his own half of the pitch that ended in the 5-1 goal. Olympia’s IFCF hunt is still on, but this game showed them that changes will need to be made on the pitch.

At the top, Metropola lead Teussen by 1 point (58 to 57) and 1 goal (+30 to +29). It’s a title fight for the ages, and it’s going right down to the wire.

Matchday 28

1912 Stelburg 4–5 Energija Chernovets
Zvezda Vlaikograd 4–3 FC Einheit Marnau
FC St. Jakob 2–4 FC Felsenkirchen 1879
FC Rotmunde 1932 1–1 SW Stahlberg
Marlesee 97 3–2 FC Teussen Stelburg
Olympia Borograd 4–5 Vrnovo Mesto
FK Metropola Borograd 0–0 VfL Reinbronn
TSV Marzig 2–0 FC Kaiserhaven

Chernovets prevailed over 1912 Stelburg in a brilliant fixture, both sides going back and forth, and Stelburg scoring three times in the second half to try to spur on a comeback - unfortunately for them, Chernovets would win a game they led 3-0 and 4-1 at points thanks to a goal from Emiliano Gallegas. Zvezda Vlaikograd’s win pulls them out from the bottom and into some safety, while Felsenkirchen kept faint title hopes alive in a 4-2 win over St. Jakob. Rotmunde couldn’t recover from last weekend’s heartbreak, only finding a draw with SW Stahlberg, while Zdeno Stajskal attempted to emulate Thorsten Kramer’s performance from last week against Olympia Borograd - with great success. He scored 2 and created another in a 5-4 win for Vrnovo. Marzig defeated Kaiserhaven 2-0 - a result that has the Admirals now sitting bottom of the league and in danger of relegation from the Republikaliga for the first time.

Neither team at the top took full advantage this weekend - but the ball is definitely back in Metropola’s corner. Teussen were shocked by Marlesee 97, throwing away a 2-0 lead in the second half as Elias Eicke scored the dagger late to consign the black and gold to defeat. But in Borograd, Metropola couldn’t take full advantage - Josh Meckler making a brilliant tackle late in the game to stop an Andrey Bunev run that looked good for a goal. Reinbronn secured safety in the top tier with that result, to their great celebrations - but Metropola were quite unhappy on their part. 59 points, +30 for the Violets, and 57 points, +28 for the black and gold.

President’s Cup Semifinal

Energija Chernovets 1–0 TSV Marzig
FK Metropola Borograd 3–3 VfL Reinbronn (3–3 AET) (2–4 pen.)

TSV Marzig’s cup magic comes to an end, with Chernovets getting the best of them through a great goal from Jezdemir Ocokoljic. But the real action was the next day, as Metropola faced Reinbronn a few days after the 0-0 in the league. This time, the game would be filled with goals - and controversy, as Metropola were denied a penalty in the final minutes of extra time. Perhaps it was a good thing, however - their penalties were awful in the shootout, and Reinbronn converted all four of theirs to advance to the Final. Chernovets against Reinbronn - on paper, it should be a Chernovets win. But with Reinbronn’s incredible form of late, you simply cannot count them out.

Matchday 29

TSV Marzig 5–1 1912 Stelburg
FC Kaiserhaven 2–2 FK Metropola Borograd
VfL Reinbronn 2–1 Olympia Borograd
Vrnovo Mesto 2–2 Marlesee 97
FC Teussen Stelburg 3–1 FC Rotmunde 1932
SW Stahlberg 2–3 FC St. Jakob
FC Felsenkirchen 1879 2–2 Zvezda Vlaikograd
FC Einheit Marnau 1–3 Energija Chernovets

TSV Marzig knew going into today’s game that they would need a major swing to qualify for the IFCF next year - and today’s big 6 pointer does exactly that, as they take over 5th place from 1912 Stelburg and all but secure their place in international football - 3 points and +7 clear of 1912 now with just one game to play. VfL Reinbronn’s success this season continue with a magical 2-1 win over Olympia Borograd, the Hunters are now up to 10th in the league and have had an incredible first year in the Republikaliga. Vrnovo and Marlesee draw, while St. Jakob gets by Stahlberg. Felsenkirchen are guaranteed an IFCF spot next year after a draw with Zvezda, while Chernovets pushed themselves up to 3rd - and possibly an automatic group stage berth - with a 3-1 win over Marnau. Chernovets will take on Felsenkirchen next week, the winner gets that much-coveted 3rd place spot.

The title fight continued with more twists and turns. Kaiserhaven were fighting desperately to avoid relegation, and they do just that by coming up big to draw 2-2 with Metropola. Norbert Ahrendt had both goals for the home side, and it’s an unimpressed Metropola manager Alan Dzekov at full time. Teussen, meanwhile, had little trouble cruising past Rotmunde, 3-1 the final score at the Franz-Gorz-Stadion. That sets up a final day with the teams directly even on points (60) and goal difference (+30). A scenario never before seen in the league. Both teams have had incredible seasons, and truly deserve this title - but only one can win it. If it comes down to goals scored - Teussen have the advantage, with 85 to Metropola’s 77. On the final day, Teussen will travel to St. Jakob while Metropola host TSV Marzig. It’s all to play for on the final day.

Matchday 30

1912 Stelburg 5–2 FC Einheit Marnau
Energija Chernovets 5–4 FC Felsenkirchen 1879
Zvezda Vlaikograd 1–2 SW Stahlberg
FC St. Jakob 0–2 FC Teussen Stelburg
FC Rotmunde 1932 4–1 Vrnovo Mesto
Marlesee 97 1–0 VfL Reinbronn
Olympia Borograd 6–4 FC Kaiserhaven
FK Metropola Borograd 4–0 TSV Marzig

Unbelievable! FK Metropola Borograd are Champions of the Republic for the second time in a row! They become just the second team (Teussen, seasons 6-7) to defend the title thanks to a massive 4-0 win over TSV Marzig. Both Metropola and Teussen stayed in control of their fixtures for the entire 90 minutes, but Metropola managed to be more clinical on the day. Teussen were first to score, but Metropola quickly got one of their own. The score was 2-0 in both games for a while until Lukas Stonemoore put Metropola up 3-0. Teussen pressed hard after that, but could not find anything else - while Metropola added more insurance from Andrey Bunev in the dying moments. The title has returned to the purple half of Borograd again, and their fans couldn’t be more delighted. What an incredible job this team has done this season, they are set to be a force for years to come in the Republikaliga. Teussen, meanwhile, suffer the agony of second place - but this squad is too good to not come back fighting next year.

In the battle for that Challengers’ Cup group stage berth, Chernovets and Felsenkirchen fought extremely hard - but in the end, the Canaries came on top thanks to a goal from Viktor Dimitrov in the final minutes of the game to secure P3 in the league table. Securing 5th place was 1912 Stelburg - who benefited greatly from Metropola’s demolition of Marzig - defeating Marnau by a score of 5-2 to ensure they will return to the IFCF next season. It was a great effort by Marzig this year and Ole Sauer’s men can be proud of the performance. Olympia Borograd beat Kaiserhaven 6-4 in a thriller - but one that sends the Admirals out of the Republikaliga, finishing 16th this season. Coming 15th was Marnau, who will now go to the playoff. In a way, everything was connected together - the title fight affected the IFCF fight which affected the relegation fight. A final day you could not keep your eyes off of.

Let’s have a look now at the final table:

#  Republikaliga             Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
 1 FK Metropola Borograd      30   18   9   3    81   47  +34    63     Champions
 2 FC Teussen Stelburg        30   20   3   7    87   55  +32    63     IFCF Champions' League
 3 Energija Chernovets        30   17   7   6    76   55  +21    58     IFCF Challengers' Cup
 4 FC Felsenkirchen 1879      30   16   7   7    80   64  +16    55
 5 1912 Stelburg              30   15   7   8    79   63  +16    52
 6 TSV Marzig                 30   15   7   8    67   51  +16    52
 7 Olympia Borograd           30   12   9   9    71   67   +4    45
 8 FC Rotmunde 1932           30   12   8  10    57   54   +3    44
 9 Marlesee 97                30   11   7  12    57   66   −9    40
10 VfL Reinbronn              30    9   6  15    45   55  −10    33
11 FC St. Jakob               30    9   5  16    56   73  −17    32
12 Vrnovo Mesto               30    7   8  15    48   61  −13    29
13 SW Stahlberg               30    6   8  16    46   66  −20    26
14 Zvezda Vlaikograd          30    7   5  18    46   68  −22    26
15 FC Einheit Marnau          30    7   5  18    52   81  −29    26     Playoff
16 FC Kaiserhaven             30    6   5  19    50   72  −22    23     Relegated

There’s still more to come in the Republikaliga season, including season awards, the President’s Cup final, and full details on promotion/relegation in other divisions.

by **Siovanija and Teusland** » Sun Dec 26, 2021 5:02 pm

Republikaliga Season XIV - Review

Golden Boot

1 - Lothas Ludwig (Felsenkirchen, 25 goals)
2 - Jezdemir Ocokoljic (Chernovets, 24 goals)
T3 - Lukas Stonemoore (Metropola, 23 goals)
T3 - Nicolas Lucchetti (1912 Stelburg, 23 goals)
5 - Ludwig Reichwein (Teussen, 22 goals)

Golden Ball

In the first round of voting, 5 players received votes: Lukas Stonemoore, Andrey Bunev, Thorsten Kramer, Lothas Ludwig and Jezdemir Ocokoljic. The vote, made of ballots handed to the 40 Republikaliga managers and captains, came down to a final round between Bunev and Kramer:

Andrey Bunev (FK Metropola Borograd) - 26 votes
Thorsten Kramer (FC Teussen Stelburg) - 14 votes

It was always going to be these two - and in the end, the man who won the title takes home the Golden Ball as well, Bunev defending his crown just as his team did.

Positional Awards

*MVP and Golden Boot not eligible for voting

Best Forward: Lukas Stonemoore (FK Metropola Borograd)
Best Midfield: Thorsten Kramer (FC Teussen Stelburg)
Best Defender: Taras Maksimov (Energija Chernovets)
Golden Glove: Julijan Koprvic (FK Metropola Borograd)

Manager of the Year

The Manager of the Year vote this year returned to its roots, going to a man who brought his team beyond what was thought to be their limits. With wins over Chernovets, Felsenkirchen, Teussen and Olympia, as well as a berth in the President’s Cup Final, the vote was a very simple one: Torsten Bohmer of VfL Reinbronn.

Young Player of the Year

Reinbronn’s great achievements this year also earned recognition from the YPotY voters, who handed Dieter Rosberg the award. The young man was on loan from Felsenkirchen, but his exploits in Reinbronn colours will be remembered by that fanbase for many years to come, especially if he can play his part in delivering the two trophies the club are still fighting for this season.

Best XI

GK - Julijan Koprvic (MET); LB - Axel Richter (TEU), CB - Taras Maksimov (CHE), CB - Frantisek Polak (MET), RB - Pierre-Louis Lotbiniere (STE); CM - Thorsten Kramer (TEU), CM - Consaidin Garrard (MET); LW - Andrey Bunev (MET), CAM - Caesar Lerche (FEL), RW - Florian Krukenberg (FEL); CF - Lothas Ludwig (FEL)

Bench: GK - Dennis Eulenberg (TEU); DF - Kevin Sherwood (FEL), DF - Roman Forsberg (OLY), MF - Heinrich Bahr (TEU), MF - Enigma Armageddon (CHE), MF - Bastian Boltzmann (TEU), CF - Lukas Stonemoore (MET)

Lower League Results

#  2. Republikaliga          Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 FK Pomorie                 30   15   6   9    57   38  +19    51     Champions
 2 1884 Felsenkirchen         30   15   6   9    52   50   +2    51     IFCF Liga B Champions' Trophy
 3 Teufelsberg 97             30   15   5  10    57   47  +10    50
 4 Rudar Draijagrad           30   14   7   9    60   45  +15    49
 5 NK Siovanska Gora          30   13   9   8    48   30  +18    48
 6 SV Preisfeld               30   12   9   9    49   46   +3    45
 7 VfB Marlesee               30   12   9   9    54   52   +2    45
 8 FK Venkovets               30   11  12   7    42   40   +2    45
 9 FK Raketa Bukovets         30   12   8  10    55   43  +12    44
10 SK Republika Borograd      30   10  11   9    41   39   +2    41
11 SVG Bainitz                30   11   5  14    49   51   −2    38
12 TSV Georg-Blocher          30   10   6  14    48   57   −9    36
13 Arsenal Bukovets           30    7  10  13    37   43   −6    31
14 VfB Launitz                30    6  11  13    42   52  −10    29
15 VfB Truiselwald            30    8   5  17    43   67  −24    29
16 1828 Pomen                 30    7   5  18    27   61  −34    26

Playoff

FC Einheit Marnau 1-1 1884 Felsenkirchen
1884 Felsenkirchen 3-3 FC Einheit Marnau

Marnau remain in the top tier after winning on away goals over 1884 Felsenkirchen in the playoff - Banquo Chrysler's late goal was enough to keep the Roses in the top division for another year.

#  3. Republikaliga         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 NK Vrnovo                 30   15   8   7    40   31   +9    53     Champions
 2 NK Piran                  30   14   9   7    29   25   +4    51
 3 TSV Konsford              30   14   8   8    37   22  +15    50
 4 FK Vlaikograd 1896        30   12  12   6    35   24  +11    48
 5 TSV Prattsee              30   13   7  10    33   30   +3    46
 6 Rudar Trkev               30   11  11   8    32   22  +10    44
 7 FC Magesbach              30   10  12   8    34   32   +2    42
 8 Oststahlberg 08           30   11   8  11    34   32   +2    41
 9 VfL Bamerntal             30   10  11   9    26   24   +2    41
10 NK Krajgrad               30    9  13   8    29   27   +2    40
11 FK Orlovska Bistrica      30   10   9  11    28   28    0    39
12 VfL Prutseren             30    7  12  11    29   35   −6    33
13 NK Karjaska Gora          30    7  11  12    20   27   −7    32
14 VfB Giesenau              30    8   8  14    22   33  −11    32
15 FC Ternau 05              30    6   7  17    18   35  −17    25
16 NK Kaskada                30    4  12  14    18   37  −19    24

#  4. Republikaliga                Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
 1 Admiral Severno Pristajanje      30   18   7   5    46   19  +27    61     Champions
 2 TSV Lahnnenbruck                 30   16   6   8    44   27  +17    54
 3 TSV Tarnitz                      30   12   9   9    36   32   +4    45
 4 TSV Posenford                    30   11  11   8    48   41   +7    44
 5 VfL Magesbach                    30   12   7  11    28   27   +1    43
 6 FC Kischfeld                     30   11   9  10    34   33   +1    42
 7 FC Truiselwald                   30   10  11   9    36   40   −4    41
 8 FK Kostinbrod                    30   10  10  10    37   31   +6    40
 9 1888 Runsen                      30    9  13   8    28   30   −2    40
10 NK Krakovo                       30   11   7  12    24   28   −4    40
11 VfL Truhnscheid                  30   11   6  13    34   37   −3    39
12 NK Prevala                       30   11   5  14    28   43  −15    38
13 FC Giesenau                      30    8  12  10    29   27   +2    36
14 NK Vojnik                        30    9   8  13    26   36  −10    35
15 FC Teufelsberg                   30    6  10  14    31   42  −11    28
16 FC Lahnnenbruck 98               30    7   5  18    27   43  −16    26

Regionalligas

# Regionalliga Borograd  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Jaromirgrad             28   15   5   8    35   25  +10    50
2 SK Sparta               28   14   6   8    43   24  +19    48
3 Zatvornitsi             28   11   8   9    30   32   −2    41
4 Atletik Orlovets        28   11   6  11    27   28   −1    39
5 Zelena Vlaijka          28   11   6  11    27   28   −1    39
6 Ljublanska              28   10   5  13    16   25   −9    35
7 FK Kushovo              28    9   5  14    18   26   −8    32
8 SK Dialikov             28    7   7  14    27   35   −8    28

# Regionalliga Korjava  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Traktor Stavropol      28   17   6   5    51   26  +25    57
2 1807 Vettweiss         28   15   6   7    37   28   +9    51
3 Draija Debelets        28   13   9   6    30   20  +10    48
4 FK Shivachevo          28   12   6  10    27   29   −2    42
5 NK Kamenovo            28   11   6  11    32   34   −2    39
6 TSV Sankt Gustaf       28    6   7  15    24   43  −19    25
7 NK Gabropol            28    5   9  14    27   33   −6    24
8 FK Stavropol           28    4   9  15    18   33  −15    21

# Regionalliga Kraibrezhie  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Karakanovski Fabrika       28   15   5   8    28   21   +7    50
2 Listany Prevnost           28   13  10   5    38   23  +15    49
3 FK Dragizhevo              28   14   5   9    35   24  +11    47
4 Hrusevje 99                28    9   9  10    33   29   +4    36
5 FK Cerknica                28    9   8  11    20   28   −8    35
6 SK Pnetluky                28    6  12  10    17   24   −7    30
7 FK Skalna                  28    7   8  13    26   33   −7    29
8 Slavija Chotevice          28    7   7  14    18   33  −15    28

# Regionalliga Srednja     Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Slavija Karapelit         28   16   7   5    38   18  +20    55
2 Trojlistek Boleslav       28   15   8   5    43   29  +14    53
3 Olimpija Topolovgrad      28   12   4  12    31   30   +1    40
4 Stari Trg                 28    9   8  11    29   37   −8    35
5 Lipica Konjibor           28    8  10  10    27   28   −1    34
6 Ljublanski Lihovar        28    7  11  10    34   34    0    32
7 Crveno-Zeleni             28    9   5  14    27   36   −9    32
8 FK Sinemorets             28    5   9  14    20   37  −17    24

# Regionalliga Stelburg    Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Ferdinand I               28   14   8   6    31   21  +10    50
2 FC Blauwald               28   12   6  10    37   32   +5    42
3 Die Werft                 28   11   7  10    32   26   +6    40
4 Universiteit-Launitz      28    9  11   8    36   31   +5    38
5 Stern der Drai            28   10   8  10    30   30    0    38
6 TSV Horstmar              28   10   8  10    25   31   −6    38
7 Ostpalast                 28    9   5  14    27   31   −4    32
8 SV Charlottenberg         28    6   9  13    21   37  −16    27

# Regionalliga Nordkuste   Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Adler Rotmunde            28   14   6   8    30   22   +8    48
2 Wolfstadt 98              28   13   5  10    38   33   +5    44
3 Kreuzritter Loningen      28   12   6  10    37   28   +9    42
4 Turbine Immengries        28   11   7  10    31   26   +5    40
5 FC 1. Norsay              28   11   6  11    29   37   −8    39
6 SV St. Kunigunde          28    9   8  11    32   33   −1    35
7 SV Sogel                  28    8   8  12    27   37  −10    32
8 FC St. Adelheid           28    9   4  15    24   32   −8    31

# Regionalliga St Jakob      Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Notre Dame de la Mer        28   16   4   8    28   13  +15    52
2 1894 Tarnitz                28   13   7   8    35   29   +6    46
3 Marianfelde Lions           28   13   5  10    25   21   +4    44
4 Lokomotive Lensbruck        28   11   7  10    38   25  +13    40
5 Rot-Weiss Wilhelmsburg      28   10   7  11    24   26   −2    37
6 1920 Reinbronn              28   10   7  11    19   23   −4    37
7 Metropolian CFC             28    9   6  13    23   32   −9    33
8 FC Weissenhall              28    6   5  17    16   39  −23    23

# Regionalliga Vestmark     Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 FC Kaldenkirchen 1901      28   13  10   5    42   27  +15    49
2 Velden-Villach 07          28   13   6   9    42   31  +11    45
3 Lintfort                   28   12   8   8    34   27   +7    44
4 BE Niederkruchten          28   10  10   8    23   18   +5    40
5 SV Shoringen               28   10   5  13    37   46   −9    35
6 Luttow-Vognitz             28    8   9  11    24   30   −6    33
7 FC 1. Bad Riesdahl         28    7  10  11    19   26   −7    31
8 Ladbergen 1894             28    7   6  15    27   43  −16    27

Regionalliga Playoffs

At the conclusion of the season, the 8 Regionalliga champions participate in a playoff tournament to decide a Siovanijan champion and a Teus champion. The draw is done randomly, and all Siovanijan games are played at the Olimpski-Stadion while the Teus games are played at the Nationalstadion. This year, in addition to the championship, the winners will play the lowest-ranked side from their Republic in the 4. Republikaliga to determine promotion/relegation for the year.

#  J. Republikaliga          Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 FK Metropola Borograd      30   14  10   6    54   35  +19    52     IFCF Rising Stars' Cup
 2 FC Teussen Stelburg        30   13  10   7    50   31  +19    49
 3 SW Stahlberg               30   15   4  11    56   47   +9    49
 4 1912 Stelburg              30   10  15   5    53   41  +12    45
 5 TSV Marzig                 30   10  12   8    35   32   +3    42
 6 Energija Chernovets        30   12   6  12    53   51   +2    42
 7 VfL Reinbronn              30    9  14   7    35   29   +6    41
 8 FC Kaiserhaven             30   11   8  11    51   52   −1    41
 9 FC St. Jakob               30   12   5  13    39   42   −3    41
10 Zvezda Vlaikograd          30   11   6  13    47   63  −16    39
11 FC Einheit Marnau          30    9  11  10    51   52   −1    38
12 FC Rotmunde 1932           30    7  15   8    43   47   −4    36
13 FC Felsenkirchen 1879      30    7  13  10    40   46   −6    34
14 Olympia Borograd           30    8   9  13    38   49  −11    33
15 Vrnovo Mesto               30    9   6  15    38   56  −18    33
16 Marlesee 97                30    7   8  15    38   48  −10    29

FK Metropola Borograd's young guns were champions of the U19 league this year, joining the senior squad in celebrating a championship.

President’s Cup Final

Energija Chernovets 0-2 VfL Reinbronn

On a nice spring evening at the Nationalstadion, VfL Reinbronn captured their first-ever President’s Cup title thanks to a brilliant win over Energija Chernovets. It would’ve been foolish for anyone to count out Reinbronn after their performances this year - but many bettors did just that, with the odds heavily in Chernovets favour. Neither side has won a President’s Cup in the modern era, with Chernovets having lost in the final a previous time and Reinbronn never reaching the stage.

The match itself was even almost the whole way, with Reinbronn finally taking the lead in the second half after a great goal from Fritz Schadre. Chernovets fought hard to get themselves back into the game, but it was instead a goal from Dieter Rosberg that would break things open even more for Reinbronn. From there, the Hunters just had to hang on, and as they captured the club’s first-ever major piece of silverware, their fans took to the field at the Nationalstadion to celebrate. Josh Meckler lifted the trophy, and the green flags waved in Stelburg as well as back home in Reinbronn as the fans celebrated the win.

Further celebrations, however, will have to wait - the squad are now jetting off to Mertagne for the Liga B Champions’ Trophy final.

IFCF Liga B Champions’ Trophy Final

VfL Reinbronn 2-0 Pacifica (PFA)

Incredible scenes! VfL Reinbronn entered the year without a single major trophy to their name - and now they have 2 of them after a brilliant win in the LBCT Final over Pacifica. Just a few days after their win in the President’s Cup Final, the squad was still full of motivation as they took to the field - and you could see it in the opening minutes of this one.

Dieter Rosberg, the talisman of the team all year and possibly playing his final game for the Hunters, led the charge, dominating the midfield and getting the ball quickly to his colleagues in attacking positions. Fellow loanee Janos rue Belois managed to get the Hunters on the board in the first half just 15 minutes into the game, and the team would proceed to nurse that lead for the rest of the half. In the second, Pacifica applied intense pressure - but a lucky break saw Reinbronn come back hard on the counter, Fritz Schadre scoring the second goal that all but ended in.

You go over 100 years without a trophy - then you lift 2 in 6 days. Josh Meckler held the trophy up high again as the fans who made the journey overseas were in paradise, tears flowing in the stands. On the return to Reinbronn, the team celebrated with a bus parade through the city featuring both trophies.

This team will be immortalized forever in their city - the newspaper called them ‘Die Doppeljungen,’ or ‘the double boys.’ An incredible season for VfL Reinbronn, and no better way to cap it all off.

International Qualification

Siovanija & Teusland (STL) Qualifiers:

IFCF Champions’ League: FK Metropola Borograd, FC Teussen Stelburg
IFCF Challengers' Cup: Energija Chernovets, FC Felsenkirchen 1879, 1912 Stelburg
IFCF Rising Stars Cup: FK Metropola Borograd
IFCF Cup Winners’ Cup: VfL Reinbronn
IFCF Liga B Champions’ Trophy: VfL Reinbronn (holders), FK Pomorie, 1884 Felsenkirchen, Teufelsberg 97

AOCL: FK Metropola Borograd
VCIAPP: Zvezda Vlaikograd
Selection via: Cup competition

by **Siovanija and Teusland** » Sun Dec 26, 2021 9:11 pm

GDG Plus

On the Hunt: VfL Reinbronn

Episode VII - Legends are Born

The tunnels of the Nationalstadion are filled with pictures and images telling the story of the history of football in this country. Pictures of the national team in action, of championship and Cup winners over the past hundred years. A virtual museum of the history of the game. We see Torsten Bohmer looking at these walls in the hours before the President’s Cup Final between Reinbronn and Chernovets.

What could be going through his mind? Bohmer had confidence in himself, of course, but to imagine this team having defeated the top 4 teams in the league, securing survival, and reaching the Final of two different competitions? Impossible.

Yet here they were. Somehow, someway, they had made it. Standing ahead of them were Energija Chernovets, but in the locker room before the game, you could sense Reinbronn were ready for action.

Bohmer looks at his team. For a long time, he doesn’t speak. Then, minutes before the bell: “This is where legends are f***** born.”

For the fans around the country and in the stands, it’s nervous waiting to see what will happen in this game. And of course, on the Chernovets side, there is also confidence that it will be their day. But standing in that dressing room, feeling the energy of the team. The only question we had was the final score.

”...Reinbronn are really taking the game to Chernovets early, Rosberg is dominating the ball…”

“...Chernovets have regrouped well in the first half, settling into the game, and getting a good chance off the boot of Ocokoljic…”

“...Reinbronn, here’s rue Belois down the wing, the pass for Schadre…. But his effort is wide…”

“OCO-oh, it’s just gone over, a brilliant strike! It looked like Martin Hepner might’ve just got a hand to it to keep that one out…”

“...and we head into halftime of this Cup Final with the score level at 0-0…”

Bohmer isn’t upset at halftime, however. He knows his team is giving everything to keep up with their opponents, one of the best teams in the country. All he can do now is encourage them: “This is your game, boys, don’t let them take it from you.”

”...here come Reinbronn in numbers, Schadre has it, he beats Maksimov, Schadre fires - OH YES! REINBRONN LEAD AT THE NATIONALSTADION!”

“...Chernovets pressuring hard but can’t seem to get the ball in the net…”

“...it’s Armageddon with the pass over to Gallegas, but Gallegas is marked excellently by Dietrich and the attack fizzles out…”

“...here’s Dieter Rosberg, who has been incredible this year for the Hunters. He plays it over for Schatz, now back to Rosberg, and it’s there! Goal! Goal for Reinbronn! It’s a 2-0 lead for the Hunters!”

“...the final moments now of this President’s Cup Final, and Reinbronn have done it!”

Back home in Reinbronn, the crowd gathered in town square is going crazy. Former players, older folks who remember their days in the fourth tier, youngsters who can’t quite remember past the days of the Republikaliga, all sharing in jubilation. Green fireworks light up the sky, the club’s songs are sung loudly and proudly.

And in the middle of it all is Markus Eichel, tears filling his eyes. “I can’t believe it,” he says over and over again. “I can’t believe it.”

The Reinbronn players hardly have time to believe it themselves. Of course, they have a celebration in the locker room afterwards - but it isn’t right back to Reinbronn for them. Instead, it’s over to the airport, where they’ll catch the first available flight to Mertagne to begin preparations for the IFCF Liga B Champions’ Trophy Final in a few days’ time. The Cup, on the other hand, is put in the safe hands of an assistant coach and driven back to be displayed at the club’s stadium. The parade will have to wait.

“No distractions,” says Bohmer on the plane - but the confetti sticking out of his jacket pocket tells a different story. “We’ve talked about how we see these games as basically two halves - we cannot afford to lose any focus.”

While the party rages on in Reinbronn - the Cup win is the talk of the town for days afterwards, naturally - the preparations continue in Mertagne. Bohmer is leaving no stone unturned, ensuring players adapt to the time difference, monitoring the food available at the hotel, and watching hours and hours of footage of their opponents, Pacifica of Poafmersia.

We’ve noticed Bohmer is taking this one much more seriously than he took the Cup Final. We question him as to why all the extra prep work:

“If we reach our goals, we’ll never be in this tournament again. So it’ll be nice for the fans to have the memory of a trophy.”

Oozing with confidence.

It is funny, though - 6 months ago, we sat in at a board meeting where some of the fans expressed their distrust in Bohmer’s plan, and their concerns for the future under him. Now, he’s brought home one trophy, and is a hero in the fanbase. A bar in Reinbronn has already named a beer after him. These players are all heroes - no-one on this team will ever have to buy a drink in Reinbronn ever again after the Cup win. And now, they have the once in a lifetime shot to play for a second trophy in just under a week.

The days between arrival and the final are full of, of course training, but also some sightseeing for the players. We find Thomas Schalle and Dieter Rosberg hanging out at a nearby shopping mall:

“Yeah, nervous, haha. But I think it’s just the waiting, once we’re on the pitch it’ll be all ok,” says Schalle.

“I really want to get back to Reinbronn with two trophies in tow,” says Rosberg.

We ask the youngsters if their loan spells have been successful - both answer almost immediately, “Yes.”

“It’s been the best year of my career so far,” says Rosberg.

Would you want to come back, Thomas? “Haha, well, that’s up to Teussen and Reinbronn to figure out. But I have loved every minute of being a part of this club.”

Josh Meckler, meanwhile, prefers to hang around the hotel, calling home to his children each day after school. “It’s the ultimate opportunity for a club like this. We plan on taking advantage of it.”

Finally, after a week of waiting, it’s gameday in Mertagne. One more time for this team back in the locker room - one more time, perhaps, together as a team. Who knows if this group of 23 men will ever share a locker room again. They are determined to make it count.

Bohmer walks in, minutes before the call. Once again, he’s silent. Perhaps unsure of what to say to his team. “If you told me this is where we’d be when this season started, I’d have laughed in your face. But we are made for moments like this. All the adversity, all the problems - remember how the media questioned you, ‘loan signings won’t work out,’ ‘Schadre is past it,’ all of that talk. You’ve already thrown all that into the ground. Now kick some f****** dirt in their eye and win this game, you know you can do it.”

And they do. For one beautiful moment in time, Reinbronn are playing like they are the best team in the world. They run Pacifica all over the place - an incredible accomplishment, as Pacifica are certainly more than worthy opponents - in the first half, looking utterly dominant. The first breakthrough came off the boot of Janos rue Belois just 12 minutes in, receiving a pass from Dieter Rosberg - who was having arguably his best game in green, a pretty tough marker to beat - and sending the shot past the goalkeeper. 1-0.

Reinbronn would back off a bit once in the lead, sensing they couldn’t tire themselves out. But still they held control of the game - Pacifica couldn’t do much about the midfield dominance, and the wingers Schatz and rue Belois provided some extra width that was tough to match.

Coming out of the half, however, Pacifica had made several adjustments that made them much better equipped to face Reinbronn, and they started to pile on the pressure. Shot after shot, however, was turned away by the backline led by Josh Meckler. But Reinbronn were beginning to break under the stress. Perhaps the insane purple patch they had been on for about 3 months now was finally catching up. Perhaps they were too tired, unable to find that final percentage point within themselves.

Sometimes, when it looks like all is lost, however, we get a miracle. A puck that should go out of play, hits a camera and stays in. A race that was lost on the first lap, is saved on the final lap thanks to a safety car. And in this case, a pass that should go right to Pacifica’s striker in the box, instead goes right to the boots of Josh Meckler. And Meckler goes to Rosberg. And Rosberg goes to late sub Thomas Schalle. And Schalle finds Schade. And Schade finds… the back of the net. 2-0. Minutes later, Josh Meckler is lifting the IFCF Liga B Champions’ Trophy.

Now they can relax, now they can celebrate. There’s tears in Markus Eichel’s eyes again. The green fireworks are lit off again - there are new songs sung for new heroes, the dream team who somehow came home with a double after a hundred-year drought.

It’s emotional, it’s sweet, it’s almost like a movie. Or a 7-part documentary series, that too. And all of that emotion, all of that intense feeling, is all let out a few days later back in Reinbronn as the team take an open bus through the city.

The streets are lined with fans, everything has been painted green, everyone is wearing green. The players laugh and celebrate from the top of the bus, the President’s Cup and the IFCF Liga B Champions’ Trophy on display for all to see. Reinbronn have gained a generation of young fans in one week, a generation of neutrals who have a soft spot for the Hunters.

For these 23 - 24 really, counting their leader - they have become legends. A city eternally in their gratitude. Ready to cheer them on for more and more. On the bus, Markus Eichel gives Bohmer a massive hug - he was right to put his trust in this man. When the bus arrives at the stadium, there’s plenty more fun awaiting: autograph sessions, music in the park, fan football matches on the pitch they stand above each week. Josh Meckler and his family sit at a picnic table, happy to take pictures as requested, but just happy to soak in the moment. Schalle and Rosberg kick a ball around with a few kids - the future of this club.

“This is everything I ever dreamed of,” says Eichel in his boardroom that evening.

This is VfL Reinbronn, and they’re just getting started.

by **Siovanija and Teusland** » Sun Dec 24, 2023 2:55 pm

Score! Magazine

STFA Announces Renewed Participation in International Club Football

Football fans: the day we’ve been waiting for is here.

In a press conference today in Stelburg, Siovanija & Teusland Football Association Chairman Michael Bauer was visibly emotional as he announced that “once again, our clubs will compete on the international stage… in IFCF competition, in regional competitions.” The announcement takes effect immediately, meaning that the upcoming season of football will determine the qualifiers for the competition.

The event was a new landmark moment - and important enough that Chancellor Lara Hauser was on stage next to Bauer for the announcement. It was fitting, of course, that Hauser should be there - her government was elected on the broad wave of anti-isolationist public sentiment that followed former Chancellor Ruslan Karamov’s 6 years in power.

Hauser stated “It is a happy day for all football fans in this country, I know - I for one am personally excited to see how FC Teussen Stelburg will perform back on the international stage after all of these years. And it is also a statement to the world - we are back.”

Karamov, of course, had been elected on his own broad wave of isolationist public sentiment. 20 years since the opening of Siovanija & Teusland to the wider world, there had been great successes but, particularly in the final years of Chancellor Dominik Meier’s term in office, moments that had made the public question the government’s decisionmaking. Why do we need to involve ourselves with the affairs of far-away nations? The nuclear incident with Banija, the Kitara crisis, and Meier’s failed campaign to keep the Euran Oceania Territories in what is now Arrosia, were all parts of this.

Karamov, once in power, pulled Siovanija & Teusland back from centre stage. But this came with further consequences - the economy of Teusland in particular, which had become very much tied to international trade, suffered. As part of these government policies, participation in international sport was also put on hold - an extremely unpopular decision amongst all except the hard-liners in Karamov’s cabinet. In Teusland, they called all of this die Abwesenheit - the absence.

Football was affected - hard. New laws on work visas meant that the large majority of foreign players had to leave the country. Clubs lost legends and heroes overnight. As things got worse economically, the clubs tied to those key industries - think of cities like Felsenkirchen, St. Jakob, and Pomorie/Marzig, wealth tied to the international trade routes they served from their harbours - suffered too. FC Teussen Stelburg, who lost no players and remained the richest club in the country, suffered the least of all. Fortunes ebbed and flowed very quickly during this period.

We will spare the reader the recap of everything that has led to this moment - die Wiedereroffnung or the reopening. It will be covered in great detail in personal accounts and historical records. But on the football side, what can fans expect from the new era?

First of all, forget the word ‘Republikaliga.’ The isolation claimed many casualties, and this was one of them. Economic issues saw the league go bust 3 years ago, and after intense negotiations, the STFA stepped in. The old regional league system has been restored, with a twist. While in the past, there was a Teus champion and a Siovanijan champion, with the President’s Cup winner declared national champion, this time around, the winners of each of the 8 top-tier regional leagues play in the Meisterschaft, to determine the national champion. It is also this league that will now once again allocate the 4 IFCF spots available.

Right before the absence, some of the biggest names in world football plied their trade in this country. Siovanija & Teusland itself had a football team on the rise. Now of course, both of these things will need to slowly be regained. But there are still some recognizable names in the league. Dieter Rosberg, the star for VfL Reinbronn in their IFCF Liga B Champion’s Trophy victory all those years ago, is the key man for FC Felsenkirchen 1879 these days. Gustaf Liechtenstein is an FC Teussen Stelburg legend. Blahoslav Zak is a bit of a stretch - he was just graduating FK Metropola Borograd’s youth academy last time around - but has developed into the nation’s top striker. Thorsten Kramer won 3 titles with FC Teussen Stelburg, including the final Republikaliga season, before calling it a career - but did you really think he wouldn’t be around in some capacity? After a successful year coaching in Teussen’s academy, he is now the manager for the Krutenau Kickers, a small club from a Stelburg neighbourhood that will compete in the Regionalliga Stelburg.

There will be plenty of information to report and news to follow once again from us, as football in Siovanija & Teusland returns to the world - look out for the updates to come! It’s good to be back.

by **Siovanija and Teusland** » Sun Dec 24, 2023 2:58 pm

Regionalliga Alpisko

The Region

Centred in the south-eastern part of Siovanija, the Regionalliga Alpisko includes clubs from the states of Granitsa, Srednja and Vrnovo i Ostrovi. The largest cities in the region include Chernovets, Bukovets, Siovanska Gora and Vrnovo.

Historically, this region has been the heartland of the Siovanijan economy. Granitsa, along the border with Teusland, was a region that developed heavy industry during the days of the Teus Empire and continued as the centre of Siovanija’s economy after that time. The cities of Chernovets and Bukovets are particularly known in the country for their interesting histories: for many years, due to the military and scientific industries based in these cities, they were closed cities that could not be accessed without government permission. While these restrictions are now gone, the arms industry (Bukovets) and energy industry (Chernovets) are still major players in the local economy.

The Srednja, with mountains and the border to Teusland in the east and the ocean to the south, is another area of economic abundance. The Ljublanica river, the largest in Siovanija, passes through the region, and cities like Siovanska Gora and Vojnik have always prospered thanks to this. South of the coast are the Southern Islands, once uninhabited but over hundreds of years settled by Siovanijans thanks to their beneficial position along major trade routes. Vrnovo is the largest city by far, and the islands are different from the mainland culturally and in terms of their climate. While Siovanija & Teusland suffers long, hard winters, in Vrnovo the sun shines year round. People are laid-back and relaxed here, a culture that enjoys life. Vrnovo, as a result, is popular year round for vacationers from the rest of the country.

During the isolation, this was also the hardest-hit region of Siovanija, particularly the Granitsa region. This area, as the heartland of Siovanija’s industrial core, was linked closely to the Teus economy and the international shipping ports of Marlesee, Felsenkirchen and St. Jakob that suffered from the loss of trade. The tension wasn’t quite so bad here as in other parts of the country, but Energija Chernovets fans protested the government weekly by the end of the Karamov period. A resentment towards the capital has grown, and Chernovets fans in particular have started to embrace an idea of regional identity being stronger than the national.

Football wise, this has always been a strong region. 5 of the 8 Regionalliga clubs had previously played in the Republikaliga, and of course Energija Chernovets are the best of all. The populous region has seen many of Siovanija’s top players come from this area, and fans in cities such as Bukovets have welcomed the ability to compete with their regional rivals on a more direct level. One could argue that of all the Siovanijan leagues, this one has the most depth - although Energija Chernovets will be the heavy favourites to come away with the title.

Reason to Follow This Regionalliga instead of the 7 Others

If you don’t mind the fact that the winner is 99% certain, the field from 2-6 should be extremely volatile and provide great excitement. Also, it has Energija Chernovets, one of the premier clubs of the country.

The Clubs

For fans of the club Admiral Severno, being able to compete in this league with some of the biggest clubs from their region is an honour. Admiral never reached a level higher than the 2nd tier of the Republikaliga, and the small-town club can take pride from the chance to face Energija Chernovets 4 times this season. Severno, a small fishing town on the south coast of Siovanija, was hit hard by the isolation and fans of this club were very vocal in their opposition to it.

Arsenal Bukovets, one of two clubs from the city, make up part of the clubs expected to be in and around the middle of the table in this division. They have Republikaliga pedigree, with 3 seasons played in that competition, however, they only managed to avoid relegation in one of those seasons. This is a solid squad, the key player being Andrey Stojko in midfield. Don’t expect them to challenge Chernovets, but for their fans, what matters is winning the fierce derby with the cross-town neighbours.

That brings us next to Energija Chernovets, and what is there to say about such a club? In the Republikaliga era, they were Siovanija’s most successful club with 7 trophies, including two-time regional cup winners. It could be argued that Chernovets’ name is even bigger than the Borograd clubs abroad, and second only to FC Teussen Stelburg in modern-day prestige. Once the home to many great international stars, the club is currently led by names keen fans might still be familiar with: Jaroslav Jezek developed into a fine right winger and is a dominant force for the Canaries, while Taras Maksimov is now the veteran leader and captain of this squad in defence. Another name to remember is Lucian Sarmov, the young forward had a break-out season last year and they will be expecting more of the same from him this year. There is no acceptable result for the Canaries other than winning this division and advancing to the Meisterschaft, as they are far above the skill level of the other teams present.

FK Raketa Bukovets are next, and we can all enjoy getting to see the Bukovets derby 4 times this season. These clubs do not like each other at all, and the renewal of hostilities has been fun to watch. Historically, Raketa draw support from the north of the city and Arsenal the south, and while Raketa have more success historically (2 Siovanijan championships in the pre-Republikaliga era) the derby itself is always a fixture that can go either way. Raketa’s squad is boosted by the presence of Adam Stajan, the veteran forward scoring for fun at times over the last few seasons. They will be hoping to compete for that #2 spot in the league.

Another club with a Republikaliga history are NK Siovanska Gora, although that history adds up to just 1 season for the Pigeons in which they were immediately relegated. Siovanska Gora is the 4th largest city in Siovanija, but lacks a true local identity as much of its population are those who have moved there for the strong local economy. The club, too, was regularly derided by other fans as ‘plastic,’ playing in a 35,000 seater that was usually half-empty in the second tier. The club have seen more investment and been adopted more by the locals, however, since the return to the Regionalliga system, as while the Republikaliga title was a far-away, impossible dream, being one of the best in the region is something fitting of a club from such a city. With club legend and captain Tomas Varazov, the keeper, the Pigeons will be hoping to compete for that second position.

NK Vojnik and NK Vrnovo are certainly the two smallest clubs in the league, and between them will be fighting to avoid relegation to the second tier. Both remained relatively obscure in the Republikaliga era, NK Vrnovo’s biggest highlight being a memorable President’s Cup run that concluded with a loss to their city rivals. These teams lack quality, frankly, although you would have to say Vrnovo are a step up from Vojnik and should be the likelier of the two to avoid the drop.

Finally, we have Vrnovo Mesto, who spent a good amount of time in the Republikaliga and became famous for their highly-effective, heavily defensive style of play that ran in contrast with much of the league. Daniel Pingov, who was once the lynchpin of those teams at central defender, is now the manager of the club, and has employed a similar style. Vrnovo have a strong, disciplined squad that fits Pingov’s vision perfectly, and they should be strong contenders for the #2 position.

Results

# 1. Regionalliga Alpisko  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Energija Chernovets       28   18   7   3    87   31  +56    61     Champions
2 Vrnovo Mesto              28   15   4   9    34   22  +12    49
3 FK Raketa Bukovets        28   11  10   7    61   56   +5    43
4 Arsenal Bukovets          28   11   9   8    51   40  +11    42
5 NK Siovanska Gora         28   10  11   7    55   42  +13    41
6 Admiral Severno           28    9   7  12    28   42  −14    34
7 NK Vrnovo                 28    5   7  16    27   61  −34    22
8 NK Vojnik                 28    3   5  20    18   67  −49    14     Relegated

# 2. Regionalliga Alpisko  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Ljublanski Lihovar        28   15   7   6    52   37  +15    52     Promoted
2 Crveno-Zeleni             28   15   5   8    49   37  +12    50
3 Slavija Karapelit         28   12   6  10    52   37  +15    42
4 Lipica Konjibor           28   12   4  12    49   47   +2    40
5 FK Sinemorets             28    8  11   9    46   42   +4    35
6 Trojlistek Boleslav       28   10   5  13    42   38   +4    35
7 Stari Trg                 28    8   5  15    28   53  −25    29
8 Olimpija Topolovgrad      28    7   7  14    31   58  −27    28

Season Summary

After 28 matchdays, as expected, Energija Chernovets have won the Regionalliga Alpisko and advance to the Meisterschaft. An incredible offensive style, led by the star young forward Lucian Samrov, who had 34 goals, saw the club score 87 in total this year across just 28 games. The club went undefeated for the first 13 matches of the season, before finally dropping one at the exact halfpoint, a 1-0 loss away to Vrnovo Mesto. Another loss followed soon after, this time at home against NK Siovanska Gora, but any doubts as to Chernovets’ victory in this season were put to rest one week later as they defeated FK Raketa Bukovets by a ridiculous 10-2 score. In the end, it’s a difference of 12 points at the top, and a stunning goal difference of +56. Chernovets certainly proved they are ready to compete on the national level.

Claiming the second spot, in the end, was Vrnovo Mesto. The first 10 matchdays were rough for the club, seeing them lose 3 times - including against NK Vojnik and Admiral Severno, both games that should have been wins for the club. But things really came together for them after the result against Chernovets - the 1-0 home win was part of a run of 4 wins in 5 games. Where Vrnovo really separated from the pack was a six-game unbeaten run at the end of the season, including a draw with Chernovets, to see them grab second place. While it won’t qualify them for the Meisterschaft, it’s a result to be proud of and does mean extra prize money.

The two Bukovets clubs, Raketa and Arsenal. managed 3rd and 4th respectively. The derby matches this season were hotly contested: a 1-1 draw in their first meeting on matchday 3, then a 3-3 draw in the second meeting of the season. The scoreline kept increasing as the season went on, but still the sides couldn’t be separated: 4-4 was the next draw. The final derby of the season, with both sides competing still for positioning in the league, ended 1-1 after controversy saw Arsenal denied a late penalty that later review showed should have been given. Had that penalty been awarded, Arsenal would have finished above Bukovets in the standings - but of course, Raketa will point to their disallowed goal in the second derby as well. 18 goals between the sides across those 4 games meant plenty of excitement, and next year the battle for bragging rights will be enormous.

Siovanska Gora and Admiral Severno were next in the order, 5th and 6th respectively. Siovanska Gora put up a solid fight with the other former Republikaliga clubs, ending up just 1 point behind Arsenal in 4th, but the difference likely came in a late-season run where the Pigeons held leads against Vrnovo, Arsenal and Raketa - and threw all of them away and had to settle for draws. They missed an edge of clinicalism, and it dearly cost them. Admiral Severno, meanwhile, can be very proud of their season, ending with 34 points, far more than would’ve been expected of them. The 1-0 away win over Arsenal Bukovets on matchday 12 will stand as the highlight of a season to remember.

NK Vrnovo, meanwhile, were certainly a class above the ill-fated NK Vojnik, who won only 3 games all year and never really offered any hope of doing anything other than relegation. Vojnik will head down to the second tier and be replaced by Ljublanski Lihovar, who were without doubt the most consistent of the second tier teams.

Energija Chernovets will now prepare to compete for the national title, as more results from the Regionalligas are to come!

by **Siovanija and Teusland** » Sun Dec 24, 2023 3:09 pm

Many years ago…

Anton Gerber sat at his desk, looking out over the Stelburg sky.

It was a typical gray, rainy day. The office of the Republikaliga, a skyscraper on the north side of Marzigerplatz in the downtown core of the city, had a beautiful view over the old historic town, and Gerber loved to admire it in between work. He had taken over as CEO of Republikaliga GmbH almost exactly a year previously - and at the time, it felt like an incredible career step. One of the top football leagues in the world and growing, with clubs that were bringing home a solid amount of international silverware. Overseas TV deals meant the clubs - and the league itself - made a good amount of money, and Gerber himself was popular amongst the clubs. After all, they had elected him. It was a license to print money.

Turning from the window, he glanced again at the newspaper: “Karamov announces new cabinet.” This was the only worry he could have. The TV behind him, announcing the same news, played a clip from Karamov’s election campaign.

”Dominik Meier allowed foreign agents to gain access to our nuclear facilities. Dominik Meier failed to keep the Euran Oceania Territories within the region. Dominik Meier will drag us into a war over Nyowani Kitara. Meier is the latest in a line of Teus imperialists who want to dominate Siovanija and the world - do not let him! This nation is based on a union of brotherhood, a union that survived over 100 years on its own.”

It was a style of politics not seen before in Siovanija & Teusland. But for Ruslan Karamov, it had worked: his Republican Party won 169 seats in the election, 108 of them coming in Siovanija. And alongside the Social Union and Greens in a coalition, he had just enough seats for a majority government. The years Karamov had spent building the base of his party, left-wing social principles mixed with strong anti-globalization and economic nationalism, had paid off. After 19 years, the National Democratic Union’s run in government had been ended. Karamov beamed with pride - but within big business, there was great worry. In Teusland, for many, the result was a betrayal of that brotherhood Karamov claimed to uphold.

Gerber had much on his mind when the phone rang - “he’s here,” the secretary noted. Moments later, into the office stepped Ivan Voynov, the new Minister for Sport in Karamov’s government. Gerber stood to greet him, the two men shook hands, and Gerber returned to his desk. On the agenda was a discussion about the future of the Republikaliga in the new government.

“Feel free to sit,” said Gerber.

A smile. “I don’t think that will be necessary.”

Gerber began. “I’m glad to meet you, Minister. I’ve come up with several ideas and proposals for how we ca-”

“I assure you, Herr Gerber, everything has been decided already,” said Voynov, with his smile one Gerber could only take as arrogance. “Based on the legislation that the government will be tabling upon the beginning of the next parliamentary session, I suggest that you review these documents and ensure the league is compliant.” He placed a binder on the desk.

Gerber looked up with concern. “I find it interesting that you prepared all of this before our discussion, Minister.”

“Yes, well, there are important things to deal with and frankly, this is not one of them. There isn’t room for discussion as everything important here will be passed into law soon.”

Gerber opened the binder.

Ivanov continued: “In case you would like a brief summary, for any quick questions you have while I am here. There will be no exceptions for foreign players on the new work visa laws. Any foreign TV contract will be taxed at the new rates applicable for companies doing business abroad. Finally, we expect there will be no further participation in international competition following the new taxation rules and other encouragements that will be provided to ensure business is done nationally.”

Gerber looked up in amazement. “You will destroy football in this country.”

Ivanov kept that same look on his face. “Herr Gerber, at a time when the people are being asked to make sacrifices and be part of the Chancellor’s vision: inward-focus and development of the brother nations. You are suggesting that exceptions be made for the millionaire footballers and the billionaire club owners?”

Gerber sat in silence. He had expected some changes - maybe a foreign player limit - but what the fuck was this? Ivanov turned and headed for the door, but turned around for one final comment.

“By the way. The next season of the Republikaliga is set to have only 6 Siovanijan clubs in the top tier. Last year it was only 5. This is not quite the equality of nations that our constitution demands, I believe. While we unfortunately cannot legislate such a change, I suggest you look into ensuring equal numbers.”

With that, Ivanov left. The meeting scheduled for an hour lasted only 4 minutes. Gerber stared at the words on the binder in front of him - this was, plain and simple, a disaster. He began calling various league sponsors - perhaps the league’s allies in big business could put pressure? But after a few calls, and similar responses everywhere - “they’re putting the squeeze on everyone” “my port will close in 6 months with these fucking laws” - he realized his allies could do nothing.

The next time Gerber saw Minister Ivanov was at the press conference 6 weeks later announcing the changes: no foreign players, no IFCF. And of course, Ivanov had that same, smug, smile on his face as he watched Gerber speak.

by **Siovanija and Teusland** » Sat Jan 20, 2024 9:14 am

Regionalliga Borograd

The Region

The Regionalliga Borograd includes clubs from the capital city of Siovanija & Teusland, Borograd, which combined with its greater urban area is its own state, as well as clubs from the southern half of the state of Ljublanica, which surrounds the city-state. The largest cities are Borograd, of course, as well as Venkovets, Orlovets, Orlovska Bistrica and Draijagrad.

The city of Borograd is the historic capital and centre of the Siovanijan nation. The city was the capital of the old Siovanijan Empire, and retained a prestige even during the years that all of Siovanija came under the domain of the Teus Empire, when it was considered by the Teus as Siovanija’s cultural capital. While Vlaikograd once upon a time was a competitor for prestige, in the modern day Siovanija is very much a nation with 1 primary city, in contrast to the neighbours to the east. In 1808, Borograd was a hub for the liberal ideas that brought about the Siovanijan Revolution and independence, and in 1896 it was declared the capital of the new United Republics of Siovanija & Teusland.

The region surrounding Borograd, also known as the Capital Metropolitan Zone, is home to various commuter centres, such as Venkovets. As the national capital, Borograd is home to the public service as well as plenty of other service industries, and these employees often live in the broader metro area. In the neighbouring state of Ljublanica, cities such as Orlovets and Orlovska Bistrica made their wealth off the bounty of the Ljublanica River, while Draijagrad in the east is an industrial hub. The region between Orlovska Bistrica and Vlaikograd is known for its natural beauty and national parks, popular among day trippers from the capital.

This was the one area of Siovanija & Teusland that can claim to be positively affected by the isolation. It was voters in Borograd and area who handed Ruslan Karamov his first government in the 50th election, and despite Karamov’s brutal defeat in the most recent election, many voters in Borograd stuck with his Republican Party. The economic reforms brought more wealth to Borograd while hurting many of the Teus cities that had surpassed it, as well as prioritized those service-focused industries over the globalized, industrial economy of Teusland. Even those in other parts of Siovanija, by the end, felt that Karamov was enriching Borograd, his home city, over the rest of the nation. Thus, the city’s future role is up for debate. With work needing to be done to placate those in the rest of the country who suffered under isolation, what role does the capital play?

Football wise, Borograd is home to two of the country’s most legendary clubs: Olympia Borograd and FK Metropola Borograd. These clubs contributed numerous players to Siovanija & Teusland international teams, and often competed over the title of Siovanija’s finest. Olympia, in the early years of the Republikaliga, seemed primed to dominate in the new era: with Ivo Romanov and Krasimir Kynev in the squad, they set a league total points record in season 3’s title win. However, as it turned out that would be their final trophy of the Republikaliga era. Metropola, meanwhile, struggled at the beginning but had great success at the end: 3 Republikaliga titles and 3 President’s Cup victories. The two clubs have a fierce rivalry and the derby matches will be critical this year.

Other former Republikaliga clubs in the region include FK Venkovets, who had an extended run as a Republikaliga cult club, SK Republika Borograd, the other team from the capital, as well as FK Orlovska Bistrica and Rudar Draijagrad, both of whom had a cup of coffee in the former top tier. While the league may seem like a two-horse race from the outside, there is sure to be excitement up and down the table.

Reason to Follow This Regionalliga instead of the 7 Others

If you are a fan of either of the two big Borograd clubs, this is the league for you. Alternatively, perhaps you enjoyed the isolation, or really hate Teusland.

The Clubs

The age-old debate has always been which of the two Borograd clubs is bigger, and while historically Olympia might get the nod, in this moment FK Metropola Borograd have to be considered just a step ahead of their neighbours. An excellent youth generation in the final years of the Republikaliga grew into a dominating force in that league: Rostislav Jagr in the middle, Blahoslav Zak up top banging in the goals. Metropola took home the President’s Cup last year, and the offensive-minded Violets will be looking for more silverware this year - and to further their claim as the best club in Siovanija.

Another alumni of the former top tier competing here are FK Orlovska Bistrica, who were a founding member of the Republikaliga before spending years bouncing between the top two divisions. The finest moment for the club was in the Republikaliga’s first season, in a successful 10th place finish. The Eagles’ prestige, however, has dropped in the years since the Republikaliga folded, and they seem to have lost some of their former aura. In this league, the race will be for who can come 3rd behind Olympia and Metropola, and right now it doesn’t seem like the Eagles are the club that can do that, with a collection of attackers that is not quite up to the level of other clubs in what is quite a strong Regionalliga.

The commuter city in the north of Borograd, FK Venkovets were once upon a time a well-respected midtable Republikaliga side. Since promotion for the first time in season 8, they made a habit out of getting solid results for their size. In particular, they had their fair share of famous wins against the big 2 Borograd clubs they considered rivals. The Republikaliga is gone now, but Venkovets’ reputation for a well-disciplined side is not. Stanislav Lojkovic is the star left winger in a solid attack, and Venkovets can expect to be fighting for that 3rd place position in this league - maybe even higher, if they can find some of their old magic that allowed them to defeat the capital clubs many more times than a club of their level would have expected.

There is an argument over which of the Siovanijan Regionalligas has the better teams: many fans of Borograd clubs point to 6 former top-tier clubs vs 4. On the other hand, fans of clubs in the Alpisko point to clubs like Jaromirgrad. Jaromirgrad is a town located on the outskirts of Borograd, that hosts the restored former palace of a Siovanijan Emperor, and little else. The football club benefitted like many others from the overall boost to the Borograd region, but they are very much in ‘just happy to be here’ territory in this league. Jaromirgrad had never played in a professional tier of the Republikaliga before, but now find themselves facing Olympia and Metropola a total of 8 times per year. Let’s see how that works out for them this time around.

NK Karjaska Gora are another club in ‘very happy to be here’ territory. The town itself is gorgeous, along a river and with plenty of hiking and outdoor activities around, it will be a very popular away day. The club itself is another that was, simply, mediocre in its history, and can’t really expect to do much in this league. However, they have earned a right to be here too, and although their stadium may be very, very small (3500 seats) it will be filled every game as they have some incredibly passionate fans for a club of this size.

Hoping to fight with their rivals for the league title and Meisterschaft qualification are Olympia Borograd. When the Republikaliga era first began, many fans across the country had fears: ‘all this will do is make Teussen and Olympia dominate everything and trade titles between each other.’ It was thought that Siovanija’s most historically decorated club would parlay that advantage into future success. Things didn’t quite go to plan, and Olympia ended up with a reputation of serial bottlers. The Denis Dezelac/Lojze Kokalj era had sparked new hope, but ran into the most dominant Teussen side of the Republikaliga era as well as the noisy neighbours with a star-studded side of their own. Dezelac and Kokalj, both years wiser and older now, remain key figures in this squad, while on the right wing Radovan Rezek has developed into another young star. Olympia have a good squad - but shaking a reputation is difficult, and to have any hope of winning back their former glory they will have to exercise their demons in the 4 derby matches this season.

Rudar Draijagrad are another club that once played under Republikaliga lights, the club from the mining town-turned-industrial centre receiving investment from a local businessmen that saw them rapidly move up the leagues to the top level, assembling a young squad that competed with a lot of heart and courage. However, at that point in time it wasn’t meant to be, and relegation sent them back down a tier. While many clubs with a similar story suffered during the isolation, Draijagrad’s proximity to Borograd meant cash kept flowing, and the club will have a good shout at being the #3 team in this league.

When people speak of the Borograd football clubs, it’s often a ‘Big 2’ - but don’t forget SK Republika Borograd. The club has a long history, with the Republika Athletic Club being founded in 1810 in the aftermath of the Siovanijan Revolution. But several factors, including a commitment to amateurism in the early era, and later financial difficulties, left them as the 3rd team in a 2-club city. A new identity was invented, one of a club for those who didn’t feel at home in either Green or Violet, and Republika now boast a very passionate albeit small fanbase. They managed only 1 Republikaliga season, being immediately relegated, but smart investments have meant the club are in a good shape coming out of the isolation period, and they can hope to compete for #3 in the league this season.

Results

# 1. Regionalliga Borograd  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 FK Metropola Borograd      28   16   6   6    58   26  +32    54
2 Olympia Borograd           28   14  10   4    61   41  +20    52
3 FK Venkovets               28   15   5   8    49   36  +13    50
4 SK Republika Borograd      28   12   9   7    62   38  +24    45
5 Rudar Draijagrad           28    7  12   9    45   49   −4    33
6 NK Karjaska Gora           28    9   4  15    36   70  −34    31
7 FK Orlovska Bistrica       28    7   8  13    24   35  −11    29
8 Jaromirgrad                28    3   4  21    20   60  −40    13

# 2. Regionalliga Borograd  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
1 Atletik Orlovets           28   18   3   7    49   29  +20    57
2 FK Kushovo                 28   18   3   7    48   30  +18    57
3 SK Sparta                  28   15   7   6    47   25  +22    52
4 SK Dialikov                28   11   6  11    25   28   −3    39
5 NK Kaskada                 28    9   8  11    25   29   −4    35
6 Ljubljanska                28    8   4  16    25   35  −10    28
7 Zelena Vlaijka             28    8   3  17    20   47  −27    27
8 NK Krakovo                 28    7   2  19    24   40  −16    23

Season Summary

It was certainly closer than they would have liked, but FK Metropola Borograd prevail to win the Borograd Regionalliga! On matchday 1, the Violets were defeated by Olympia at home in a devastating Borograd derby defeat, and all of the talk turned to whether a power-shift was on in the capital city. Let’s be honest, it wasn’t the most convincing campaign from the Violets: only a 4 point margin to FK Venkovets in 3rd. After 10 matchdays, the club had only 5 wins and sat 4th in the table, including a 4-1 derby defeat that had Olympia supporters celebrating already. After that, however, Metropola stormed back. A 3-1 win at the Olimpski-Stadion and a 2-0 win at home over Olympia, part of a 9 match unbeaten run towards the back half of the season, saw them close the gap to the Greens and take the lead and title once again. Blahoslav Zak was the star of the campaign, firing in 23 of the Violets’ 58 goals - but team defence was the key factor in the title, as Metropola gave up only 26 goals over the course of the season. Even in hard times, their structure did not waver, and that is why they have prevailed once again. For Metropola, it means another chance to play for the top prize in the Meisterschaft, and one more victory to lord over the city rivals.

Olympia Borograd fans, look away now. We hate to use that word again, but yes, they bottled it. After beating Metropola 4-1 on the road, and leading the league as far in as matchday 21, Olympia… threw it away. The 3-1 derby defeat at home the very next week saw them overtaken by the Violets, and the week after they lost again at home against Rudar Draijagrad. Those losses pretty much sealed 2nd place for the Borograd club, although they technically still had a very outside shot on the final day, the draw with FK Venkovets instead securing them for 2nd place. Where do you even go from here? Players like Dezelac and Kokalj are some of the club’s finest - but also represent an era of failure. With the international market re-open, are they players you look to cash in on? Something needs to give at Olympia as the longest trophy drought in the club’s history continues.

Finishing 3rd are FK Venkovets, who will be so enthused by their performance this year - they were only 4 points away from Metropola when all was said and done! In 8 matches against the Borograd Big 2, the club managed 2 wins, 3 draws and 3 defeats - all in all a record they can be proud of. Cutting out little mistakes and more overall consistency could honestly have seen them pull off the ultimate shock this year - and that will be the focus for next season, building on the solid foundations laid here and hoping to bring the heat to the top clubs once again. Improvements could be used up front, where the club scored only 49 goals - lowest among the top 4 finishers.

4th and 5th places belong to SK Republika Borograd and Rudar Draijagrad respectively, the former Republikaliga clubs falling in order behind the overachieving Venkovets - but their seasons couldn’t have been more different. Republika were an offensive dynamo, scoring more goals than even the champions Metropola across the season, and 45 points is definitely an overachievement for them. The club can take much pride from such a season. Rudar, on the other hand, scored 45 goals and gave up 49 - not the best performance for the club. 33 points was not a happy result for the club that expected to do more in the battle for 3rd place, however, they can be glad to have finished 5th in the end.

That was due to the great performance of NK Karjaska Gora this season, who claimed 6th place. 31 points for the small club in the mountains is a great, great finish, and they owe much to their fanbase who helped the club turn home turf into a fortress. A 4-3 win over Republika on the penultimate matchday joins a 5-1 win over Rudar Draijagrad as top moments of the season. However, shipping 70 goals points to a need to fix up the defence for next season. FK Orlovska Bistrica, meanwhile, heavily underperformed this season and manager Slava Batic was sacked after a very bad start to the season. There was never any danger of relegation, of course, but 7th and 29 points is a difficult result to take for a team who probably had hoped to end up somewhere closer to 4th position.

Relegation awaits Jaromirgrad, who unfortunately for their supporters could not outperform their expectations for the season. 60 goals conceded was the second-worst in the league, and the club managed just 3 wins. Brave performances against Olympia and Metropola that resulted in a pair of 1-0 home losses were bright spots, and some Olympia fans will admit quietly that Jaromirgrad probably deserved a point against them. However, the effort was futile, and Jaromirgrad drop to the second level. There was a fierce three-way title battle in the second division, and the end the top two sides ended up level on points - but Atletik Orlovets earned their promotion and we will thus get to see the River Orlov derby next year - Atletik vs Orlovska Bistrica.

FK Metropola Borograd become the second club to qualify for the Meisterschaft, as we await further results from the Regionalligas.

by **Siovanija and Teusland** » Sat Jan 20, 2024 9:16 am

A few years ago…

The grainy security camera video played once again on the computer. People going about their daily lives, walking to work or school. Sitting on park benches. The screen showed a warm summer day in Pomorie/Marzig, around 9am. Peak traffic in the downtown business district. Police officer Oleg Vinets had seen this video probably a thousand times by now.

*click*

The camera switched now, to the front entrance of the Bank of Siovanija building. Plenty of people coming and going - on their way to work. Pause. One man exits the bathroom, calmly walks through the lobby - careful to hide his face at all times from the camera - and exits the building.

*click*

The man crosses the Siovanski trg in downtown Pomorie, pausing for just a moment to check his watch.

*click*

Back to the Bank of Siovanija building. Vinets had memorized what happened next: a steady stream of people. The secretary on duty answers her phone. A group of 7 businessmen wait for the elevator. 9 people wait in line to use the ATMs. 12 more are standing in line to see tellers or financial assistants nearby. And then…

The explosion. The screen goes bright, and all that could be heard was the groan of the bomb ripping through the building - and, the part Vinets played on mute: the screams.

*click*

The camera switches again to the outside. You can see the fireball engulf the lower floors of the building - and the effects of the explosion spread to the outside.

Vinets paused the video. He couldn’t watch it one more time - especially when this man, who had caused the deadliest terror attack in the United Republics’ history, was still on the loose.

They called it Black August. August 5, the Bank of Siovanija bombing - 47 dead. August 10, the city’s Mayor - an ally of Chancellor Ruslan Karamov, and thus an enemy of the Teus half of the city - is assassinated. August 12, the Ministry of Economy building is bombed - 15 dead. August 19, a shooting in the downtown core - 2 dead. All of these claimed by the ‘Marzig People’s Battlefront (MVKB). August 24 - in retaliation, the ‘Korjava National Soldiers’ bomb the Teus Community Centre in the district of St. Gustaf. 15 more dead. What was happening in this city?

Pomorie/Marzig had always had problems. There was a reason the Great War had begun here in 1891 - the historic question of whether the city should be Siovanijan or Teus remained unanswered. But being in the same nation, and a great deal of autonomy for the Teus community of the city, had kept the peace for many years.

There was tension, sure. You’d get riots every few times TSV Marzig faced FK Pomorie, maybe one or two times a year an act of vandalism from one community to the other. The election of Ruslan Karamov, however, changed everything.

The sense of betrayal the Teus in Teusland had felt was immense - compare that to those living in Pomorie/Marzig, who felt they had made great sacrifices to help their neighbours and keep the peace. Isolation didn’t help, either. There were two main industries in the city: the services sector, and the port. The services sector was dominated by the Pomorie half of the city; the port and dockyards were mostly staffed by the Teus in Marzig. So when international trade was decimated, so too was the economy of Marzig. Opposition to Karamov and isolation was a matter of survival.

The Teus felt they had compromised a lot to have a happy, peaceful ‘brother nation.’ Despite having a larger population than Siovanija, they had agreed to equally balance the number of seats in the national parliament. They allowed Borograd to be chosen as the nation’s capital, despite Stelburg’s historical importance. In the Korjava, it was felt most of all. This frontier region’s ethnic makeup was about 60% Siovanijan, 40% Teus - the 40% concentrated along the right bank of the River Drai and east towards the Teus border. They had always been Teus - but they begrudgingly accepted also being Siovanijan, to ensure that never again their sons would have to fight and die for their homes. 1.2 million Teus soldiers had died in the Great War, and by percentage of population, Marzig and area was vastly overrepresented in both military and civilian casualties. Those compromises had been made for a reason.

Oleg Vinets sighed. He had voted for Karamov the first time around - a fact never brought up around the Teus officers at the station. Why? For many Siovanijans, the government of Dominik Meier had come to represent excess. Hosting foreign diplomats in Teus palaces, campaigning in referenda in far-away countries, spending big on investments promoting the country’s image abroad. Everyone knew from the very beginning that globalization would change Siovanija & Teusland - the Siovanijans didn’t expect it to be so one-sided. Every industry the Teus specialized in benefitted; Siovanijan industries stagnated. Thinking about it, Vinets thought, how didn’t they see it coming? Global trade and connections had once made Teusland a proud empire, something Siovanija had not achieved. But it wasn’t a vote against Teusland, Vinets told himself. It was a vote for a rebalancing, and to ensure that both halves of the country would have equal opportunity for success. That’s what Ruslan Karamov promised.

A few years later, however, he was beginning to think that Ruslan Karamov was a scam artist. No-one had expected them to be so extreme in their methods - buyer’s remorse, Vinets figured. Karamov’s intervention in Black August hadn’t helped either - while Vinets and the police continued to investigate, with no arrests yet made, Karamov grew frustrated. He deployed military police to the city. What did they do? Nothing except make it harder for the local police to investigate. Now, Karamov was giving a press conference today. Mentally exhausted from the failure to apprehend any of the targets so far, Vinets entered the break room to watch just as Karamov stepped to the podium:

”I’m proud to announce, that after the arrival of our military police, the violence in this city has come to an end. The people of Pomorie can return to their peaceful lives as we continue to hunt the criminals that brought this terrorism upon them. That will be all, thank you.”

Vinets stared at the screen feeling empty. What the fuck world was he living in? There was no way anyone could guarantee the violence was over. In fact, intelligence suggested the MVKB was planning even bigger attacks. And frankly, Vinets said, the mention of ‘people of Pomorie’ instead of Pomorie/Marzig was just inflaming the situation further.

Over the following months, Vinets woke up each morning wondering if today would be the day his city completely collapsed. The Bank of Siovanija bomber would never be caught. Evidence seemed to suggest he was already on a ship leaving the port of Marzig 10 minutes after the bomb went off. The violence continued - not in public places, thank god, but through a low-level gangland conflict between the MKVB and the KNV.

In April of the next year, TSV Marzig and FK Pomorie faced off in the President’s Cup. Fans were banned, and the police had turned Marzig’s stadium into a fortress - you couldn’t get within 2 kilometres of it on game day. Marzig’s 4-1 victory, however, lit another spark. Fireworks in downtown Marzig turned into gangs crossing the river to Pomorie. When the city woke up the next morning, houses had been burned down, cars flipped over, and vandalism was all over. Once again, the city was plunged into crisis. There was discussion that, once Karamov was out of power, there would need to be a referendum on placing the Teus-speaking regions of Korjava back into Teusland.

Oleg Vinets could only wonder what was happening to his country. The Chancellor didn’t seem to care about anything except his own political power - and Vinets couldn’t escape his own guilt of voting for this man. How far would things go? Was a 2nd Great War brewing in the same place once again? The powder keg of Siovanija & Teusland.

The future had once seemed bright. For Oleg Vinets, and millions of other Siovanijans and Teus alike - they still had this, at least, in common - it now seemed like a curse.

by **Siovanija and Teusland** » Sat Jan 20, 2024 9:19 am

Regionalliga Korjava

The Region

The Regionalliga Korjava includes clubs from the state of Korjava, which includes major cities such as Pomorie/Marzig, Stavropol, Ternau, and other population centres include Gabropol and Reichmannsdorf. The state is located in north-east Siovanija, along the border with Teusland, and the River Drai, the longest of the country, has its mouth here in the city of Pomorie/Marzig. In the south of the region, there are a great deal of mountains.

The Korjava (referred to as Vest-Marlebucht in Teus language) is one of the most beautiful, picturesque regions in all of Siovanija & Teusland. Quiet fishing villages along the coast, historic castles along mountains and river valleys. The city of Stavropol has a beautiful harbour, while the old town of Pomorie/Marzig is a national heritage site. The town of Reichmannsdorf, once on the front lines of the Great War, holds an incredible museum dedicated to the conflict and also a restored old town. This is a region filled with great beauty and history.

It has also been a region filled with great strife. The land was mostly inhabited by the Siovanijan people, although not in great number, until the mid-1200s, when as the Teus Empire began to expand, its citizens moved out and spread along the valleys of the River Drai. As the border point between the two states, the region played a key part in the era of the Crusades, when the Teus Catholic Church sent armies into Siovanija to attempt to forcefully convert the mostly pagan population. As a result many crusader castles are still standing in this area. Under the domain of the Teus Empire from 1417 on, the two groups lived largely in peace with each other and settlement took a distinct pattern: west of the Drai lived the Siovanijans, and to the east lived the Teus. When Siovanija broke away from the Empire in the 1808 Revolution, however, it once again became a crisis point, and the Great War started over the dispute of which side should control this area.

In the modern day, the population of the region is split about 60-40 in favour of the Siovanijans, however, it is very regionalized: in the west of the region, namely around the city of Stavropol, you will rarely find a Teus speaker. In the east, villages and towns like Reichmannsdorf, Ternau and Vettweiss are deeply Teus. And in the middle, the city of Pomorie/Marzig is split almost evenly 50-50. The city has always seen a divide because of this, which worsened during the isolation period. The Teus side of the city suffered economically, while the Siovanijan side did not suffer the same issues. Hundreds of years of tensions culminated in Black August, when the city saw acts of violence such as the bombing of a bank and the assassination of its Mayor. There is, still, an uneasy atmosphere in the city - when the NDU won the most recent election and announced the end of isolation, the Teus half of the city celebrated while the Siovanijan side went quiet. There is now a large movement to hold a referendum to split the Teus half of the state and re-join Teusland, something that has large popular support within the region but is opposed by the government at the moment.

In terms of football, there are two clubs on everyone’s lips in this region: TSV Marzig and FK Pomorie. Both were founding members of the Republikaliga, but had different fortunes; Marzig were never relegated, while Pomorie instead were a definite yo-yo club. The clubs were without a doubt most famous for the intense rivalry between them that often led to supporters being banned from attending the away matches. The derby fixture has in fact been played to empty stadiums for the past 2 years following the events of Black August in the city, however, in this season it will re-open to home fans only. Beyond these teams, frankly, there is not that much quality and this league is generally considered one of the weakest of all. The city of Stavropol, with a long history of success in ice hockey, has never been a football city and its biggest club, Traktor, never played in the Republikaliga. There is an interesting mix of clubs from different parts of the region and perhaps one of these smaller clubs can seize the chance to compete with the giants of the region.

Reason to Follow This Regionalliga instead of the 7 Others

If you care more about hooliganism, fireworks, and tensions between various ultras groups, than the actual quality of football on the pitch, this is without a doubt the league for you. In other words, if ‘no pyro no party’ is your mantra, this is the league for you.

The Clubs

1807 Vettweiss are the first in a long list of clubs you’ve likely never heard of. 1807 is not, of course, the year of the club’s founding but of the town’s most famous moment: stopping a brigade of Siovanijan revolutionaries who were looking to raze the town, as the local peasants came together to their city’s aid. The club’s only first division season anywhere, ironically, was in the Teusliga in 1876. It’s been quite some time, then. The town of Vettweiss, about 45 minutes south of Pomorie/Marzig along the Drai, does not expect much from their club this year, they are just hoping to avoid relegation.

A club who played as high as the 2. Republikaliga, FC Ternau 05 have gone significantly downhill since those heights, unfortunately for their fans. Ternau is the largest Teus-majority city in the Korjava, only 20 minutes across the border from Tesualdn. The club bounced around the divisions, but when isolation hit many clubs hard, Ternau was one of the worst. The club needed to raise money from supporters just to participate in the first Regionalliga season, and have lost several of the key players from the previous era. Ternau are just hoping to avoid relegation and have hope that their fortunes can change in this new era.

FK Pomorie are one of the two giants in this league, and one half of the most intense derby in the country. Wearing red and black, the Guards, as they are known, have a long history and had managed several Siovanijan championships in the old era. In the Republikaliga, however, they failed to find a good grasp of themselves: they were relegated the most times of any club from the top tier, and spent 5 different stints in the top division. They never quite figured it out in this era, and that was capped off by the ultimate humiliation, losing to their eternal enemies Marzig in the Cup final. Marzig might be the bigger club historically, but Pomorie have never stopped fighting them and will do everything they can to stop their rivals. Pomorie benefitted from the isolation, and seem to be in a much better place now than even 5 years ago - can they truly challenge the neighbours over an entire season? The club’s fanbase was strongly in favour of Karamov and the isolation - left-wing Siovanijan nationalism is a large part of the club’s identity, and this has added to the tension in the derby. The squad itself is quite well-balanced, the biggest talent being the young winger Igor Ludmilov, he had an excellent half-season last year and the hope is that he will break out this season. Pomorie will be hoping to fight for first place in the league, but realistically 2nd is probably their best bet.

Across the bay from Stavropol, the much more industrialized and much less beautiful town of Gavropol is home to NK Gavropol. We don’t mean to hate on the town, it really isn’t that bad, but when compared to one of the nicest historic centres in the country it is… not so appealing. NK Gavropol do not have many highlights in their history, the proudest moment being a regional cup win in the 1980s. It’s not a squad that is expected to do all that much in the division this year, and avoiding relegation will be good enough for their fans.

NK Prevala were a name that some keen observers may remember from the lower tiers of the Republikaliga in its final years, a club that stayed firmly in the 3. and 4. Republikaligas for most of its history. Perhaps showing the depth of this league, that makes them one of the most prestigious clubs here and sees them with a solid chance of finishing in the #3 position. What really defines this Prevala team, however, is the commitment to strong defending. Manager Stefan Kozlov has really drilled the mentality into his team, and while their matches may not be the most exciting for the neutral, it has given them good results in the past.

A club from a city with not much football prestige for its size, Traktor Stavropol are hoping to change their story. Stavropol, the second largest city in the Korjava but one of the largest in Siovanija as a whole, was the biggest city in the country to never have a team in the top tier of the Republikaliga. While the city has seen great success in ice hockey, football was never really it’s ‘thing.’ Stavropol took a hit during the isolation, as one of Siovanija’s biggest port cities, but there has been a goal recently amongst the owners of Traktor to see them reach new heights. They are hoping to be in that fight for 3rd place this season.

The historically biggest club of the region is TSV Marzig, the club of the Teus-speakers in the city of Pomorie/Marzig. The Knights are the hated, eternal enemies of FK Pomorie, and historically the club in white and light blue have been the best of the city: 8 Siovanijan championships in the historic era and a total of 10 President’s Cup wins, including 2 in the Republikaliga era. While the club aren’t a giant like FC Teussen Stelburg or Olympia Borograd, they are giants in their region and a prestigious club. The rivalry with Pomorie has been a symbol of the divide in the city, and after the events of the period of isolation the hatred has unfortunately only gotten worse. The tense atmosphere in the derby applies to any match between Teus-speaking and Siovanijan-speaking clubs in this league at the moment, and Marzig’s ultras are at the forefront of it. It’s something the club has tried to stamp out - and great progress had been made, before the isolation. On the pitch, Marzig have to be expecting to win this championship this season. They have the deepest and strongest squad in the league, and are led by their dynamic midfielder Josef Kosch-Kovarik, the 28 year old has been described by many in the media as playing ‘a bit like Thorsten Kramer,’ and while nowadays that label gets applied to almost any Teus midfielder who scores goals, ‘JKK’ as the fans know him is the real deal, with 15 last season. The expectation on Marzig is to finish 1st.

Just a few kilometres to the north of Pomorie/Marzig is the Teus-speaking city of St. Gustaf, home to TSV Sankt Gustaf. The town was built around an old Crusader garrison and church, and took the name of the order that spent hundreds of years headquartered in the town. Those from Marzig call St. Gustaf just another district of their city, due to their proximity, but those in the town itself consider themselves quite separate. The club itself don’t have much in terms of a prestigious history, but have a solid group of loyal fans who always make them an interesting watch. Their fans aren’t nearly as troublesome as their neighbours in Marzig, giving them a good reputation in the region. The club are expecting to be in the middle of the table this season, probably not good enough to fight for 3rd but above the teams at risk of relegation.

Results

# 1. Regionalliga Korjava  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
1 TSV Marzig                28   19   3   6    69   25  +44    60
2 FK Pomorie                28   17   9   2    68   27  +41    60
3 NK Prevala                28   11   6  11    19   20   −1    39
4 TSV Sankt Gustaf          28   11   6  11    30   40  −10    39
5 Traktor Stavropol         28    9   8  11    45   37   +8    35
6 NK Gabropol               28    9   5  14    27   43  −16    32
7 FC Ternau 05              28    5   8  15    16   52  −36    23
8 1807 Vettweiss            28    5   7  16    13   43  −30    22

# 2. Regionalliga Korjava  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
1 Hechingen                 28   18   6   4    35   19  +16    60
2 FK Stavropol              28   15   8   5    46   24  +22    53
3 FK Shivechevo             28   11   8   9    30   26   +4    41
4 Draija Debelets           28   12   5  11    40   38   +2    41
5 VfL Reichmannsdorf        28    6  13   9    21   28   −7    31
6 NK Sveti Ivan             28    7   9  12    24   27   −3    30
7 1907 Kronenbruck          28    9   2  17    28   47  −19    29
8 NK Kamenovo               28    7   3  18    28   43  −15    24

Season Summary

TSV Marzig come away with the championship - but wow, what a battle between them and rivals FK Pomorie! In the end, the title is decided on goal difference on the final day - Marzig’s 5-1 win over Vettweiss was enough to keep their goal differential lead, as Pomorie could only win 3-0 in Gabropol. For the Knights, the title was won through their excellent performances in the Pomorie/Marzig derby this season. The club won both of the matches played in their home arena, and managed to draw once and lose once to Pomorie. Those 7 points gained in the derby fixtures, compared to 4 for their rivals, ensured they prevailed. As expected, Josef Kosch-Kovarik was the best player in the league and had 16 of Marzig’s 69 goals, including a brace in the all-important final day win and also the winning goal in a derby match earlier in the season. Marzig missed a bit of consistency through the season - and drew only 3 times, costing themselves some points with 6 losses across the season, of which 4 were by just one goal. Overall, it’s still participation in the Meisterschaft, but Marzig will be looking at improvements for next season.

FK Pomorie fans will be devastated at missing out to their hated rivals on the final day, but can be very proud at the same time. The men in red and black lost only 2 games the entire season - both to Marzig - and scored 68 times, far more than was expected of them. There was hope that Igor Ludmilov would have a break-out year - even the highest expectations of him were matched, as he scored 21 times and truly dominated several games for Pomorie. They just seemed to have that aura of invincibility around them - 12 points were recovered in stoppage time over the course of the season by the Guards. This is a good, young squad that should improve again next season and seems to be truly capable of challenging Marzig going forward.

A long way off the top 2, NK Prevala end up the best of the rest in 3rd place - with some statistics that are only for the true defensive purists’ enjoyment, we are sure. 0.67 goals scored per game, 0.71 goals against per game - they were involved in 5 scoreless draws and won 6 times by 1-0. Stefan Kozlov was incredibly happy with his team’s performance this season, as they really did follow his style to perfection. While they were 21 points off Pomorie by the end of the season, they achieved what they set out to do: best of the rest. And although neutral fans hated to watch, you have to admire their commitment to team defence. Overall, Prevala will be quite happy with this result.

Coming in 4th was TSV Sankt Gustaf, who actually finish level on points with Prevala, and with the exact same 11-6-11 record - the only difference between them being goal differential. It was an interesting season for TSV Sankt Gustaf, one in which they managed some excellent highs, like a 3-1 win over Marzig away in the early phase of the season - but also some big lows, such as a 4-0 loss to FK Pomorie. It was a season where most of the clubs in the middle of the pack were quite close in skill level, and they will feel a sense of disappointment at not taking more advantage of their good run early in the season - after all, while the differences between single places in the Regionalligas may not seem like much, there is important prize money to be won that can help change the fortunes of smaller clubs like this. So, something to build on for Sankt Gustaf, then, and hope that they can be a bit more consistent next season.

Traktor Stavropol will be slightly disappointed with their season - out of the teams finishing between 3rd and 6th, they probably looked the best overall: the only club outside of the top 2 finishers to have a positive goal differential, and an important win over Marzig in the middle of the season gave them great hope. They just seemed to continuously be their own worst enemies: throwing a 2-1 lead in the 87th minute away against Pomorie, and a run of 3 straight games they led 2-0 that ended in 2 draws and a loss towards the end of the season. It wasn’t quite the season of their dreams, but good performances and a young squad means there is optimism to take into next year - especially as the local community in Stavropol continues to embrace the idea of investing in the club, seeing it as an important route to increased civic pride in the city.

NK Gavropol, meanwhile, had a strange season: they looked dead-on to be relegated in the first few matches of the season, losing 5 straight games at one point, but later managed to pick themselves up and through some key results at the right time - they won all of their matches against Ternau, and half against Vettweiss, picking up 6 of their 9 wins against the other bottom clubs - managed to secure their safety in the top division. It’s a season that has met the club’s expectations, despite the poor performances, but one has to wonder: manager Razvigor Dinev had been fired after the poor start, and replaced by Dimitri Sulikov. Was their survival this season simply an extended ‘new manager bounce,’ or do they have the strength to survive next season?

What looked to be a three-way battle for survival turned into a closely-fought 2-way fight, and in the end, FC Ternau 05 will stay up while 1807 Vettweiss are relegated. The rot in Ternau’s squad - and really the club overall - was seen in several blow-out defeats as they gave up a league-worst 52 goals this season. In fact, the Ternauers seemed guaranteed relegation on the final day, tied on points with Vettweiss with a much worse goal difference. However, they pulled off one excellent performance to draw with Stavropol in order to stay up. For Vettweiss, it will be a season to rebuild in the second tier after a season in which they fought so hard, certainly giving more than was expected of them, but still came up just short. Replacing them in the top tier are Hechingen, the club from a town more famous for its castle than its sporting prowess. Hechingen dominated the second tier this season, taking the title by 7 points and only losing 4 matches en route.

TSV Marzig will prepare themselves to be involved in the Meisterschaft, as we continue to see results from the leagues across the country.

by **Siovanija and Teusland** » Sun Jan 28, 2024 9:34 am

A few years ago…

Borograd

... is a marvelous day for football here in Borograd, and the stage is set - the final match of Thorsten Kramer’s career, and the eternal rivals: Olympia Borograd hosting FC Teussen Stelburg. Only these two sides can be champions - Olympia with a win or tie, Teussen needing to win…

Karl Fenster took his seat in the away end of the Olimpski-Stadion in Borograd. It sat 60,000 when full, and today it was probably more than that. There were 6,000 in the Teussen away end - ready to watch their all-time legend, Thorsten Kramer, play the final game of his career, and, with any luck, see their club capture its 7th Republikaliga title. All they had to do was beat the eternal rivals.

It used to be said of Teussen supporters that they “hate 1912 (Stelburg derby rivals) more, but want to beat Olympia Borograd more.” Olympia were the historic rival for championships and trophies, making the result matter more - but there isn’t quite hate like between city neighbours. The last 5 years, however, had changed that.

Karl, and millions like him, had felt betrayed. Teusland was richer than Siovanija, had a bigger population - and yet had made many sacrifices all in the name of brotherhood. Transfer payments, equal seats in parliament - these were done, it was felt, out of the kindness of Teus hearts. There was of course reason for all of this - it was generally felt that the nations were better off together, peace was ensured, and friendship was better than strife, right?

The election of the 49th parliament, then, had felt like a spit in the face. Those bastards - after all we did for them, they vote for the guy who calls us imperialists? Says we have some scheme for world domination? Openly tells us he will destroy industries that are a huge part of Teusland’s economy, while giving boosts for industries that are huge in Siovanija only? Fuck them too!, thought Karl.

Karl and the other 5,999 Teussen fans present jeered and whistled heavily every Olympia player, the Olympia anthems played over the speakers during warm-up, and every word that came over the stadium speaker in Siovanijan. The loudest of boos, and chants that were not repeated in any newspaper, came when the Chancellor himself appeared on the video screen, present in the VIP box. The rows of police separating the Teussen and Olympia fans had to be up to the challenge, as at this point the visiting fans began throwing rocks and cups and whatever they could find into the home end.

Can I really hate them? pondered Karl. He had worked with Siovanijans, gone to school, had friendships. Bantered in the office about Teussen and Olympia. He dated a Siovanijan girl once. All of his life, they had been brother nations. It wasn’t really hate - more like the deep anger and disappointment that comes when someone you have loved does something that hurts you. And over the course of 90 minutes on this day in Borograd, that feeling totally boiled over.

It didn’t take long for the anti-Karamov, anti-government and anti-Siovanija chants to begin from the away end. It was ironic - for years, Olympia fans had called Teussen the ‘empire’s team.’ Now it was Olympia who represented the hated authority. Some of the chants were outrageous, truly the work of some sick minded people. Some in the crowd, frankly, loved it. Since Black August, the vitriol between Siovanijans and Teus had risen to a point unseen in the history of the United Republics. For others, like Karl, hearing those things being chanted hurt.

The game itself? It was 3-0 for Teussen by halftime, Thorsten Kramer with 2 of the goals. There were massive cheers from the away support when it was noticed that Karamov had left the VIP box by the beginning of the second half. It didn’t get much better in the second half.

When the fourth goal went in, the Teussen supporters surged forward and attempted to break the police lines. Fans urinated in plastic bags and sent them flying into the home end. The away section at the Olimpski-Stadion is in the southwest corner of the stadium - whenever an Olympia player took a corner in the second half, he was pelted with beer bottles and other weapons of choice. The fans couldn’t quite break through the lines, but halfway through the second half, the police began removing Olympia supporters from the sections next to the away supporters just in case they did.

5-0 was the final, Teussen winning the trophy to the delight of their travelling fans, who stormed onto the field and vandalized anything with the words ‘Olympia’ or ‘Borograd’ written somewhere on it. They sang the old Teus imperial anthem as Kramer lifted the trophy.

Violence followed in the streets of Borograd, as could only be expected. The walk from the stadium to the central train station was about 900 metres, and although there was a police escort, 6000 Teussen fans were quickly met with thousands of Olympia ultras looking for a fight. It was war in downtown Borograd. Hundreds arrested. Many were put in the hospital. Plenty of property damage caused. Karl had escaped with just a scratch on his arm, from a beer bottle thrown in his general direction by an Olympia ultra in the chaotic aftermath. He’d made sure to be out of the stadium quickly and stuck close to the escort on his way to the station.

Teussen were fined T250,000 by the STFA for the chanting and crowd trouble, and another T500,000 by the Republikaliga itself for ‘failure to control their supporters and damage to another club’s facilities.’

But who the fuck cared? They were champions again.

As Karl sat on the long train ride home to Stelburg after the game, direct and packed with police, he worried for the future of his country. How could brothers be turned against each other so quickly? What was going to happen when things did go back to normal? How could it be normal again?

Football made his thoughts a little brighter. It was a win that would truly be one of the most glorious in the history of the club - they had done their hero and legend proud. In this atmosphere and national climate, a 5-0 win over them was everything. Karl was filled with joy to have seen Thorsten Kramer’s last-ever match.

Little did he know, he had just watched the last-ever Republikaliga match.

by **Siovanija and Teusland** » Sun Jan 28, 2024 9:38 am

Regionalliga Nordkuste

The Region

The Regionalliga Nordkuste contains clubs from the states of Ost-Marlebucht and Nordflachland, both within Teusland. The state of Ost-Marlebucht is in the northwest of Teusland, and its largest city is Marlesee, while the state of Nordflachland is in the northeast of Teusland, and its largest cities are Felsenkirchen and Rotmunde. Other population centres include Immengries, Prattsee and Bainitz.

The north coast of Teusland is an area of interesting similarities and contrasts. One one hand, you have the large cities of Felsenkirchen and Marlesee, both major shipping centres and as a result home to major ports and businesses. Then, all along the coast, you have rolling hills and cliffs that make for a beautiful natural landscape, filled with small villages and towns which are popular amongst Teus vacationers in the summer to rent a cottage near the sea for a weekend. In other places, like on Rotmunde Island and south of Felsenkirchen, the land is flat and perfectly suited for agriculture. Several different kinds of landscapes can be found in the region - and are often backdropped in a grey mist from the sea that adds a bit of mystique as well.

Historically, these regions moved from peripheral areas to core very quickly under the Teus Empire. As the Empire grew and expanded with colonies in various regions, seaports like Felsenkirchen and Marlesee became hugely important. Felsenkirchen went from a regional centre3 to the 3rd largest city in Teusland in about 100 years, while Marlesee, as the closest port to the capital of the Empire in Stelburg, developed greatly as a result. Into the modern day, Felsenkirchen remained the largest port in the country and enjoyed great success and business development as a result.

The period of isolation, then, was a horrible one for this region. The small towns who had tied their economy to the maritime industries suffered first, but the big cities followed soon after. Unemployment rates in Felsenkirchen, Marlesee and Rotmunde during the height of the isolation were some of the highest in the country as the cities scrambled to replace the large amount of business that had been lost. There were anti-government protests almost daily in the final years of Ruslan Karamov’s leadership - and his name is basically the equivalent to a curse word in the region. In the last election, Lara Hauser and the NDU took almost every single seat in these states based on the promise to re-open alone. The situation isn’t as bad now, but for a while cities like Felsenkirchen had been developing a bit of a seedy reputation, especially in and around the old port district.

Football wise, this had always historically been a strong region due to the popularity of football - this region was where the game first spread to the country, due to its connections to the outside world. Clubs like Marlesee 97, FC Rotmunde 1932 and FC Felsenkirchen 1879 were giants regionally - but when the Republikaliga era came about found it harder to compete with the big clubs in the rest of the country. Only Felsenkirchen were able to do so, and enjoyed a prominent worldwide reputation as the club that brought several star foreign players to their shores, along with developing a brilliant squad internally as well. There are no shortage of football clubs here, and 6 of the clubs in this league played Republikaliga football at some point. It is one of the strongest Regionalligas in the country.

Reason to Follow This Regionalliga instead of the 7 Others

If you find yourself asking of the best players in the country, ‘can he do it on a cold and rainy night in Immengries?,’ this is the league for you. In other words, if you enjoy hard, physical play on pitches that during the storm season (10 months of the year) have more water than grass, this is your home.

The Clubs

One of two clubs from the region’s largest city, 1884 Felsenkirchen have always unfortunately been in the shadow of their neighbours. Playing out of the eastern city district of Kiesel, the Pirates draw from a very localized fanbase and do not have the historical success of their blue-wearing neighbours. However, 1884 do have a history in the Republikaliga, spending two seasons in the top tier, and are a club who are always capable of a surprise or putting in a challenge. This is going to be a tough league to do well in for every club, and while the Pirates will be no different, you can expect them to be fighting it out for 4th place in the division.

The second club from the second largest city are Adler Rotmunde, who have quite an interesting history. The original Adler Rotmunde were founded in 1872 and had quite an impressive record in their day: one Teus Empire league championship and 2 President’s Cup titles making the black-whites a staple of northern football and the first club in the city. However, bad financial times in the 1920s saw them fold, and FC Rotmunde 1932 were founded in the aftermath and spent years as the only club in the city. A group of locals invested in bringing back the old name, and so Adler Rotmunde were re-born, languishing in the bottom levels for a very long time before a rapid rise through the ranks in recent years. Now, Adler are looking to write a new chapter in a long history and stake a claim as their city’s finest. Their matches with FC Rotmunde 1932 will be interesting to watch, and the club’s fans have midtable aspirations for this season.

Now we get into the giants of Nordkuste football: FC Felsenkirchen 1879 will be expecting nothing less than victory in the Regionalliga, and to be competing for the national championship later on in the Meisterschaft. They finished runners up to FC Teussen Stelburg in the national competition last year, and have won this league in both seasons since the return to regional competition. Felsenkirchen have an incredibly star-studded lineup: names one might remember from the past include Jesper Porsche, Florian Krukenberg and Dieter Rosberg. They have formed a dominating trio for the Blues, and while they have never truly replaced Lothas Ludwig (a task that, frankly, was impossible), Louis von Stroheim has been excellent ever since joining the club from Stahlberg a few years ago. The Blues were a force in the last years of the Republikaliga, and won the competition twice, forming a fierce rivalry with FC Teussen Stelburg in the process. That rivalry remains fierce alongside the Northeastern derby with Rotmunde, the forever rivals of the Blues. With an incredibly strong attack - perhaps the best in the entire country - Felsenkirchen have ambitions this season that include 1st place in the Regionalliga.

FC Rotmunde 1932 are more than happy to dispute Felsenkirchen’s claim to that 1st place, and the Islanders will have to be on top of their game to do so this season. The club from Rotmunde, a large city on an island just off the coast of Felsenkirchen, are one of great historical pedigree: although founded much later than many other massive clubs, they won 3 President’s Cups in the time it was considered the national championship, alongside 6 Teus championships. Not quite the trophy haul of their biggest rivals, however, and in the Republikaliga era they did not have much notable success. However, after some turbulent years Rotmunde have become a very stable club and while their squad is not quite on Felsenkirchen’s level, this is a good team: Horst Heisner is a dominant force on the left wing, while up front Georg Meer is a solid, reliable option. The derby with Felsenkirchen, and the local rivalry with Adler, will both be good contests this year, and while Rotmunde fans will dream of winning the division, we think that a battle for 2nd place is much more likely for the club.

Marlesee 97 are another name that astute Republikaliga observers will remember as one of the original clubs who played every single season of the top tier. Marlesee were the very definition of a yo-yo club in that era: finishing, for example, 15th in season 6, up to 7th in season 7, and back down to 13th in season 8. They never truly found consistency until the final few seasons, where they were sometimes a threat for Challengers’ Cup competition. As the main club in the largest city in Ost-Marlebucht, the Sea Lions have a great deal of their own historic success, with 8 Teus championships and 5 President’s Cup titles. With the squad led by the likes of Sven Theil, an excellent playmaker, and Andrej Grasshoff an excellent centre back, this is a strong Marlesee squad and they should be heavily involved in the fight for 2nd place in the division. Challenging Felsenkirchen might be a bit more of a stretch, and would need a bit of luck to go Marlesee’s way.

Next up are one of the unluckiest clubs in Siovanja & Teusland football, SVG Bainitz. Why unlucky, you may ask? After years of effort and coming close, the club finally achieved promotion to the Republikaliga - only for the isolation to come the very next season. All of the financial deals and opportunities to sign players that other promoted clubs had were robbed of Bainitz, and they sunk immediately back into the second tier. It’s been something of a hard road since for the club, and this season will be no different. Bainitz is located on the road between Stelburg and Marlesee, and isn’t a town with a whole lot of entertainment on offer. The Republikaliga promotion was the biggest highlight of the club’s history, but may have also cursed them going forward after the money invested in preparations pretty much went to waste as the town was devastated during the isolation. For SVG, they will be hoping simply to avoid relegation.

TSV Prattsee are the second of the 2 teams in the division to have never played in the Republikaliga - but when you consider Adler Rotmunde’s past glories, are perhaps the least prestigious team in a Regionalliga rich with historic clubs. Founded by residents of Marzig who had settled in Prattsee (hence the TSV, otherwise seen only in Teus-speaking clubs in Siovanija), which lies directly on the border with Siovanija, the club bounced around the lower divisions for many seasons and now find themselves in a league perhaps a bit above their historic size. They have proven so far, however, to belong, and a solid defensive structure will be a bit help as they battle to avoid relegation from this tier.

Finally, we reach VfB Marlesee, the second club from the city and another club who spent some time in the Republikaliga. The Marlesee clubs share a blue-white home kit in common, and also many fans: this is a city where the derby rivalry is not all that important, and local civic pride has taken hold. VfB’s largest rivals, in fact, are TSV Prattsee. The Sailors are a bit of an unbalanced squad: they have a really strong attack that is genuinely probably on par with their neighbours and Rotmunde, however, in the midfield/at the back there are clear weaknesses in the team that hold them back. While VfB have always been in their neighbours’ shadows, perhaps with some strong performances this year they can even be competitive with them and really do their city proud. We expect, however, that VfB Marlesee will finish in 4th place in the division: below the real top clubs, but the best of the rest - no small achievement, given the historic prestige one finds in this division.

Results

# 1. Regionalliga Nordkuste  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 FC Felsenkirchen 1879       28   15   7   6    75   46  +29    52     Champions
2 FC Rotmunde 1932            28   14   5   9    55   40  +15    47
3 Marlesee 97                 28   13   7   8    61   41  +20    46
4 VfB Marlesee                28   11   9   8    55   57   −2    42
5 1884 Felsenkirchen          28    9   8  11    46   46    0    35
6 Adler Rotmunde              28   10   5  13    42   50   −8    35
7 TSV Prattsee                28    8   7  13    34   53  −19    31
8 SVG Bainitz                 28    4   8  16    34   69  −35    20     Relegated

# 2. Regionalliga Nordkuste  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Turbine Immengries          28   17   6   5    53   27  +26    57     Promoted
2 Rot-Blau Altona             28   16   6   6    38   26  +12    54
3 FC 1. Norsay                28   13   6   9    34   23  +11    45
4 FC St. Adelheid             28   12   8   8    32   32    0    44
5 Kreuzritter Loningen        28   11   6  11    31   26   +5    39
6 Wolfstadt 98                28    9   7  12    26   35   −9    34
7 SV Sogel                    28    4   8  16    24   44  −20    20
8 SV St. Kunigunde            28    2   9  17    22   47  −25    15

Season Summary

As expected, FC Felsenkirchen 1879 take home the title - although it is certainly a bit closer than many Blues fans would have expected. 5 points is the gap in the end to Rotmunde, but the league title wasn’t really decided until the penultimate matchday when the Blues defeated Rotmunde 3-1 in the derby fixture at Mollin Park to take the gap out of reach - there was every chance going into that game that Rotmunde still could’ve come away with the title. Overall, Felsenkirchen and Rotmunde split their derby fixtures, each winning the home matches. What stands out for Felsenkirchen is just how strong the attack was this season. The link between Jesper Porsche and Dieter Rosberg in midfield was clinical, and they were able to set up Florian Krukenberg and Louis von Stroheim for a bonanza of goals this season. 75 in total is an average of 2.67 per game, and Felsenkirchen actually scored in every single fixture they played in. The concern going into the Meisterschaft will be the number of matches where they just did not start on time, and had to come back from trailing in the first half - while many of these fixtures did end in draws, some were costlier, and that just cannot happen if they seek to be national champions.

FC Rotmunde 1932 can be proud of a strong season in which they really made their rivals sweat. As mentioned, they defeated Felsenkirchen in both fixtures at Veisel, including a 5-4 win early in the season that had them top of the league for a few weeks. It might sound like a cliche, but what failed them in the end was a lack of that ‘killer instinct.’ They lost a few games in which they outperformed the other team but just could not find the back of the net, and lacked that touch of ‘champion’s luck.’ Although Rotmunde had the best defensive record in the division, with 40 goals conceded across the season - 6 less than their rivals in blue - their attacking prowess was not quite of the same level, and with Horst Heisner missing key time due to an injury mid-season, this was the key area that cost them in several games. On this sample size, improvement for next season could see the Islanders able to truly challenge the Blues, and overall they have to be proud of this season.

Marlesee 97 come home in third - and although they were seemingly out of the title race at mid-season, an excellent run at the end of the season, including 6 wins in a row, saw them end up only 1 point behind Rotmunde and 6 behind the leaders. Many pundits argued that over the last few months Marlesee were actually the best team in the league - they end up with the 2nd best goals for, and 2nd best goals against, of all clubs. However, the Sea Lions were slow to start, and did not win until their 4th match of the season. It was too much of a hole for the club to climb out of, and although they did beat Felsenkirchen as part of that six-game run at the end of the season, they need to hit this level for all 28 matches to truly challenge the Blues. Another club that can be proud of their performances and will feel that with some investment in the squad they could take the next step.

Separating themselves from the rest of the rest of the trailing pack were VfB Marlesee, who finished 4th on 42 points. It’s an excellent haul for the club, actually only 4 points behind their neighbours, and a season to be happy about. Ironically, that seems to be the common theme in the Regionalliga Nordkuste this season - everyone is happy with their season, except for the champions. VfB fans will take pride in having done their city well, and also in going undefeated against TSV Prattsee in their derby fixtures this season - 3 wins and a draw. The only area that VfB fans could criticize would be the defending - 57 goals shipped is not great, and they finished on negative goal differential. Some added structure here could really make VfB’s surprising performances this season turn into the usual story going forward.

1884 Felsenkirchen and Adler Rotmunde finish tied on points, 35 each - with the Felsenkirchen club finishing ahead on goal differential. They took quite different paths, however, to get there: the Pirates with 8 draws while Adler had only 5 - they were very much a ‘win or nothing’ team this season, with 10 in the wins column and 13 losses. One similarity, however, was that the brightest moment for each club this season was a win over their city neighbours: 1884 Felsenkirchen defeated their younger neighbours FC Felsenkirchen 1879 2-1 at home, while Adler Rotmunde actually managed to get one over on FC Rotmunde 1932 at Veisel, 3-2 the final in that contest. In the end, however, both clubs will question how they could be so far behind VfB Marlesee and each club will be hoping to make some improvements and changes before the next season.

TSV Prattsee were never really in any relegation danger all season, and the result was quite a risk-free season for them: a good, strong run in the opening matches included a win over Marlesee 97, and by mid-season it was quite clear that they would be safe in 7th place. The main disappointment of the season was the failure to beat derby rivals VfB Marlesee. Finally, as predicted, SVG Bainitz looked quite hapless in 8th place, shipping 69 goals across the season and having only 4 wins. As a result, Bainitz will go down to the 2nd tier of the Regionalliga, and will be replaced by Turbine Immengries, the champions of the lower level. They came out on top in a title race with Rot-Blau Altona, both clubs coming from the Nordflachland state, and in the end Turbine got the job done thanks to their league-best attack. The club from Immengries will be an interesting addition to the league next season.

FC Felsenkirchen 1879, then, will now prepare to challenge for the national title in the Meisterschaft, as we continue to see exciting and interesting results from across the country in the Regionalliga stage of the season.

by **Siovanija and Teusland** » Sun Jan 28, 2024 9:39 am

A few years ago…

Anton Gerber stared at the stack of papers on his desk. The form read, in bold, words he couldn’t bear to speak out loud:

CONFIRMATION OF BANKRUPTCY PROCEEDINGS - REPUBLIKALIGA GMBH

How the fuck did we get here, he thought. Deep down, ever since Ivan fucking Voynov had left his office that day, he knew there wouldn’t be a happy ending. But this?

His brain went through the timeline. He remembered sitting at the table as a negotiator when the contract for prize money agreements with the new 16-team Republikaliga had been signed. Large amounts of money, and a 10 year term. The clubs, especially the non-prestige ones, jumped at the chance - it might be the last chance to get on before the proverbial rocket ‘goes to the moon.’ Gerber and his colleagues laughed at dinner that night. Locked in for 10 years? The Republikaliga had gone from nothing to a strong international league in that time. In the last few years, the AOCL, the Cup Winners’ Cup, all of them had been on display in Republikaliga club trophy cases.

For what the international TV deals could look like in ten years alone, it was a steal for the league. Factoring in international marketing deals, the league’s cut of shirt sales and IFCF prize money and more? The Republikaliga would be laughing all the way to the bank.

And then that IFCF money went away. And then those international marketing deals dried up. And those international TV contracts? Most of the money went to Karamov’s pocket after the new tax laws, and after 5 years of non-participation in IFCF and no foreign players in the league? The TV deal offers from outside were laughable. Domestically, too, sponsors were drying up, due to the hard economic times.

The STFA had been aware of the impending bankruptcy, but Gerber had no hope of assistance from them. Those fucking vultures. They had been slow to the game 20 years ago - not seeing the move coming away from the regional leagues, and ending up needing to endorse the Republikaliga once the original 20 teams had jumped onboard. The Republikaliga led that relationship, not the other way around.

We did once, Gerber thought. The STFA made vague overtures of helpfulness, but Gerber knew they were planning something behind the scenes. Back to the regional leagues? A new league controlled by the STFA directly? Fuck, at this point, the country might not survive until the next season. There had already been talk of the Teus clubs breaking away to form their own league and trying to find a loophole in the rules to allow themselves to re-enter IFCF competition.

Gerber didn’t really care what came next, frankly. He loved football and felt his heart breaking as he watched it die in his country. On top of that, as the Chairman signing this paper, he would forever be linked to the Republikaliga’s collapse. Whatever shape the new league took, he knew he would have no part in it. Thank God, he thought.

One last look around the office he would soon need to vacate, and then his name on the paper. It was official: the Republikaliga was no more.

The next morning, it was announced on the weekly conference call with each of the club’s delegates. That was not a happy experience. Screaming, shouting, arguments… Gerber thought that the league would’ve fallen apart anyways, regardless of the bankruptcy. The Siovanijan clubs felt the Teus clubs were looking to break away - the Teus felt they couldn’t trust the Siovanijans.

Two days later it became public knowledge after a press conference in Stelburg. Gerber made the announcement almost emotionless, already having accepted the death weeks before. Ivan Voynov didn’t bother to fly in this time, but Gerber could still see that smug fucking smile from 5 years before. As the conference wound down, there was time for one final question.

“Mr. Gerber, the shocking collapse of this league has many fans pointing the finger at you. Is that fair? What is the real story, and who in your opinion deserves the blame?”

Gerber, as a league CEO, knew exactly how to answer questions like this the PR-friendly way. Accept your own mistakes as a leader, be vague, be diplomatic. Gerber, however, didn’t give a fuck anymore.

“Ruslan Karamov and Ivan Voynov.”

With that, the Republikaliga was in the history books.

by **Siovanija and Teusland** » Sun Jan 28, 2024 11:34 am

Regionalligas Roundup

Regionalliga Stelburg

In terms of football, this is one of the strongest regions of the country. You could make that case by only looking at one club in particular: FC Teussen Stelburg. Siovanija & Teusland’s most successful, most prestigious, most famous. Famous for their signing policy, only employing Teus players, but also for their number of trophies won, they have fans all over Teusland and you can find their famous black-gold kit in every city of the country. The Regionalliga in Stelburg boasts 5 former Republikaliga clubs in its top tier, and another club that has won a President’s Cup title. 3 clubs had won the Republikaliga in its heyday, including Teussen’s 7 titles. But beyond Teussen, you have important clubs like their rivals 1912 Stelburg, SW Stahlberg, and many more that will make this a hotly contested league.

If you enjoy the history of the Teus Empire, or your dream Teus vacation sees you visiting the cafes and castles of Stelburg plus a day trip to the mountains, this is the league for you. Alternatively, if FC Teussen Stelburg are the only former Republikaliga club you remember, this is the league for you.

Established giants in this league, such as the aforementioned FC Teussen Stelburg, 1912 Stelburg and SW Stahlberg, will all be on the hunt for the championship title and a coveted place in the Meisterschaft this season - you could argue all 3 deserve to be in a top tier league on historical record alone, and it will surely be a fierce battle!

# 1. Regionalliga Stelburg  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 FC Teussen Stelburg        28   16   5   7    77   37  +40    53     Champions
2 SW Stahlberg               28   14   6   8    54   31  +23    48
3 Krutenau Kickers           28   14   4  10    57   51   +6    46
4 1912 Stelburg              28   13   3  12    57   49   +8    42
5 Teufelsberg 97             28   12   6  10    38   35   +3    42
6 VfL Bamerntal              28    9   6  13    40   55  −15    33
7 VfB Launitz                28    8   8  12    42   53  −11    32
8 SV Charlottenberg          28    4   6  18    34   88  −54    18     Relegated

# 2. Regionalliga Stelburg  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
1 Stahl Sterzing             28   19   6   3    56   19  +37    63     Promoted
2 VfB Truiselwald            28   14   5   9    27   23   +4    47
3 FC Kaldenkirchen 1901      28   12   6  10    28   24   +4    42
4 Oststahlberg 08            28   12   4  12    37   33   +4    40
5 Velden-Villach 07          28   10   5  13    33   42   −9    35
6 TSV Horstmar               28    9   8  11    29   40  −11    35
7 Schneemanner Eibsee        28    8   5  15    32   38   −6    29
8 FC Blauwald                28    4   9  15    15   38  −23    21

In the end, it’s FC Teussen Stelburg who take home the trophy! The best offensive performance in the league by far was led by young Patrik Hohenlowe, who scored 30 goals for the black and gold as he continues to become a break-out star for the club. The 2-0 win over SW Stahlberg with just 2 matches remaining in the season proved to be the decisive factor as the historic giants qualify for the Meisterschaft.

Surprising on a positive note were the Krutenau Kickers - the cult club from southwestern Stelburg are managed by legendary former Teussen midfielder Thorsten Kramer, and ‘Kramerball’ as their fans have coined it proved to be a massive success in year one as the club finished in 3rd place. The Kickers are one of many who have taken advantage of the Regionalliga opportunity to make great strides as a club in recent years. On the other hand, 1912 Stelburg will be very disappointed with their performance, as manager Lars Keller has been sacked and finishing 4th place was deemed to be unacceptable by the board and fanbase. They will need better results next season. On the other side, it’s Stahl Sterzing who dominated the second tier - perhaps showing they should’ve been in the first all along - and gained promotion. The club, rivals of SW Stahlberg in both club’s early years before Sterzing had some misfortune, are jubilant to be back and this is a club that if developed properly could really become much more than its current state.

Regionalliga St. Jakob

St. Jakob, the biggest city of the United Republics and once its gateway to the world, suffered greatly under the isolation - but the city is now recovering and, with it, the football culture. While this league extends beyond the boundaries of the metropolitan area - think of the mild fame VfL Reinbronn, FC Einheit Marnau and SV Preisfeld retain as regular Republikaliga participants - the city itself is at its core. FC St. Jakob, the main club representing the biggest city, lacked in the Republikaliga era compared to the other grand cities of the nation - for reasons no-one could ever quite understand. But the birth of the Regionalliga system has led to a renaissance of the game in the city - look at clubs like Rulandea Karlsbrunnen, founded by the Farf diaspora in the city, or Lokomotive Lensbruck, a neighbourhood club that have a new grasp on life in the regional leagues. So while there many not be any all-time legendary clubs in this area, and FC St. Jakob will remain the favourites to be victorious, it will still be an interesting league to follow.

If you hate all of the big clubs in Siovanija & Teusland, this is the league for you. Alternatively, if you are an observer from southwestern Arrosia, the lower leagues here will be of interest to you with clubs run by the Farf and Banijan diaspora in the city participating in the system.

FC St. Jakob are widely expected to be the champions, but you can’t count out the ring of clubs from the industrial cities that dot the River Drai valley outside of the city - Reinbronn, Preisfeld and Marnau will all feel they have a chance at taking down the Saints and reaching the Meisterschaft.

# 1. Regionalliga St. Jakob  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
1 FC St. Jakob                28   19   3   6    59   32  +27    60     Champions
2 SV Preisfeld                28   16   6   6    65   38  +27    54
3 VfL Reinbronn               28   16   4   8    82   41  +41    52
4 FC Einheit Marnau           28   13   9   6    64   39  +25    48
5 VfL Prutseren               28   11   4  13    33   47  −14    37
6 TSV Tarnitz                 28    9   3  16    43   58  −15    30
7 1888 Runsen                 28    5   6  17    29   74  −45    21
8 TSV Konsford                28    3   5  20    23   69  −46    14     Relegated

# 2. Regionalliga St. Jakob  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
1 Rulandea Karlsbrunnen       28   14   5   9    56   43  +13    47     Promoted
2 Lokomotive Lensbruck        28   12   9   7    40   23  +17    45
3 FC Lahnnenbruck 98          28   10  13   5    25   19   +6    43
4 1894 Tarnitz                28   11   9   8    29   27   +2    42
5 Marianfelde Lions           28   10   8  10    32   33   −1    38
6 Rot-Weiss Wilhelmsburg      28   11   5  12    35   46  −11    38
7 1920 Reinbronn              28    7   6  15    25   38  −13    27
8 Metropolitan CFC            28    5   9  14    24   37  −13    24

In the end, FC St. Jakob do prevail, and by a margin of 6 points are champions of the Regionalliga and can begin preparations for the Meisterschaft. It was closely run with SV Preisfeld all season, but the Saints just had an extra clutch gene in them this year - only 3 draws, and 5 of their wins came with winning goals in the final 10 minutes of the match to grab the extra points.

VfL Reinbronn will have hoped to have been closer to the top, but a poor start to the campaign saw their hopes sputtering before they even truly began. At the opposite end, TSV Konsford supporters will likely not have any fond memories of this season as they managed just 3 wins and scored only 23 goals. Coming up to replace them will be Rulandea Karlsbrunnen as the diaspora team will get their spotlight in the top Regionalliga tier.

Regionalliga Sud

The ‘Wild South’ as it was famously known during the Teus Empire - a land of hilly landscapes, some of the finest examples of planned cities in the country (Kaiserhaven, Vorstock), and plenty of tales throughout history of bandits, pirates and even an Antipope. The south is a region greatly romanticized in Teus lore, and it’s no surprise that many fans today were most excited for this league - one with the potential to be the most even in the country. FC Kaiserhaven are the biggest club in the region, but the port city club suffered during the isolation and you can name a group of several who will all have a shot at the title here: Kaiserhaven, Taifun Vorstock, TSV Georg-Blocher and 1828 Pomen. A land of great regional rivalries, and history, the clubs of the Regionalliga Sud will be hoping to write a positive story in their own club’s lore.

If you want a league where 4 clubs could feasibly consider themselves challengers for the title, this is the league for you.

# 1. Regionalliga Sud   Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
1 Taifun Vorstock        28   18   6   4    65   34  +31    60     Champions
2 FC Kaiserhaven         28   17   6   5    74   33  +41    57
3 TSV Georg-Blocher      28   15   6   7    56   42  +14    51
4 1828 Pomen             28   15   2  11    55   32  +23    47
5 TSV Posenford          28    8   5  15    20   42  −22    29
6 VfB Giesenau           28    6   8  14    35   70  −35    26
7 Lintfort               28    4  10  14    27   52  −25    22
8 VfL Magesbach          28    3   9  16    24   51  −27    18     Relegated

# 2. Regionalliga Sud   Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Gegenpapst Pomen       28   19   2   7    49   23  +26    59     Promoted
2 Luttow-Vognitz         28   18   4   6    37   16  +21    58
3 1. FC Vaihingen        28   13   6   9    29   22   +7    45
4 Eintracht Aumuhle      28    9   8  11    23   28   −5    35
5 Fortuna Emmerich       28    9   4  15    21   33  −12    31
6 Ladbergen 1894         28    6  11  11    25   30   −5    29
7 FC Giesenau            28    8   5  15    18   33  −15    29
8 SV Shoringen           28    7   6  15    19   36  −17    27

It’s Taifun Vorstock who pull off an incredible story in the Regionalliga Sud! Vorstock, a small port city about a 25 minute train ride from Kaiserhaven, was always thought of as a hockey town with the football club often taking a back seat. In the final years of the Republikaliga, however, a quick rise through the rankings was underway and that has been sped up further in the Regionalliga era. Long gone are their amateur days, this club will now be ready to play against the likes of FC Teussen Stelburg in the Meisterschaft.

FC Kaiserhaven will be the most disappointed, of course, as the only club from the league who historically had a great consistency in the Republikaliga - they managed to avoid relegation in every season until the final IFCF year. However, the city and club both experienced a downturn in fortunes during the isolation and it may take some time for them to get back up. On the other side, a real cult club will be in the top tier next year: Gegenpapst Pomen, named for the infamous event in the city’s history where an Antipope set up shop in the Pomen Cathedral, have earned their promotion and this neutral’s delight will hope to cause some issues for their city rivals.

Regionalliga Velikzahod

What the South is for Teusland, the Great West is for Siovanija. A land of grand lakes, mythical beasts and Gods, and beautiful landscapes, the region is home to cities like Vlaikograd, once the capital of the pre-modern Siovanijan Empire and surrounded by the Great Lakes, and other important economic cities like Trkev on the coast. When you see postcards from Siovanija, if it’s not of Borograd, the picture likely comes from this area. Football wise, there is a long history here as well: Zvezda Vlaikograd, the famous left-wing club once known as Red Star, are historically the most successful and had become key Republikaliga players by the time that league collapsed. At the same time, Rudar Trkev and FK Vlaikograd 1896 were both clubs with long histories in the Republikaliga. In the context of this season, it’s expected by everyone that Zvezda will come away with the title, although Trkev are the only club who could give them something of a challenge.

If you’ve always wanted to buy a cottage in the Great Lakes, or you choose your football club based on your political beliefs, this is the league for you to follow.

# 1. Regionalliga Velikzahod  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
1 Zvezda Vlaikograd            28   21   5   2   111   34  +77    68     Champions
2 Rudar Trkev                  28   16   7   5    55   26  +29    55
3 FK Vlaikograd 1896           28   14   7   7    44   39   +5    49
4 Karakanovski Fabrika         28   11   6  11    29   36   −7    39
5 NK Piran                     28    9   8  11    41   51  −10    35
6 FK Kostinbrod                28   10   4  14    38   37   +1    34
7 NK Krajgrad                  28    7   3  18    16   42  −26    24
8 Sezana                       28    1   6  21    25   94  −69     9     Relegated

# 2. Regionalliga Velikzahod  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
1 Slavija Chotevice            28   12   9   7    34   28   +6    45     Promoted
2 Listany Prevnost             28   11   9   8    31   25   +6    42
3 FK Dragizhevo                28   10  11   7    28   21   +7    41
4 FK Skalna                    28   10  10   8    29   28   +1    40
5 FK Cerknica                  28    9   9  10    24   27   −3    36
6 SK Pnetluky                  28    8   9  11    26   30   −4    33
7 Hrusevje 99                  28    9   5  14    24   30   −6    32
8 NK Divaca                    28    5  14   9    19   26   −7    29

As expected it’s Zvezda Vlaikograd who come away as champions. What was unexpected was the sheer dominance of the club - only 2 losses in the entire season, and 111 goals - 45 (forty-five) of them contributed by national team forward Bogdan Kubica. This was a story of utter domination and Zvezda finished 13 points ahead of the nearest rivals. Plenty of people are now calling them strong candidates in the Meisterschaft, and it will be very interesting to see how they stack up.

Rudar Trkev, on the other hand, can be proud of their performance - especially at the back, with only 26 goals conceded. Trkev had a season that in any of the other Regionalligas would’ve been a strong challenge for a championship - it was simply the quality of Zvezda Vlaikograd that made up the final difference. Slavija Chotevice were the winners of the second tier competition after a very close title fight, they will be coming up to the top division off of this momentum and hoping to establish new fortune for themselves next season.

With that, we have our final 4 qualifiers for the Meisterschaft, which will kick off soon to determine the champion of Siovanija & Teusland for this season!

by **Siovanija and Teusland** » Sun Jan 28, 2024 11:36 am

A few years ago…

The fall of the Republikaliga left a massive power gap. 128 professional clubs, a season starting in 2 months, and no clear answer as to ‘where are we playing next season?’

It seemed like everybody had a different opinion on what should happen next. Some felt that a new league should rise to replace the Republikaliga and negotiate a new contract with the teams - everyone would need to accept that things just weren’t what they used to be. The STFA preferred a solution that would see a return to the Regionalliga system, with some modifications.

2 weeks after the collapse of the Republikaliga, representatives from every professional club in the land and the STFA met in St. Jakob for a conference to hash all of this out. The government sent their regards - Minister for Sport Ivan Voynov ‘regretted the current circumstances’ - but were wise to keep out of this one. Defections and chaos in the parliament meant Ruslan Karamov’s party had lost its majority, and the country had been without a government for 3 months. Probably not the time to mess further with football, when Voynov and Karamov were receiving practically all of the blame from within Teus circles for the current situation.

3 days of long, tense negotiation followed, and it was clear that there was little progress being made. Most everyone agreed that, given the current circumstances, there would need to be some form of regional league system set up. Nobody could agree as to what would come from there, however. Some clubs wanted a return to the old system: regional champions, and the President’s Cup as the national championship. Some refused to consider anything but a ‘national tournament’ for the champions of each region, and then of course debate followed as to how many teams should qualify for such a tournament?

On the morning of the 4th day of the conference, 36 club representatives did not show up for the working breakfast. These included titans of the Teus game such as FC Teussen Stelburg, FC St. Jakob, FC Felsenkirchen 1879 and FC Rotmunde 1932. TSV Marzig and every club from a Teus-speaking town in Siovanija joined them. After the timing of their tardiness had reached 30 minutes, they sent a note down to the conference.

The 36 clubs were ready to break away and form the ‘Teusliga,’ only open to clubs from a Teus region. There was an idea that it might even be possible to break away from the STFA, create a Teus Football Association, and attempt to re-join the IFCF. The mood in the conference room reached a breaking point - the Siovanijan clubs were not impressed, and threatened that they could do the same thing. In between all of this were about 30-40 clubs from both regions, too small to be a factor - not invited to the Teusliga, not invited to the Siovanijan equivalent either. There was a risk of a complete breakdown.

The STFA’s chairman, Michael Bauer, made his way to the conference room on the 5th floor of the airport hotel where the Teusliga rebels were gathered. A long, tense conversation followed. Heinrich Krenz spoke for the Teusliga, the delegate from FC Teussen Stelburg the clear leader of the group.

“Heinrich, what is this?”

“We see no other option.”

“First of all, you couldn’t break away-”

“Why not? In cricket we once competed as just Teusland. If our western friends wish to continue this absolutely insane isolationist bullshit, they are free to do so! We want no more part in it.”

“Look, Heinrich, I agree with what you’re saying. But this isn’t the way and it won’t achieve what you want. Let’s be honest with ourselves here. Karamov is living on borrowed time.”

“Whether he leaves in 2 minutes or 2 years, the damage has been done. The Republikaliga went bust two weeks ago, we have clubs in this room that are 2 weeks away from dying themselves if there is no clear answer here. There is no realistic proposal on the table after 3 days. What are we supposed to do?”

Bauer nodded, and returned to the main conference. Hours of more discussion followed as he desperately tried to work out a compromise - the Teusliga delegation put a deadline of 4pm on anything further, so they could prepare the public announcement. At 3:30pm, he returned to Heinrich, this time with Ilya Kozinov, the delegate representing FK Metropola Borograd, in tow. Kozinov was a man willing to lead a compromise.

“8 regional leagues. 16 teams each, split into 2 tiers. That will be the majority of your season - 28 games. Winners play in a final round to determine the championship.”

Heinrich Krenz paused for a moment. “You’ve offered absolutely nothing new. This was on the table just yesterday.”

“There’s more,” said Ilya Kozinov.

Everyone knew that the negotiations were for a temporary fix. At some point a national league would once again be formed. And a big part of those background politics was ‘how should the teams be chosen.’ The original Republikaliga had picked 10 from Teusland and 10 from Siovanija. But over time, it became quite clear that the Teus clubs were, simply, better. By the very final season, only 4 Siovanijan clubs were in the top 16-team tier. Kozinov had convinced the Siovanijan clubs to drop their demand that any future national league be split half-half, and instead clubs would be picked from ‘the best.’

Krenz returned to the room and discussed it. After 10 minutes of discussion, he returned to Bauer and Kozinov in the hallway. “We can agree to all of this. However, the Teus clubs that, under your proposal would play in Siovanijan regional leagues, would like assurances. They are worried about security of fans and players. They require a significant number of Teus-speaking clubs to be placed in this league. We suggest 8 Siovanijan speaking clubs, 8 Teus.”

Kozinov considered the hypocrisy in his head. Here it has to be equal? “How about 6 Teus, 10 Siovanijan? We have to compromise”

Krenz smiled. “Compromise? 6 years of isolation. We had a goal to become the top league in the world. We compromised and the league went bankrupt instead. We wanted to have foreign players play in the league. We compromised. Now we have former academy rejects instead. You see where I’m going with this?”

Bauer stepped up now: “7 and 9?”

Kozinov and Krenz pondered it for a moment. Then, they shook hands.

For now, at least, there was a solution. And at least at some level, somebody in Siovanija & Teusland had been able to work out a compromise.

by **Siovanija and Teusland** » Sun Jan 28, 2024 11:51 am

President's Cup

First Round

Second Round

Third Round

Round of 16

FC Rotmunde 1932 1–0 SW Stahlberg
FK Orlovska Bistrica 1–1 Taifun Vorstock (1–1 AET) (3–4 pen.)
FC 1. Norsay 1–1 Energija Chernovets (2–3 AET)
FC Felsenkirchen 1879 0–2 1912 Stelburg
Marlesee 97 1–1 NK Karjaska Gora` (2–1 AET)
1. FC Vaihingen 2–2 FK Raketa Bukovets (3–3 AET) (5–4 pen.)
Stahl Sterzing 2–2 VfL Reinbronn (4–2 AET)
Krutenau Kickers 1–0 FC St. Jakob

Quarterfinal

1912 Stelburg 0–0 Marlesee 97 (2–0 AET)
Stahl Sterzing 2–2 1. FC Vaihingen (3–3 AET) (6–5 pen.)
Taifun Vorstock 0–1 Energija Chernovets
Krutenau Kickers 2–2 FC Rotmunde 1932 (2–2 AET) (5–4 pen.)

Semifinal

Krutenau Kickers 1–0 Stahl Sterzing
1912 Stelburg 0–0 Energija Chernovets (0–0 AET) (2–4 pen.)

Final

Krutenau Kickers 3–1 Energija Chernovets

Thorsten Kramer and the Krutenau Kickers lift the Cup! It was a season in the President's Cup full of upsets - FC Teussen Stelburg, Olympia Borograd and FK Metropola Borograd all eliminated early - and the final 4 saw teams each with a great desire to win the trophy. 3 of the 4 final clubs came from the Regionalliga Stelburg, proving just how strong that league really is. On back to back days at the Nationalstadion, fans were treated to plenty of tension yet little goalscoring action - Krutenau winning 1-0 with an early goal that they held onto, and Chernovets and 1912 heading to penalties for a decision. While the final itself was seen as an expectation that Chernovets would win, nobody marked the Kickers as a roll-over: their style of play had been incredibly strong in the Regionalliga all year, finishing 3rd in that division with many in the media tipping them to go even further next year. And of course, with the man on the touchline leading them, they had to have some hope - Thorsten Kramer wins his first senior club trophy as a manager. On the day itself, Krutenau executed their style to perfection, a 4-3-3 emphasizing possession that surprised Chernovets, who had perhaps expected to do the lion's share of the attacking. 1-1 at the half, Krutenau's fitness - Chernovets, of course, playing an extra 14 matches this season thanks to taking part in the Meisterschaft - shone through and two goals in the final 20 minutes secured the club's first-ever President's Cup triumph.

by **Siovanija and Teusland** » Sun Jan 28, 2024 11:52 am

Two years ago…

”...today’s Northeastern derby can see the destination of the Regionalliga Nordkuste title, and qualification for the Meisterschaft, decided. Normally, the city of Rotmunde would be filled with tension - but today, there is a different atmosphere about, as both sets of fan groups have agreed to march to the stadium together…”

Felsenkirchen and Rotmunde. Two cities that are most famous, perhaps, for the rivalry between them. Two clips from an RBC Sports documentary nearly a decade ago about Felsenkirchen’s IFCF Rising Stars Cup-winning side give an insight into this rivalry:

A Felsenkirchen fan: “Rotmunde Island, listen up. That’s where men are men, and sheep are scared.”

A Rotmunde fan: “Rotmunde is all about hard work, Felsenkirchen is all about living off other people’s hard work.”

These cities, simply, don’t like each other. So what could unite them like this?

It’s always said that the rivalry goes back thousands of years, to the time that the Duchy of Felsenkirchen was the power in the region. There was no Teusland yet. And after years of swearing loyalty and paying taxes to the Duke in Felsenkirchen, the citizens of Rotmunde were unhappy - there were revolts and uprisings every few years. When the Duchy was absorbed into the Kingdom of Teusland, and later the Teus Empire, the two cities were back on equal footing again.

They shared the same great advantage - a natural harbour, and gateways to the ocean and the lands beyond. But by the 1600s, as the Teus Empire’s naval might grew and its number of colonies continued to develop, the Empire decided to pour money into Felsenkirchen as the #2 port of the nation, behind St. Jakob. Rotmunde residents - the cities are separated by just under 100km and a viaduct - watched their neighbours develop into a modern, powerful city, while theirs was in comparison left behind.

Go to Rotmunde and try ordering a Felsenkirchen-brewed beer. You might not leave the bar alive. Go to Felsenkirchen and try telling them that ‘the lighthouse in Rotmunde is prettier,’ and it’s the same situation. And God forbid you should wear red (Rotmunde) in Felsenkirchen or blue (Felsenkirchen) in Rotmunde, especially on matchday.

Football, for a lot of years, seemed to mirror the cities’ historic fortunes. Prior to the opening, the clubs were on about equal terms. A few years into the IFCF era, however, a group of businessmen in Felsenkirchen saw the potential in their city and club. An investment of money could be preserved through prize money from the IFCF. Farf defender Ciriko Useternix became the first World Cup winner to play in the Republikaliga, and became a club legend. World class Vanorian forward Lothas Ludwig came through the club’s youth academy and played a massive role in the 2 championship seasons, the Champions’ League Quarterfinal run, and was adored by the fanbase. Being forced to give him up alone probably turned half of Felsenkirchen against the government. Rotmunde, meanwhile, watched their neighbours soar and failed to see similar success, remaining trophyless in the Republikaliga era.

And then, of course, die Abwesenheit. Two cities with economies tied to international shipping, trade, and commerce. What happens when all of those industries are targeted by the government’s economic policies?

Ports closing. Ships leaving half empty. Other ships grounded for years. Jobs lost. A local economy left devastated. All along the north coast of Teusland, quiet, quaint harbour towns became quiet, quaint ghost towns. Karamov’s first election had felt like a betrayal to the people living here - when he was re-elected, with a majority again in Siovanija, it was like being stabbed in the heart.

2 years following that election, after a chaotic ride of failed coalitions and attempts to oust Karamov, it seemed like the end was finally near. Budget negotiations had hit a standstill. Teus nationalism and separatism were on the rise, the economy was in freefall, and even amongst Karamov’s own party there was some opposition to his style. The man had been nicknamed by opponents as ‘the little dictator’ but the recent churn in ministers and assignments had made it seem like he was losing control. The opposition parties sensed blood in the water.

Protests against isolationism and Karamov in general had been common over the last 6 years, but were really heating up now. It was rumoured that millions of people would head to Stelburg on the day of the budget vote for a protest. And of course, within the nation’s football grounds, there were protests, too. Once upon a time the pro-Karamov media played this off as ‘Teus extremists.’ Frankly, it was easy to do this - ridiculously violent chants and actual violence in the Korjava that was vocally supported by several ultra groups made it easy. Now? Even Siovanijan clubs - notably Energija Chernovets, from a city with an economy that once benefited greatly from international trade - protested the government weekly.

All of that is what made these cities unite one cool spring day. Groups of fans from both Rotmunde and Felsenkirchen joined together in the streets, marching with red and blue banners, smoke and flares, calling for an end to the isolation. Citizens of Rotmunde applauded as they went by and waited outside of the stadium - the fans did not enter for the first 17 minutes of the game, 17 being the number of MPs from the government side needed to defect and vote against the budget to trigger a new election.

The game itself ended 2-1 to the visiting side, Rotmunde giving away the early lead and falling once again to their historic rivals. Felsenkirchen would go on to finish 2nd in the Meisterschaft that season.

All of this, however, was overshadowed: days after the historic protests, the budget vote failed. Ruslan Karamov resigned, and elections were called. The path to re-opening had begun.

by **Siovanija and Teusland** » Sun Jan 28, 2024 11:53 am

Earlier this year…

Miroslav Dinev walked down the corridors of the Energija-Arena as he made his way to the board meeting. There were murals on the walls featuring some of Energija’s most famous players: the biggest reserved for Enigma Armageddon, whose name was still chanted by the fans years after his departure. Jezdemir Ocokoljic, another hero for the fanbase. Viktor Dimitrov, the long-time Siovanija & Teusland national teamer. There was Taras Maksimov, the legendary defender who now was captain of the squad as he himself neared retirement. And at the end of the hall?

Dinev looked up to see himself, holding the AOCL trophy. For twelve years he had been the captain of Energija Chernovets, claiming 3 Republikaliga titles and 2 regional championships. Not just that - Dinev was also Chernovets’ all-time leading goalscorer, with 211 Republikaliga goals in his career. He had retired after the 12th season - two before the beginning of the end.

Dinev was no politician, but as a sportsman and a man who had represented his country on the international stage many times, he deeply opposed isolationism. He had felt how special winning those international trophies was for the fans - the fondest memories of his Chernovets career came on weekday evenings under the lights, or on planes headed somewhere in the world with his team. The Absence had hurt him, too. He had been the captain of the first-ever Siovanija & Teusland international squad. He was something of a symbol for national unity once upon a time - but at this moment, there was no unity to be found.

A few administrative roles here and there, and now Dinev was back at the club of his life. Technical Director. The man between the chairman and the manager, responsible for transfer policy, scouting, development of the academy, and anything else related to the club’s sporting aspirations. It was a big role - but one Dinev enjoyed, keeping him at the club he loved. He wanted to do the club proud.

Dinev entered the room, already filled with scouts and advisors. Sitting to his left was Apostol Manevski - the legendary club manager who had retired when the Republikaliga went bust, but remained at the club as a senior advisor. Dinev couldn’t hide his excitement for this meeting.

The 52nd election just a few weeks ago had seen Ruslan Karamov’s Republicans reduced to 31 seats nationwide. The National Democratic Union was swept back into power under Lara Hauser, the new Chancellor who had once been Foreign Minister under Dominik Meier. There were a great number of issues and wounds for the country to deal with - however, one thing was clear: isolation would end.

It was expected that very soon the STFA would announce a return to international competition, and every big club in the nation was having similar meetings: how are we going to be the ones to take advantage of this? Dinev allowed his scouts to read their reports.

“...the standard of football in the country is generally considered to have declined over the last few years. In the final season with foreign players, 58 foreign nationals were considered to be part of their club’s starting XI, nearly 33% of the total. Every major club other than Teussen for obvious reasons had several foreign national team players in their starting lineup. The immediate need to replace 33% of the league meant that many replacements were not of the standard of the Republikaliga at that time, and the league quality thus suffered…”

“...the end of the Republikaliga also influenced this process. The bankruptcy and ensuing fallout caused the collapse of numerous teams, mostly at the bottom of the pyramid. There have been new blood to replace them, taking advantage of the Regionalliga system, but the overall health of the game had declined. There is a hope that recovering to the previous heights won’t quite take as long as the first time around, but this can never be predicted…”

“...the return to the Regionalliga system has seen pros and cons. The biggest pro is certainly the resurgence of many regional rivalries leading to increased interest in the game, at a time when after the fall of the Republikaliga there was great concern about this. The biggest con, however, is tied to the quality issue: frankly, from the Chernovets perspective, we gain little from playing in the Regionalliga Alpisko. Yes, there are some former Republikaliga clubs involved, but none that can challenge us. Facing NK Vojnik, a club who were in the fourth tier in the final Republikaliga season, 4 times a year is not improving our quality…”

“...this is a concern when we look at other leagues in the country. One could argue that the regional leagues of Stelburg, Borograd, St. Jakob and the Nordkuste in Teusland, which are filled with former Republikaliga clubs, gives the big clubs from those leagues the current edge. Our league has a good group of teams below us, but none that are truly competitive…”

“...this means that we only face high-pressure fixtures in the Meisterschaft, while a club like FC Teussen Stelburg must face their derby opponents 1912 Stelburg and one-time Republikaliga winners SW Stahlberg 8 times before even qualifying for the final group…”

“...going forward, however, this can also be an advantage. We believe it is very likely that there will be a return to a national league at some point. Until that time, however, Energija Chernovets are very likely to be competing for IFCF football every single season, and will be all but guaranteed to play in the Meisterschaft. This increases our prestige and could make signing foreign players once again easier…”

“...on that note, while we cannot expect to sign players with the quality of Armageddon, Ocokoljic and Gallegas right away, there is a bit of hope that the club’s international prestige remains intact, which would again aid in this process massively…”

“...many smaller clubs had a very rough go of things over the last few years, and other clubs were a bit more fortunate and have risen to replace them. From the Energija perspective, frankly, while ‘benefit’ is not a good word to use in this case, we did not struggle. Smart decisions meant money saved on transfers and salaries was invested into the club, particularly the youth academy. This was the one area that we had previously lagged behind Olympia and Metropola within Siovanija…”

“...FC Teussen Stelburg were, naturally, the big winners as they had lost none of their foreign players and they possess the nation’s best youth facilities. It is no surprise that they won 3 out of 5 Republikaliga titles and both editions of the Meisterschaft in the isolation years. FK Metropola Borograd and FC Felsenkirchen 1879 were clubs that had been expected to struggle but instead stayed at the top thanks to smart investments in club facilities and their youth academies in the years prior. Metropola won a Republikaliga title and 3 President’s Cup titles during the isolation, while Felsenkirchen have been runners-up in the league twice and taken home 1 Cup…”

“...for ourselves, success was not easy to come by as we struggled to replace the key foreign players. We captured the STFA Vase twice, however, the trophy was generally considered low-prestige and ended alongside the Republikaliga. In both seasons of the Regionalliga, we have won our region and advanced to the Meisterschaft, finishing 4th both times…”

“...the current squad is beginning to reap the rewards of that youth investment. This combined with a hopeful return to international competition and the chance to once again add foreign players to the squad means we should expect to once again be competitive for the league title…”

The briefing continued for another hour or so, covering all areas of the club’s finances, the strength of the squad and each of those competing against them both in the Regionalliga Alpisko and those they would be likely to face in the Meisterschaft.

By the time it concluded, Miro Dinev had reason to be optimistic. The new era for Energija Chernovets - and for 127 other clubs in the country - was about to begin. Back on the international stage. Back where it belonged. Dinev glanced again at the photo of himself with the AOCL trophy. That particular tournament didn’t exist anymore - but under whatever name it would be under, Dinev could not wait for that first international game back under the lights at the Energija-Arena.

by **Siovanija and Teusland** » Sun Jan 28, 2024 1:55 pm

Meisterschaft Cycle 18

With half the season in the books so far, we are shaping up for an interesting battle in the second half. The unforgiving nature of the Meisterschaft means that teams that get off to a slow start will be needing to crawl back the rest of the season - and those with a hot start reap the rewards.

Focusing on the leaders, FC Teussen Stelburg have been quite solid in the first half. They were defeated by Felsenkirchen 2-1 at home, the only loss of the campaign so far, but have otherwise been quite solid - the win over Zvezda Vlaikograd at home on matchday 7, 1-0, standing as a highlight for the excellent domination the black and gold enjoyed. Patrik Hohenlowe has been excellent, including the winner in that match against Vlaikograd, and overall the team have performed just about as expected. Things are still close behind them, however, and a few key matches will shape the season: away to Zvezda, Felsenkirchen and Metropola, and hosting Energija Chernovets.

FK Metropola Borograd are the closest contenders for Teussen so far, just 1 point behind the club from Stelburg. The Violets had a difficult start in the league - giving up a 3-1 lead on the opening day against Teussen, before a loss to Zvezda. Since those two games, however, the club have conceded only 2 goals and earned a significant win over Energija Chernovets to keep themselves neck and neck with Teussen. One thing they will be hoping to improve on in the second half is the offensive output - Blahoslav Zak hasn’t made the highlight reel too many times so far, and that will need to change if Metropola are to go on and win this league.

FC St. Jakob are the surprise package so far, sitting in 3rd after the first half. The Saints made an excellent start to the season, taking advantage of some easier opponents to start with 2 wins from 2 before beating both Chernovets and Felsenkirchen to prove their quality. However, those 4 wins in a row have been followed by 3 straight defeats and the Saints will need to get back on track quickly to stay in the IFCF race - they sit on 12 points. Zvezda Vlaikograd also have 12 points to their name and boast the league’s best defensive record with only 3 goals conceded so far - two of them coming on matchday 4’s rivalry match with TSV Marzig. The high-flying offense we saw in the Regionalliga, however, hasn’t quite materialized here and if the Reds are to get into IFCF football for next season, Bogdan Kubica is another name who needs to step up his game. FC Felsenkirchen 1879 are the third team to sit on 12 points at the halfway point of the season, and they have a marquee 2-1 win in Stelburg over Teussen to their name so far. If not for the draws with the weakest teams in the competition, Marzig and Vorstock, they could be in first place right now - that extra clinicality needs to come out if they are to charge for the title.

If the Saints were the positive surprise so far, Energija Chernovets have had a rough go of things. The first win of the season did not come until matchday 6, and although they picked up another on matchday 7 against Taifun Vorstock, they will need a massive turnaround of fortunes in the second half of the season. The home draw against Teussen was particularly soul-crushing, as they threw away a 2-0 lead with just 24 minutes left to settle for a point. Don’t count out Chernovets, however - we know this is a solid group of players and they are only 4 points back of an IFCF spot.

At the bottom of the league, as expected, we have TSV Marzig and Taifun Vorstock. Neither team really expected to make too much of an impression here, and Marzig were blown away twice in the opening 2 weeks of the season, a 4-1 loss to St. Jakob followed by a 5-0 loss to Teussen. However, a big win at home over Vorstock and an important draw with Felsenkirchen gives them some hope they can show a bit more of why they deserved to be here in the second half of the season. For Vorstock, meanwhile, the goal is simple - win a match. The Taifun supporters and players knew they were going to be the punching bag of the league, but a win here would mean so much for the club’s development in recent years.

# Meisterschaft             Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
1 FC Teussen Stelburg         7    4   2   1    19   10   +9    14
2 FK Metropola Borograd       7    4   1   2    11    7   +4    13
3 FC St. Jakob                7    4   0   3    14   10   +4    12
4 Zvezda Vlaikograd           7    3   3   1     7    3   +4    12
5 FC Felsenkirchen 1879       7    3   3   1    12   10   +2    12
6 Energija Chernovets         7    2   2   3     8   10   −2     8
7 TSV Marzig                  7    1   1   5     8   18  −10     4
8 Taifun Vorstock             7    0   2   5     3   14  −11     2

One match remains in the season! At the very top, it’s still all up for grabs - if Felsenkirchen can beat TSV Marzig at home, and FC Teussen Stelburg lose away to Zvezda Vlaikograd, Felsenkirchen would be the champions. In addition, if Felsenkirchen’s win over Marzig is by a margin of 4 or more, they could do it with a Teussen draw. Energija Chernovets and FK Metropola Borograd, meanwhile, are both locked into IFCF slots already - though Metropola could earn a better seeding and of course extra prize money if they can defeat FC St. Jakob and Chernovets don’t win against Taifun Vorstock at home. How will this season of football in Siovanija & Teusland end? Let’s find out!

Matchday 14

Zvezda Vlaikograd 2–0 FC Teussen Stelburg
FC St. Jakob 1–3 FK Metropola Borograd
FC Felsenkirchen 1879 2–0 TSV Marzig
Energija Chernovets 2–2 Taifun Vorstock

A final day full of twists and turns - and FC Felsenkirchen 1879 are champions! An incredible performance in the second half of the season, where they won 6 out of 7 games, sees them snatch the championship at the final moments from FC Teussen Stelburg. Jesper Porsche and Dieter Rosberg score in the win over Marzig, and both men were incredible in this second-half turn around. While the final day win will be the one the fans remember most, for its 2 second half goals, the win at home two weeks ago over Teussen which brought Felsenkirchen within range for the championship was truly the turning point. Tied 1-1 at the half, it was Porsche with two goals in the final 45 that sealed a double for the Blues over their old rivals in black and gold, that would eventually be so key in the league title.

# Meisterschaft             Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
1 FC Felsenkirchen 1879      14    9   3   2    29   15  +14    30     Champions/IFCF Champions' League
2 FC Teussen Stelburg        14    9   2   3    30   16  +14    29     IFCF Challengers' Cup
3 FK Metropola Borograd      14    8   1   5    23   18   +5    25
4 Energija Chernovets        14    7   3   4    24   18   +6    24
5 Zvezda Vlaikograd          14    4   4   6    11   11    0    16
6 FC St. Jakob               14    5   1   8    22   28   −6    16
7 Taifun Vorstock            14    2   4   8    11   26  −15    10
8 TSV Marzig                 14    2   2  10    13   31  −18     8

Golden Ball: Jesper Porsche (Felsenkirchen)
Golden Boot: Patrik Hohenlowe (FC Teussen Stelburg, 18 goals)

Siovanija & Teusland (STL) qualifiers
Puppet of San Gines (SGN)

IFCF Champions League: FC Felsenkirchen 1879
IFCF Challengers Cup: FC Teussen Stelburg, FK Metropola Borograd, Energija Chernovets
IFCF Cup Winners’ Cup: Krutenau Kickers

Arrosia Hui La/Sun League: FC Felsenkirchen 1879, Krutenau Kickers

by **Siovanija and Teusland** » Sat Feb 17, 2024 4:13 pm

Meisterschaft Cycle 19 - Regionalliga & Qualifiers

It's an incredibly exciting season of football ahead in Siovanija & Teusland - the return to IFCF competition, the return of foreign players, the breaking out of several big stars and clubs - and it all begins with the grueling Regionalliga campaigns, to determine who will reach the Meisterschaft and compete for both national glory and a right to compete on the international stage. Making the Regionalligas even more enticing this season is a decision by the STFA - instead of the incredibly unforgiving '1 team per region' system, a playoff will be added meaning the runners-up of each Regionalliga will compete within their constituent republic to determine the 9th and 10th teams entering the final tournament. While some have critiqued the addition, claiming it's the STFA trying to ensure they don't miss out on any money from a big club failing to reach the final tournament, others love the 'wildcard' additions that should add 2 more excellent teams to the mix. Without any further ado, the results!

Regionalliga Alpisko

# 1. Regionalliga Alpisko  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
1 Energija Chernovets       28   17   6   5    63   35  +28    57     Meisterschaft
2 Vrnovo Mesto              28   14   7   7    42   18  +24    49     Playoff
3 Arsenal Bukovets          28   12  11   5    46   25  +21    47
4 FK Raketa Bukovets        28   13   7   8    48   30  +18    46
5 NK Siovanska Gora         28   12  10   6    50   43   +7    46
6 NK Vrnovo                 28    8  10  10    31   45  −14    34
7 Ljubljanski Lihovar       28    2   8  18    20   68  −48    14
8 Admiral Severno           28    3   3  22    22   58  −36    12     Relegated

# 2. Regionalliga Alpisko  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
1 Trojlistek Boleslav       28   23   4   1    76   29  +47    73     Promoted
2 NK Vojnik                 28   15   3  10    59   44  +15    48
3 FK Sinemorets             28   13   6   9    60   55   +5    45
4 Slavija Karapelit         28   12   8   8    55   33  +22    44
5 Lipica Konjibor           28    9   8  11    35   43   −8    35
6 Crveno-Zeleni             28    8   8  12    29   40  −11    32
7 Stari Trg                 28    4   7  17    28   54  −26    19
8 Olimpija Topolovgrad      28    2   8  18    25   69  −44    14

Regionalliga Borograd

# 1. Regionalliga Borograd  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
1 FK Metropola Borograd      28   18   2   8    67   44  +23    56     Meisterschaft
2 Olympia Borograd           28   16   7   5    75   35  +40    55     Playoff
3 SK Republika Borograd      28   11   9   8    60   48  +12    42
4 FK Orlovska Bistrica       28   12   6  10    42   40   +2    42
5 FK Venkovets               28   11   8   9    39   39    0    41
6 Rudar Draijagrad           28    8   8  12    56   56    0    32
7 Atletik Orlovets           28    4   9  15    26   64  −38    21
8 NK Karjaska Gora           28    4   7  17    30   69  −39    19     Relegated

# 2. Regionalliga Borograd  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Jaromirgrad                28   20   4   4    51   16  +35    64     Promoted
2 SK Sparta                  28   18   5   5    41   23  +18    59
3 FK Kushovo                 28   16   3   9    38   24  +14    51
4 NK Krakovo                 28   11   9   8    36   30   +6    42
5 NK Kaskada                 28   10   4  14    21   32  −11    34
6 Ljubljanska                28    8   4  16    34   42   −8    28
7 SK Dialikov                28    5   5  18    17   38  −21    20
8 Zelena Vlaijka             28    5   4  19    19   52  −33    19

Regionalliga Korjava

# 1. Regionalliga Korjava  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 TSV Marzig                28   18   5   5    84   33  +51    59     Meisterschaft
2 FK Pomorie                28   16   5   7    81   41  +40    53     Playoff
3 Traktor Stavropol         28   15   6   7    66   39  +27    51
4 NK Prevala                28   14   8   6    26   15  +11    50
5 TSV Sankt Gustaf          28   11   3  14    32   58  −26    36
6 NK Gabropol               28   10   5  13    34   49  −15    35
7 FC Ternau 05              28    8   2  18    23   63  −40    26
8 Hechingen                 28    1   4  23     9   57  −48     7

# 2. Regionalliga Korjava  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
1 1807 Vettweiss            28   20   4   4    54   18  +36    64     Promoted
2 FK Stavropol              28   16   7   5    42   19  +23    55
3 Draija Debelets           28   11   9   8    31   21  +10    42
4 VfL Reichmannsdorf        28   11   8   9    29   35   −6    41
5 FK Shivechevo             28   11   5  12    30   35   −5    38
6 NK Sveti Ivan             28    8   9  11    21   22   −1    33
7 1907 Kronenbruck          28    5   7  16    21   47  −26    22
8 NK Kamenovo               28    1   9  18    15   46  −31    12

Regionalliga Nordkuste

# 1. Regionalliga Nordkuste  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts  
1 FC Felsenkirchen 1879       28   24   2   2   115   27  +88    74     Meisterschaft
2 FC Rotmunde 1932            28   13   8   7    66   52  +14    47     Playoff
3 Marlesee 97                 28    9  12   7    68   53  +15    39
4 VfB Marlesee                28    9   7  12    50   54   −4    34
5 1884 Felsenkirchen          28   10   4  14    49   73  −24    34
6 Adler Rotmunde              28    9   6  13    40   63  −23    33
7 Turbine Immengries          28    6   6  16    41   80  −39    24
8 TSV Prattsee                28    4  11  13    33   60  −27    23     Relegated

# 2. Regionalliga Nordkuste  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
1 SVG Bainitz                 28   23   2   3    66   12  +54    71     Promoted
2 Rot-Blau Altona             28   19   4   5    53   25  +28    61
3 FC 1. Norsay                28   15   4   9    35   26   +9    49
4 Kreuzritter Loningen        28   12   4  12    36   44   −8    40
5 SV St. Kunigunde            28    9   1  18    22   40  −18    28
6 SV Sogel                    28    5   9  14    24   48  −24    24
7 FC St. Adelheid             28    5   8  15    24   38  −14    23
8 Wolfstadt 98                28    4   8  16    24   51  −27    20

Regionalliga Stelburg

# 1. Regionalliga Stelburg  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
1 1912 Stelburg              28   19   4   5    67   32  +35    61     Meisterschaft
2 FC Teussen Stelburg        28   16   6   6    68   33  +35    54     Playoff
3 Krutenau Kickers           28   15   3  10    53   35  +18    48
4 SW Stahlberg               28   12   5  11    49   46   +3    41
5 Stahl Sterzing             28    7   9  12    40   46   −6    30
6 VfL Bamerntal              28    8   5  15    35   78  −43    29
7 Teufelsberg 97             28    6   8  14    30   45  −15    26
8 VfB Launitz                28    7   4  17    32   59  −27    25     Relegated

# 2. Regionalliga Stelburg  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
1 SV Charlottenberg          28   15   5   8    34   17  +17    50     Promoted
2 Oststahlberg 08            28   14   6   8    25   22   +3    48
3 Schneemanner Eibsee        28   13   6   9    33   26   +7    45
4 VfB Truiselwald            28   13   6   9    30   25   +5    45
5 Velden-Villach 07          28    8   8  12    28   34   −6    32
6 TSV Horstmar               28    8   8  12    31   43  −12    32
7 FC Kaldenkirchen 1901      28    8   6  14    31   33   −2    30
8 FC Blauwald                28    9   3  16    23   35  −12    30

Regionalliga St. Jakob

# 1. Regionalliga St. Jakob  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
1 VfL Reinbronn               28   18   5   5    74   45  +29    59     Meisterschaft
2 FC St. Jakob                28   17   5   6    69   35  +34    56     Playoff
3 FC Einheit Marnau           28   14   5   9    48   38  +10    47
4 SV Preisfeld                28   11  11   6    63   40  +23    44
5 VfL Prutseren               28   10   8  10    51   50   +1    38
6 Rulandea Karlsbrunnen       28    6   7  15    56   78  −22    25
7 1888 Runsen                 28    5   7  16    38   78  −40    22
8 TSV Tarnitz                 28    3   8  17    32   67  −35    17     Relegated

# 2. Regionalliga St. Jakob  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
1 Lokomotive Lensbruck        28   19   2   7    49   25  +24    59     Promoted
2 Marianfelde Lions           28   16   5   7    43   26  +17    53
3 FC Lahnnenbruck 98          28   16   2  10    42   27  +15    50
4 TSV Konsford                28   13   5  10    52   44   +8    44
5 1894 Tarnitz                28   12   8   8    38   33   +5    44
6 Rot-Weiss Wilhelmsburg      28    6   7  15    23   44  −21    25
7 Metropolitan CFC            28    5   8  15    29   46  −17    23
8 1920 Reinbronn              28    3   7  18    16   47  −31    16

Regionalliga Sud

# 1. Regionalliga Sud   Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
1 Taifun Vorstock        28   22   3   3    77   27  +50    69     Meisterschaft
2 TSV Georg-Blocher      28   13   8   7    54   37  +17    47     Playoff
3 FC Kaiserhaven         28   13   6   9    55   39  +16    45
4 1828 Pomen             28    9  11   8    51   44   +7    38
5 Gegenpapst Pomen       28   11   5  12    44   56  −12    38
6 TSV Posenford          28    8   7  13    37   45   −8    31
7 VfB Giesenau           28    6   7  15    37   66  −29    25
8 Lintfort               28    5   3  20    26   67  −41    18     Relegated

# 2. Regionalliga Sud   Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
1 Fortuna Emmerich       28   16   6   6    42   24  +18    54     Promoted
2 VfL Magesbach          28   15   7   6    41   22  +19    52
3 Luttow-Vognitz         28   15   7   6    38   25  +13    52
4 1. FC Vaihingen        28   11   7  10    42   27  +15    40
5 Eintracht Aumuhle      28    8   8  12    26   41  −15    32
6 Ladbergen 1894         28    7   6  15    22   34  −12    27
7 FC Giesenau            28    7   6  15    33   50  −17    27
8 SV Shoringen           28    7   5  16    26   47  −21    26

Regionalliga Velikzahod

# 1. Regionalliga Velikzahod  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
1 Zvezda Vlaikograd            28   19   8   1    83   28  +55    65     Meisterschaft
2 Rudar Trkev                  28   13   8   7    58   40  +18    47     Playoff
3 FK Vlaikograd 1896           28   13   8   7    47   35  +12    47
4 NK Piran                     28   13   7   8    40   32   +8    46
5 Karakanovski Fabrika         28   10   5  13    28   41  −13    35
6 FK Kostinbrod                28    7  12   9    35   34   +1    33
7 NK Krajgrad                  28    3  10  15    12   36  −24    19
8 Slavija Chotevice            28    2   6  20    21   78  −57    12     Relegated

# 2. Regionalliga Velikzahod  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
1 FK Cerknica                  28   14   5   9    32   25   +7    47     Promoted
2 SK Pnetluky                  28   12   8   8    34   30   +4    44
3 Listany Prevnost             28   12   6  10    25   21   +4    42
4 Sezana                       28   12   4  12    28   27   +1    40
5 FK Skalna                    28    9  10   9    25   23   +2    37
6 NK Divaca                    28   10   5  13    23   30   −7    35
7 Hrusevje 99                  28    8   8  12    23   27   −4    32
8 FK Dragizhevo                28    6  12  10    22   29   −7    30

Qualifier - Siovanija

Matchday 1
Rudar Trkev 0–1 FK Pomorie
Vrnovo Mesto 1–4 Olympia Borograd

Matchday 2
FK Pomorie 0–3 Olympia Borograd
Rudar Trkev 6–6 Vrnovo Mesto

Matchday 3
Vrnovo Mesto 3–2 FK Pomorie
Olympia Borograd 1–0 Rudar Trkev

# Qualifier            Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Olympia Borograd       3   3  0  0    8   1  +7    9     Meisterschaft
2 Vrnovo Mesto           3   1  1  1   10  12  −2    4
3 FK Pomorie             3   1  0  2    3   6  −3    3
4 Rudar Trkev            3   0  1  2    6   8  −2    1

Qualifier - Teusland

Matchday 1
FC St. Jakob 3–0 TSV Georg-Blocher
FC Teussen Stelburg 8–2 FC Rotmunde 1932

Matchday 2
TSV Georg-Blocher 1–3 FC Rotmunde 1932
FC St. Jakob 1–3 FC Teussen Stelburg

Matchday 3
FC Teussen Stelburg 3–1 TSV Georg-Blocher
FC Rotmunde 1932 1–3 FC St. Jakob

# Qualifier              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 FC Teussen Stelburg      3   3  0  0   14   4 +10    9     Meisterschaft
2 FC St. Jakob             3   2  0  1    7   4  +3    6
3 FC Rotmunde 1932         3   1  0  2    6  12  −6    3
4 TSV Georg-Blocher        3   0  0  3    2   9  −7    0

And so, we have our 10 teams for the Meisterschaft: 1912 Stelburg, Energija Chernovets, FC Felsenkirchen 1879, FC Teussen Stelburg, FK Metropola Borograd, Olympia Borograd, TSV Marzig, Taifun Vorstock and Zvezda Vlaikograd! Some of the biggest names in the country will be competing to become national champions - stay tuned for the latest updates!

by **Siovanija and Teusland** » Sat Feb 17, 2024 4:40 pm

Meisterschaft Cycle 19 - Preview I

Home kit

Away kit
1912 STELBURG

Basic Information

Colours: Light blue and white
Stadium: Oststelburgstadion (40,000)
Kit sponsor: Stelburger Hofbrauhaus (local, beer hall)
Manager: Theodor Seidl
Captain: Egon von Stein
Nicknames: The Bluebirds, Zwolf (twelve, colloquial)
Rivals: FC Teussen Stelburg (Stelburg derby)
Legends: Jasno Odonelec, Raphael Klopfer, Pierre-Louis Lotbiniere

Background

Club Honours

Historic Era
3x Teus champions
1x President’s Cup

Republikaliga Era
2x Republikaliga winners (S5, 18)
1x President’s Cup (S7)

Modern Era
None

International
None

Founded on New Years’ Day 1912, hence their name, 1912 Stelburg are one

Fan Profile

Members: 75,400
Average Ticket Price: T35
Political affiliation: Left-wing
Supporter Groups: Ultras 1912, Bluebird Boys, Curva Ost
Away Support: Always sold out
Calimero Complex: Off the charts: ‘Teussen are big and we are small and it’s an injustice’
Arrogance: Very low
Style: Pyro, drums
Cult Hero: Currently Alois Heineken, all-time Jasno Odonelec

of the biggest clubs in all of Siovanija & Teusland. The club’s roots come out of the days of post-war struggle across the country. When one thinks of Stelburg, they think of the cafes, the tree-lined boulevards, and a certain air of arrogance. In the eastern districts of the city in the years following the Great War, however, it was a completely different story: a fight for survival amongst those who grew up in poverty, those who were left behind by the new Republic, and those returning soldiers who had little chance to begin with. In Stelburg’s middle and upper classes, the eastern districts became an afterthought. In neighbourhoods like Kreuzfeld, Sanssouci and Kronprinzvorstadt, however, the community banded together. Church fundraisers helped the local impoverished, local business owners contributed to charity campaigns, workers organized in unions and protests - and in this climate, the Bluebirds were born.

True to their east Stelburg roots, 1912 have remained a ‘people’s club.’ Low ticket prices, heavy community involvement, and a bit of a puritan air around making sure the club ‘does what’s right.’ 1912 was the founding year by which the club are known, and 1919 was a year that will live in the club’s history: the first-ever Teus championship, defeating the hated rivals across town. It’s obvious to see where that rivalry comes from - while 1912 are the opposite of Stelburg’s image, FC Teussen Stelburg suit it perfectly - cafes in the stadium, and arrogant supporters. Worst of all, for any Bluebird, they represent the upper class in Stelburg. It would be fair to say there is a bit of an inferiority complex here, too - 1912 have won 7 trophies in their history, while FC Teussen Stelburg have doubled that in the Republikaliga era alone. “STFA loves Teussen” and “the ref was wearing gold & black instead of white & black” are commonly heard refrains, especially after a derby day loss. 1912 detest Teussen - which makes the fact that modern Teussen supporters consider Olympia Borograd and even FC Felsenkirchen 1879 as bigger rivals really sting.

1912 had bridesmaid syndrome for most of the pre-Republikaliga era. There are a lot of second places in their history, or ‘just missing that one last piece’ stories. The triumphs are a bit fewer in number - one President’s Cup, and a gap of 70 years until the 2nd Teus championship in 1989. 1912 were one of the clubs who pushed hard for a national league, believing it would allow them to reach their full potential - and they proved exactly that after just a few seasons in the Republikaliga. Jasno Odonelec’s arrival from Mytanijan shores was something of a coup for the club, and he brought so many glorious moments to the Bluebird supporters as they won the title in season 5. Two years later, it was heartbreak as a title fight went down to the very last day against Teussen, this time the Bluebirds coming out empty handed - however, they would defeat their hated rivals in the President’s Cup final a few days later to prevent the double. The club spent a few years in the wilderness following the loss of Odonelec, and new stars like Gerold Tegeler and Delbin Kasekende Jr couldn’t quite lead them back to the promised land.

1912 were impacted by the isolation, but not nearly as much as some of the other clubs. Strong investment into the youth program, along with the fact the club managed some incredible timing on the construction of their new stadium (just before the economy really went into trouble) enabled them to bounce back from the initial shock: in season 18, the last for club hero Raphael Klopfer, he commanded one of the finest defensive performances of any side in the league’s history as the Bluebirds captured a 2nd Republikaliga title.

The national leagues going back into the Regionalliga system was met with harsh protest from the club’s fans, who felt that the Regionalliga Stelburg was quite clearly the most competitive in the country and it would mean some of the best clubs in the land would not even have a chance at IFCF football. Some of these protests were heard by the STFA, resulting in the increase in teams for the Meisterschaft from 8 to 10.

1912 remain in the modern day as strongly connected to their local community as they were in the year of their founding. The club logo can be found on numerous football courts in parks and outside apartment buildings all around East Stelburg, and when the new Oststelburgstadion was built the club committed to turning its old facilities into places for local youth to play football. 1912’s supporters, too, contribute to these campaigns and are responsible for several social programs in the eastern districts.

Proud of their roots, building for the future, 1912 Stelburg are always fighters at the top level.

Squad

Starting XI (4-2-3-1): GK - Robert Ganz (32), LB - Oskar Raupach (26), CB - Lars Dohl (30), CB - Kaspar Drexler (26), RB - Rolf Gellner (20); CM - Egon von Stein (22), CM - Victor Osswald (28), LW - Erwin Lubeck (31), CAM - Joseph Kranz (27), RW - Stephen Lorber (25); CF - Damien Gannot (MYT, 32)

Bench: GK - Frank Auspitz (20), DF - Edgar Steimle (37), DF - Pierre-Louis Lotbiniere (35), MF - Alois Heineken (23), MF - Klaus Hippler (22), MF - Gerold Tegeler (36), CF - Wenzel Unger (30)

Preview

Academy

1912’s academy, also known as Oststrasse
after the street it is headquartered on,
is one of the best-known in the country and
has produced excellent players such as Raphael Klopfer,
Edgar Steimle, Pierre-Louis Lotbiniere and more recently
Egon von Stein, all of whom have represented
their country internationally. With a catchment area
including not only Stelburg but also much of the
hinterland to the south, 1912’s coaches are renowned
nationally particularly for their ability to develop
good defenders. Rafa Klopfer is the true 1912 product -
the sturdy, ball-playing centre back - and an icon for all
those at Oststrasse. Currently, the biggest hopes for the future
are defender Andrej Berkel, midfielder
Marcel Grunberg and forward Liam Merz

1912’s squad received a heavy boost this summer with the signing of Mytanar forward Damien Gannot.

Oststelburgstadion

Capacity: 40,000
Away End: 4,000
Status: Brand New

One of the newest stadiums in the country,
the Oststelburgstadion replaces the old
1912-Stadion. Built with two
free-standing tiers behind each
goal, it’s a stadium that has managed to
preserve the atmosphere of the old.
Built about 2km south of the old stadium,
the stadium is in a residential neighbourhood
in the Kronprinzvorstadt district and just a few
minutes’ walk away from the Stelburg
Ostbahnhof train station. The walk from station
to stadion shows off east Stelburg’s unique
charm, as you pass parks and residential areas.
For 1912 fans, this is their holy place - and
away fans, too, have been known to enjoy the
stadium so far. The 4000-strong away box is
located in the northeast corner of the stadium,
and provides a good view of the pitch.

Every Bluebird will be excited when a Mytanar comes to town, in the footsteps of Jasno himself, and Gannot’s shirt instantly became one of the top-selling items in the club shop. The other new face was Theodore Seidl, who was appointed full-time manager of the club before the season. Seidl had had some success in the lower divisions of the Republikaliga before becoming an assistant at Felsenkirchen - now he gets the chance to do the top job. Beyond just the new signing, there is some real quality in this team - Kasper Drexler had a rough season last year, but was a key part of the championship winning side a few years ago, while Erwin Lubeck is a name observers of the old Republikaliga might remember.

The real gem, however, is Egon von Stein. An Oststrasse product, the young man has been called ‘1912’s Thorsten Kramer’ due to his excellent skill on the ball and ability to get forward and get himself involved with goals. He is certainly more offensive-minded than most who play his position, but his skill here almost makes his other abilities underrated. An excellent passer of the ball, he is the type of player who tends to see the development of play better than anyone else. The old cliche of ‘if you watch him, you see the game’ certainly applies with von Stein as many a Bluebird move these days begins with a through-ball or cutting pass off his boot. His partnership with Victor Osswald, a bit of a bully who is good at recovering the ball, has been quite fruitful.

On the bench, Zwolf can rely on their legendary veteran fullbacks Steimle and Lotbiniere, who between them played over 100 international matches. Despite his age, Steimle is as cerebral as ever, just missing that endurance - making him a strong option to bring on late in games. Alois Heineken earned his own song from the fans last season after scoring in 3 straight matches as a late substitute, and the young man has plenty of potential.

1912 looked like the best team in the Regionalliga Stelburg for much of the season - the addition of Gannot proving very fruitful as he ended tied with Teussen’s Patrik Hohenlowe for the most goals in the regional competition. A particular highlight was of course the derby win over Teussen on matchday 20, beating them 2-0 in the Franz-Gorz-Stadion with goals from Gannot and Heineken. It seemed like after that nothing could go wrong - and 1912 led the division throughout its closing stages. On matchday 27, the Bluebirds hosted the eternal rivals with a win securing the title for 1912. While Teussen scored first, 1912 responded with 3 in the second half to grab the 3-1 derby victory and the Regionalliga Stelburg championship.

As a result, 1912 will play in the Meisterschaft - and after such a strong regional performance will have to have their eyes set on the league title. Everything ticked perfectly for the Bluebirds, who play a solid possession style under Seidl. Gannot and Lubeck formed a solid connection, and at the back, Kasper Drexler was back to his best. This is a team that will outwork their opponents every week, and fights until the very end. The Meisterschaft, however, is an unforgiving league - there is no time to get used to it, and you are playing the best teams in the country week in and week out. Zwolf will need to watch out in particular for Felsenkirchen, one of the best club sides this nation has ever seen - and of course, the old arch-nemesis, FC Teussen Stelburg, who qualified for the national tournament, ironically, through the backdoor 1912 helped create.

A strong squad who proved their worth in the district tournament, 1912 Stelburg have eyes on IFCF qualification.

RBC Sports One: Siovanija & Teusland Sporting News

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