Why We Love Your Club: FC Augsburg

History:

FC Augsburg doesn't have as long as a history as some of the other Bundesliga clubs. They officially launched in 1969 when two Augsburg clubs that were in financial trouble merged. For FC Augsburg's first years they struggled greatly as they failed to get out of the lower leagues. To add to those troubles, they had major attendance issues as many fans in Augsburg didn't accept the merger and rooted for other local clubs. This all changed as they won their league and the fans grew in their acceptance.

Things started to look up for Augsburg as they bought German international player Helmut Haller, who brought them a lot of success in the next league. It was in the next league where they started their regional rivalry with 1860 Munchen, which is still considered their most important rivalry to date, even if their not in the same league anymore.They then bounced around the second and 3rd leagues for a while, winning the Bayernliga multiple times. Things changed for the worse in 1981 after they were sent down to the Bayenrliga yet again, but this time they didn't come back up for 20 years.

In the late 90s the team was on the verge of folding and was relegated to lower leagues, due to its financial woes. The 2000s however, would prove to be a great time for the club as they fought their way to the 2.Bundesliga and even got close to the Bundesliga. It was at the start of the decade in the 2010-2011 season that the club had achieved their dreams and got themselves into the Bundesliga. For a team that languished in lower tiers for much of its time this was an amazing feat. They had no financial backing like Hoffenheim, they got there on their own. They have been in the Bundesliga since, achieving the amazing feat of getting 5th in the last season and earning European competition for the first time in the club's history. From near folding to European competition in 15 years is a great feat, one Augsburg fans wear proudly, even after this seasons woes.

Culture and Fans:

Being a small team in a small city in the same region as Bayern Munich isn't easy for a team's fans. Always having to see their neighbors in glee as Bayern takes home another championship and they try to stay in the third league. But this has created a loyalty in their fans that put sports fans in other countries to shame. The fans never yell for the heads of their players or coaches, not as long as they get to experience the glee of the top league, a goal that even the club's biggest fans never thought possible 15 years ago. So here's to you FC Augsburg, we'll probably beat you, but we're just glad you're here.