From European glory to relegation: the decline of Turbine Potsdam

At around 3pm on Saturday 13 May, a quiet descended around the Karl-Liebknecht-Stadion. Set in the quaint, leafy Potsdam suburb of Babelsberg, a stadium that has witnessed so many of its residents’ highest moments was now playing host to their worst. As the whistle blew on Turbine Potsdam’s 5-1 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen, the curtain finally came down on their 26-year period in the top flight of German football. The home fans watching on were well aware they were witnessing a moment in history; one they would all probably rather forget. The end of an era, as one of the Frauen-Bundesliga’s last independent teams dropped out of the division.

It was a result that sent shockwaves through women’s football far beyond German shores. While Potsdam’s decline has been on the cards for some time, it is still gut-wrenching to see one of the historic trailblazers finally fall. For Potsdam’s remarkable story is one that is wrapped so intrinsically with its country’s history – a small team in the east defying the odds to become one of its most successful.

Potsdam were founded in 1971 on the factory floor of an energy company in East Germany. A notice was pinned to the board reading: “Establishing women’s football team. Please get in contact. March 3, 1971”. Bernd Schröder took on the role as coach with the aim of playing competitively – needless to say that, in the 1970s, this was considered a pipe dream. Schröder persisted, recruiting players and teaching them how to play.

Battling against restrictions and acceptance, his team would go on to win the East Germany women’s title six times. With the fall of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of Germany, testing times followed as players departed. Potsdam eventually won promotion to a two-group Frauen-Bundesliga before qualifying for the new single-tier top league in 1997.

Playing in the top division, and the return of Schröder as head coach, saw Potsdam attract real talent. The German internationals Ariane Hingst and Conny Pohlers arrived at the club. Along with Nadine Angerer, they would later become World Cup winners. Since 2004, the Turbines have been crowned winners of the Frauen-Bundesliga six times, lifted three DFB-Pokals, and won two Champions League trophies.

To this day, Potsdam remain the only east German team to win the unified league. In total, their 17 major trophies have made them one of the country’s most prolific domestic teams. Fast forward over a decade since their last piece of silverware, though, and the difference could not be starker. Despite finishing fourth last year, this campaign has been dire. With just eight points from 20 games, the team have struggled to find their way on and off the pitch.

The reasons behind Potsdam’s demise are multi-faceted. While women’s football has enjoyed a lightning rise in recent years, its growth has made it more and more difficult for clubs to survive without the backing of an established men’s team. Other than perhaps in the USA, this trend has been seen worldwide, with the resources and infrastructure of the bigger football machines vastly outweighing those who are independent.

In Germany, it has seen the success of Bayern Munich and Wolfsburg on the women’s side, and looking to the future, the likes of RB Leipzig (already promoted to the Frauen-Bundesliga next season) and Borussia Dortmund are making moves. It raises the question about whether independent teams can survive in this era. In the current era, Potsdam have struggled. A three-year collaborative deal with Hertha Berlin brought little relief, withHertha eventually opting to fund their own women’s setup.

Financial problems and lack of resources have partnered with internal struggles and a lack of planning at management level. In 2021, Tabea Kemme, a former captain and club legend, attempted to become the league’s first female president and turn her old team’s fortunes around. She lost out to the incumbent, Rolf Kutzmutz, to the dismay of many. A year later Kutzmutz, the head coach Sofian Chahed and around 12 players departed, leading to turmoil on the pitch.

Rationally, the reasons for the Turbines’ troubles are clear to see. Emotionally, however, it is harder to take. Visits to Babelsberg formed an early part of my own career. The treat of a seven-goal thriller against Arsenal in 2012 lives long in the memory – the magic of a European night; the buzz of the crowd; the topsy-turvy battle on the pitch. The Gunners edged through that day - in hindsight, it was probably at the start of the German side’s demise. It is sad to wonder if Potsdam will ever see those nights again. A restructure and radical thinking in the coming years is needed for them to even have a chance.

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