Sportverein Sandhausen 1916 e.V., commonly known as simply SV Sandhausen or Sandhausen, is a German association football club that plays in Sandhausen, immediately to the south of Heidelberg in Baden-Württemberg. It is Germany's smallest professional football club.

The club's greatest success came in 2011–12 when it won the 3. Liga and earned promotion to the 2. Bundesliga for the first time.

History

After an initial period of financial instability, the club advanced steadily through the lower leagues until it earned promotion to the Bezirksliga Rhein-Saar in 1931, but only played for a single season at that level before descending again. In 1943, it was merged with TSV Walldorf and VfB Wiesloch to form the wartime squad KSG Walldorf-Wiesloch. The combined squad was dissolved at the end of the conflict and SG Sandhausen was reestablished as an independent club late in 1945. A half dozen years later it re-claimed its original name. Sandhausen played football in the Landesliga or 2. Amateurliga until 1956, when it advanced to the 1.Amateurliga Nordbaden. In 1977, the team finished as runner-up in the German amateur championship and progressed to the Oberliga Baden-Württemberg in 1978, where it consistently earned finishes in the upper half of the table. Sandhausen won three Oberliga titles through the 1980s and the German Amateur Championship in 1993. It won back-to-back Oberliga titles in 1995 and 2000 and, with its latest title in 2007, gained promotion to the Regionalliga Süd (III).

Negotiations held in late 2005 and early 2006 to merge Sandhausen with TSG 1899 Hoffenheim and FC Astoria Walldorf to create FC Heidelberg 06 were abandoned due to resistance to the idea on the part of both Sandhausen and Walldorf, and the failure to agree on whether the new side's stadium should be located in Heidelberg.

In the 2007–08 season, Sandhausen finished fifth in the Regionalliga Süd, which qualified the club for the newly created 3. Liga. After four seasons in the 3. Liga, the club won the 2011–12 title to earn promotion to the 2. Bundesliga for the first time.

Sandhausen finished its first 2. Bundesliga season in a relegation position but retained its place after MSV Duisburg were denied a licence for the following season. The club then established itself at the second level, avoiding relegation in each of the following ten seasons before finishing bottom in 2022–23, a defeat at 1. FC Heidenheim confirming its return to the 3. Liga with a game to spare after eleven seasons in the division.

Sandhausen did not return immediately, finishing eighth in 2023–24. The following season the club topped the table after 14 matches but then collapsed, losing its final nine games—equalling the division's record losing run—to finish 19th and drop into the Regionalliga Südwest. The relegation ended seventeen years of professional football for the club.

Players Current squad

Out on loan

Honours The club's honours:

League German amateur championship Champions: 1978, 1993 Runners-up: 1977 3. Liga Champions: 2012 Oberliga Baden-Württemberg (III/IV) Champions: 1981, 1985, 1987, 1995, 2000, 2007 Amateurliga Nordbaden (III) Champions: 1961

Cup Baden Cup (Tiers III–VII) Winners: 1977, 1978, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1995, 2006, 2007, 2010‡, 2011, 2024, 2025 Runners-up: 1996, 2003, 2009‡ ‡ Won by reserve team.

Club management Coaching staff Position Name Head coach Olaf Janßen Head goalkeeping coach Daniel Ischdonat Head athletic coach Rafael Lopez Sporting director Matthias Imhof Doctor PD Dr. med. Nikolaus Streich Dr. Falko Frese Physiotherapist Niklas Schmitt Medical director physiotherapy Christian Bieser Team official Andreas Zesewitz Kit manager Muhterem Kocaman Academy staff Rolf Fetzer Team manager Philipp Klingmann

Recent managers Recent managers of the club:SV Sandhausen .:. Trainer von A-Z weltfussball.de. Retrieved 18 September 2011

Manager Start Finish Hans-Jürgen Boysen 1 April 2001 30 June 2002 Willi Entenmann 1 July 2002 16 October 2002 ? ? ? Günter Sebert 1 June 2004 30 August 2005 Gerd Dais 1 September 2005 23 February 2010 Frank Leicht 25 February 2010 13 September 2010 Pavel Dotchev 13 September 2010 14 February 2011 Gerd Dais 17 February 2011 19 November 2012 Hans-Jürgen Boysen 20 November 2012 30 June 2013 Alois Schwartz 1 June 2013 29 June 2016 Kenan Koçak 5 July 2016 8 October 2018 Uwe Koschinat 15 October 2018 24 November 2020 Michael Schiele 26 November 2020 16 February 2021 Stefan Kulovits/Gerhard Kleppinger 16 February 2021 21 September 2021 Alois Schwartz 22 September 2021 19 February 2023 Tomas Oral 20 February 2023 10 April 2023 Gerhard Kleppinger 10 April 2023 30 June 2023 Danny Galm 1 July 2023 22 October 2023 Jens Keller 23 October 2023 12 May 2024 Gerhard Kleppinger 13 May 2024 30 June 2024 Sreto Ristić 1 July 2024 22 December 2024 Kenan Koçak 28 December 2024 6 April 2025 Gerhard Kleppinger / Dennis Diekmeier 6 April 2025 30 June 2025 Olaf Janßen 1 July 2025

Recent seasons The recent season-by-season performance of the club:Das deutsche Fußball-Archiv Historical German domestic league tablesFussball.de – Ergebnisse Tables and results of all German football leagues

SV Sandhausen Season Division Tier Position 1999–2000 Oberliga Baden-Württemberg IV 1st 2000–01 Oberliga Baden-Württemberg 4th 2001–02 Oberliga Baden-Württemberg 2nd 2002–03 Oberliga Baden-Württemberg 4th 2003–04 Oberliga Baden-Württemberg 7th 2004–05 Oberliga Baden-Württemberg 7th 2005–06 Oberliga Baden-Württemberg 5th 2006–07 Oberliga Baden-Württemberg 1st ↑ 2007–08 Regionalliga Süd III 5th ↑ 2008–09 3. Liga 8th 2009–10 3. Liga 14th 2010–11 3. Liga 12th 2011–12 3. Liga 1st ↑ 2012–13 2. Bundesliga II 17th 2013–14 2. Bundesliga 12th 2014–15 2. Bundesliga 12th 2015–16 2. Bundesliga 13th 2016–17 2. Bundesliga 10th 2017–18 2. Bundesliga 11th 2018–19 2. Bundesliga 15th 2019–20 2. Bundesliga 10th 2020–21 2. Bundesliga 15th 2021–22 2. Bundesliga 14th 2022–23 2. Bundesliga 18th ↓ 2023–243. LigaIII 8th 2024–25 3. Liga 19th ↓ 2025–26 Regionalliga Südwest IV 8th

SV Sandhausen II Season Division Tier Position 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 Landesliga Rhein-Neckar VI 10th 2004–05 Landesliga Rhein-Neckar 13th 2005–06 Landesliga Rhein-Neckar 9th 2006–07 Landesliga Rhein-Neckar 12th 2007–08 Landesliga Rhein-Neckar 1st ↑ 2008–09 Verbandsliga Baden 15th ↓ 2009–10 Landesliga Rhein-Neckar VII 1st ↑ 2010–11 Verbandsliga Baden VI 14th ↓ 2011–12 Landesliga Rhein-Neckar VII 1st ↑ 2012–13 Verbandsliga Baden VI 12th 2013–14 Verbandsliga Baden 5th 2014–15 Verbandsliga Baden 1st ↑ 2015–16 Oberliga Baden-WürttembergV 10th 2016–17 Oberliga Baden-Württemberg 11th 2017–18 Oberliga Baden-Württemberg 16th ↓ 2018–19 Verbandsliga Baden VI 2nd ↑ With the introduction of the Regionalligas in 1994 and the 3. Liga in 2008 as the new third tier, below the 2. Bundesliga, all leagues below dropped one tier.

Key ↑ Promoted ↓ Relegated

References

External links

SV Sandhausen at Weltfussball.de Das deutsche Fußball-Archiv historical German domestic league tables