Teams, tales and tips – a guide to the local game
Represented in the Bundesliga since 2011, Augsburg is currently enjoying its longest spell among the German elite. The city has always produced players of the highest quality but invariably they had to leave behind this historic hub of Swabian Bavaria to make their name elsewhere.
Part of the reason for this modest status and dearth of major silverware was the lack of a flagship club until the formation of FC Augsburg in 1969. Equally, until the new-build, football-focused WWK Arena was unveiled in 2009, Augsburg had to make do with the Rosenaustadion, to all intents and purposes an athletics ground.
It was there that Augsburg’s favourite footballing son, Helmut Haller of 1966 World Cup fame, played in the twilight of his career. For the official opening of the contemporary stadium, a grey-haired Haller laid a piece of turf from the Rosenaustadion he had graced until shortly before his 40th birthday.
After his death in 2012, the funeral brought his former Nationalelf teammates Franz Beckenbauer and Uwe Seeler to Augsburg. A statue was erected outside the WWK Arena in his honour.
The Augsburg-born blonde playboy and Serie A star started his career at BC Augsburg. By the time he came home 25 years later, the club had been reconfigured as its modern-day iteration, commonly abbreviated to FCA.
Augsburg also nurtured the early careers of Bernd Schuster and Karl-Heinz Riedle but neither stayed long at then lowly FCA.
Now with a custom-made football stadium in place, out by the Fujitsu and Siemens complexes on the southern outskirts of town, Augsburg has been able to co-host the Women’s World Cup in 2011 and FCA’s so far solitary foray into Europe in 2015-16.
Though FCA were eliminated by Liverpool at the first knock-out stage of the Europa League, it was a memorable if goalless occasion. Jürgen Klopp’s first return to Germany shortly after he had left for Anfield was also a chance for Augsburg to show that it had rekindled its football passion.
Haller’s homecoming in 1973 set record attendances for the second-tier 2. Bundesliga, with a crowd estimated at upwards of 80,000 filling Munich’s Olympiastadion for the derby with TSV 1860. This was also shortly after FC Augsburg had been created by a complicated amalgam of historic clubs in 1969.
By the early 2000s, FCA were attracting crowds in the hundreds for fourth-tier football and nearly went under completely until a group of investors stepped in. Five years later came promotion to the 2. Bundesliga, then within another five, promotion to the top tier.
By then, the intimate if modern WWK Arena had found its voice, and the game with Liverpool was a riot of red, white and green, an intensity that has barely dropped since despite a decade of middling seasons with Europe only a distant memory.
Nevertheless, sharing the stage with Germany’s best for so long has meant that club and city are now indelibly associated in the public imagination. Only older locals can remember a time when the local football scene was far more convoluted and their chants had to carry over the running track surrounding the Rosenaustadion.
The year of 1907 is the one referred to most often as the one of FCA’s foundation – but the club formed in 1907 were Fußball-Klub Alemania Augsburg. Already there was a football department of MTV Augsburg and, founded a year later, a Fußballclub Augsburg.
The latter would merge with the multisport TSV Schwaben Augsburg in 1925. The lilac and whites still play today at the Ernst-Lehner-Stadion, named after the 1934 World Cup semi-finalist who starred for them. Germany’s one-time record scorer, the Augsburg-born striker spent most of his playing career at TSV Schwaben.
After World War I, another team, Ballspiel-Club Augsburg were formed, and became founder members, along with TSV Schwaben, of the Oberliga-Süd established in 1945. The highest level of football across southern Germany, this was where Haller first played. Though never champions, BCA and TSV Schwaben hold respectable positions in the all-time league table.
With the inaugural Bundesliga in 1963, BCA were placed in the second-flight Regionalliga-Süd but slipped down and by 1969 were bankrupt. Merging with the football department of TSV Schwaben, the two clubs formed today’s FC Augsburg.
TSV Schwaben kept a football team of their amateur players, who would cross paths with the then underachieving, modern-day FCA in the third flight in 1981. Promoted to the fourth-tier Regionalliga Bayern in 2024, the lilac and whites currently compete against FCA’s reserve side, along with the second XIs of Bayern Munich and Nürnberg.
To visit the Ernst-Lehner-Stadion, take tram 2 to Augsburg, Sportanlage Süd P+R – the sports complex is just across Haunstetter Straße, walking back a couple of hundred metres towards town.
The club’s new-found status in 2024 has meant that most league games take place at the venerable Rosenaustadion, where FCA’s reserve and women’s teams still play. Take tram 1 to Augsburg, Burgfrieden, then turn left down Burgfriedenstraße – the ground is straight ahead.
Getting Around
Arriving in town and local transport
The nearest airports to Augsburg are both about 90km (55.5 miles) away: Munich and the budget hub of Memmingen.
From Munich Flughafen Terminal, take the S8 S-Bahn to München-Pasing (every 20mins, journey time 50mins), then change for an ICE train to Augsburg (25mins). The whole fare from Deutsche Bahn can be as cheap as €22 or run to €35, depending on when yuo book.
An ICE train from Munich Hbf main station to Augsburg takes 30mins and can be as cheap as €18.
From Memmingen Airport, buses 2 and 810A (€3.50 single, 20min journey time) run to Memmingen station. The direct train to Augsburg then takes 70mins after a short walk from Memmingen ZOB to station. The overall fare from airport to Augsburg should cost around €30 online from Deutsche Bahn.
Augsburg city transport run by AVG consists of tramlines and buses. There’s a free City-Zone of nine tram stops which includes the main station of Augsburg Hbf and the main square, Königsplatz – hop on and hop off at your leisure.
The stadium is way south of town. Match-day tram Stadion-Linie 8 runs from Augsburg Hbf to the stadium, journey time 20 minutes. Match tickets are valid for all public transport within zones 10 and 20 for 3hrs before and after the game.
On non-match days, you’ll need a ticket for tariff zone 20/Preisstufe 2 (€3.80), available from machines at stops and stations, or via the mein AVV app, available in Apple and Android formats.
The one-day Tagesticket is €9.30 includes Zones 10 and 20 around the free City-Zone.
Taxi Service Schwaben can be contacted on +49 176 4271 6279.
Where to Drink
The best pubs and bars for football fans
Augsburg is home to one of Germany’s (Europe’s?) finest contemporary football bars, FCA fan Markus Krapf’s 11er. Taking the place in local lore of the PELE-Sportbar, set in narrow Dominikanergasse behind Maximilianstraße, 11er (‘Fußball.Kultur.Kneipe’) offers maxi- and flat-screen action, plus live sounds, films and table football. Sought-after beers (draught Exquisit, bottled Schwarzbräu) complement the house special of vodka Bionade.
All takes place in a stark white space juxtaposed with patches of green turf on each table. Doors open from early evening Tue-Fri and from 1pm Sat/Sun. On match days, Herr Krapf is, obviously, elsewhere.
In tournament summers, the bar opens only Fri/Sat eves and the action moves to the Rosenau at Stadionstraße 21. A 15min walk or 5min journey by tram (line 1 to Burgfrieden) from the station, it’s attached to the old Rosenau Stadium, used today by FCA reserve and women’s teams.
Back in town, on Fuggerstraße, Flannigan’s Post has long been the main Irish pub in town, big on broadcasting match action, when the pitchers of lager, Kilkenny or cider, and sharing snacks, come into their own. Screens abound at the Arena Sportsbar, by the Fuggerei tram stop, though you may have to bring your own atmosphere.
Similar in vein, over towards the Curt-Frenzel-Stadion ice rink, smart Lennox screens soccer, Formula 1 and, of course, hockey.
For something more traditional, as well as a biergarten in summer, the nearby Thorbräu Bierkeller can date its history back to 1592, while over by focal Rathausplatz, the heavily Bavarian Wirthaus unter dem Bogen feels like the 1500s but opened during the summer lockdown window in 2020. You’ll find more classic Swabian/Bavarian fare, including Augustiner on draught, at the Marktgaststätte at Stadtmarkt.
By the station, the Riegele Wirtshaus sits in the brewery of the same name, spreading out over a courtyard beer gardent.
For late-night fun, long-established Peaches on Maximilianstraße gets the party started with Happy Hour from 7pm.
Where to stay
The best hotels for the stadium and city centre
Augsburg Tourismus has has a comprehensive reservation service.
A recent addition to the local hotel stock is a short walk from the stadium in Innovationspark. The NinetyNine Augsburg, bright inside, bathrooms equipped with rain showers. Outside you’ll find two charging stations for electric vehicles.
To stay near the station, the Augsburg InterCity has recently been rebranded as rugs, with pretty much the same accommodation offer, including free city transport for the length of your stay.
Nearby, you also have a choice of two ibis hotels in the Accor chain: the functional Hauptbahnhof on Halderstraße and, the other side of the cemetery, the 106-room Augsburg Koenigsplatz.
Further into town on prominent Fuggerstraße, the Hotel Ost Am Kö is provides convenient mid-range lodgings and a quality breakfast. Set by the Town Hall as its name suggests, the Hotel Am Rathaus comprises 31 mid-range rooms. The more affordable Lochbrunner offers basic singles, doubles and triples behind a very ’70s’ façade.
Close by and a notch above, the Best Western Augusta also lays on tours of the city for those staying a little longer.
Prime address in town, grand Maximilian’s a occupies a 500-year-old inn whose sign still stands in the lobby. Around it today, guests are pampered with spa, fine dining and 24-hour room service.
