FC Teussen Stelburg

FC Teussen Stelburg is a professional football club located in the city of Stelburg, Siovanija & Teusland.

Founded in the year 1865 firstly as the Imperial Stelburg Football Club, the club changed its named to FC Teussen Stelburg in 1871. Since that date, they have traditionally worn a black and gold striped home kit with a white and gold away kit. They play home matches at the Teussens-Arena, a 44,000 seat stadium built in 1977 in downtown Stelburg. Before that, the club's home matches were played first at the Imperial Oval, a cricket ground in Stelburg, before the building of the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Stadion in 1891. After the end of the Great War which saw the deposition of the monarchy, the name of the stadium was changed to the Franz-Gorz-Stadion, after the first captain of the club. After moving into the Teussens-Arena for several seasons, the club built a new Franz-Gorz-Stadion on the site of the old, and moved into it ahead of season 9 of the Republikaliga.

FC Teussen Stelburg have consistently been one of the most successful clubs in Siovanija & Teusland throughout their history: they have participated first in the original Teusliga (1874-94), the Regionalliga Teusland (1897-2017) and now the Republikaliga, winning a number of championships. FC Teussen Stelburg have been recognized national champions 36 times, including 33 President's Cup victories (1897-2018) and 4 Republikaliga victories in the new era. The club became the first club to win the Republikaliga + President's Cup double in season 6, and have won the Republikaliga in season 2, 6, 7 and 9. The club have also developed a number of players for the Siovanija and Teusland national football team, including stars like Thorsten Kramer, Ewald Heuser, Mario Kogler, and Lukas Tauscher.

The club are also known for their rivalries with 1912 Stelburg, with whom they contest the Stelburg derby, and with Olympia Borograd, with whom they contest the National derby. In addition, they are known for their signing policy, which requires all signings for the club to come from the Republic of Teusland or have Teus heritage. The club have been both praised and criticized for this policy.

History
In 1865, four Stelburg aristocrats went to see Kaiser Wilhelm VII. At the time, football was an emerging sport in the Teus Empire - solidly behind cricket and hockey in popularity. These four had just founded the first football club in the Empire’s capital of Stelburg, and wanted the Kaiser to give his patronage. He would, and the Imperial Stelburg Football Club was founded and granted the right to play at the Imperial Oval, wearing the colours gold and white. A few years later, as the premier club in the premier city in the Empire, the name was changed to reflect that status: FC Teussen Stelburg was born, and the club moved into their first home, the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Stadion.

By 1874, football had grown quite a bit in the country, and a new league was established. FC Teussen Stelburg quickly became the premier club in the country, too, winning 8 league titles in the Teusliga. The club were captained by Franz Gorz, the finest player of his day. In 1888, however, war broke out between the Teus Empire and Siovanija. Football continued, with much less fanfare, until the war’s darkest days in 1894. The heroic captain, Gorz, became one of the 3.4 million soldiers killed in the conflict. At that time, Teussen adopted black into their badge permanently - in honour of Gorz.

After the war, and in the new United Republics of Siovanija & Teusland, football came back, and Teussen with it. The monarchy had been disposed with - hello, Franz-Gorz-Stadion. Teussen, however, were that same old club covered in glory: 3 of the first 4 Teus championships in that new era. The Cup competition served as the overall national championship - and Teussen quickly found success there, as well. Over the next 50 years, Teussen rose to become the dominant club in all of Teusland, unmatched in their success. No club were as successful in the Regionalliga era as the boys in black and gold: 50 Teus championships, and 33 President’s Cups to go along with it. Week in and week out at the Franz-Gorz-Stadion, and later the Teussens-Arena, you could see ‘The Famous Black and Gold,’ as they were known in the press, win.

By the end of the Regionalliga era in 2018, Teussen had amassed 50 Teus championships and 33 President’s Cup wins. That put Teussen into a great position heading into the new national league - the Republikaliga. Teussen would finish 2nd place in the first year, before capturing their first championship in the new era in season 2 with a title race win against hated rivals Olympia Borograd, Thorsten Kramer a huge part of the win. Season 6 saw Teussen champions again, becoming the first club in the modern era to win the double. Season 7 saw Teussen prevail in the league again, this time over their other rivals, 1912 Stelburg. Season 8 saw the club finish second in the league, trailing FC Felsenkirchen 1879. In season 9, however, the club set a points record in the Republikaliga and won the league again, defeating Felsenkirchen.

In IFCF Champions' League 2, FC Teussen Stelburg became the first club from Siovanija & Teusland to advance to a UICA/IFCF competition knockout stage, finishing 2nd place in Group C. In IFCF Challengers' Cup 3, Teussen advanced to the Round of 16 before being eliminated. In addition, the Franz-Gorz-Stadion played host to the final of the tournament.

Culture
FC Teussen Stelburg are known for having the largest fanbase in all of the nation, as a result of them being its most successful club for so long. Ignoring the fans in other parts of Teusland, the club’s main base in its own city is the central downtown core as well as the western, more affluent suburbs.

Teussen’s fans are traditionally more likely to fly the Teus flag than the national flag, and the matchday sing-song is somewhat split between the old anthems - ‘Soldier of Teusland’ the most famous of those, as well as the old Teus Empire anthem ‘Land of Heavenly Bounty’ - and the club anthems, like the moving tribute to Franz Gorz in ‘Captain Franz’ or the most famous of their songbook ‘We Love to See the Teussen Score’. Of course, there’s ‘Glory Glory Teussen Stelburg’ as well. Overall, Teussen’s fans are known for being loud and supportive of their club, applauding skilled plays and appreciating that type of skilled player most of all - the Thorsten Kramers of the world. They’re also proud of the fact that the club is mainly made up of home-grown talents who’ve come through the academy.

That dedication and commitment to local talent has always been a part of the club, and as a result they have one of the best youth development records in the league. It’s taken a step further, too - the club has an unofficial signing policy of only signing players of Teus heritage. Fans of the club praise the policy - keeping them grounded in the community, and hey, look at the success they’ve had with it! Critics claim it isn’t needed in the modern game, or world for that matter, and that it could see Teussen eventually left behind.

Domestic

 * Teusliga (1874-94)
 * Winners (8): 1874, 1876, 1878, 1879, 1884, 1886, 1891, 1893
 * Note: the Teusliga served as the top-division football league in the Teus Empire.
 * Kaiser's Shield (1874-94)
 * Winners (8): 1877, 1880, 1883, 1885, 1887, 1888, 1890, 1894
 * ''Note: the Kaiser's Shield served as the Cup competition in the Teus Empire. After the unification, clubs including Teussen attempted to argue it should be considered equal to the President's Cup. This suggestion was rejected by the STFA.
 * Regionalliga Teusland (1897-2017)
 * Winners (50): 1897, 1899, 1900, 1906, 1908, 1909, 1912, 1913, 1914, 1917, 1922, 1929, 1930, 1933, 1937, 1938, 1942, 1943, 1947, 1950, 1951, 1953, 1954, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1978, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1990, 1993, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2017
 * Note: These championships are not considered to be national championships, as through this era clubs participated solely in regional leagues, while the Cup was a national competition.
 * President's Cup (1897-2017)
 * Winners (33): 1901, 1906, 1907, 1911, 1914, 1915, 1916, 1925, 1929, 1933, 1940, 1946, 1950, 1952, 1964, 1968, 1971, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1990, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2016, 2017
 * ''Note: During this era, the President's Cup was considered to be the true national championship, as all clubs in the country participated. The STFA recognizes all President's Cups won during this era as national championships. The President's Cup is still run today, but it no longer serves as the national championship.
 * Republikaliga
 * Winners (4): Seasons 2, 6, 7, 9
 * President's Cup (modern)
 * Winners (3): Seasons 5, 6, 8

FC Teussen Stelburg officially claim 58 Teus championships (Teusliga + Regionalliga), and 37 National championships, as well as a total of 106 trophies in their history.

Stelburg derby
FC Teussen Stelburg contest the Stelburg derby with 1912 Stelburg. Teussen are the older and more successful of the two clubs, but 1912 have had a great deal of recent success. Teussen are based in the downtown core of Stelburg and are considered to have a national fanbase, while 1912 are based in East Stelburg and have more of a local fanbase. During the Regionalliga era, the clubs developed an intense rivalry, competing each year within the Stelburg league for the right to advance to the Regionalliga championship round. In that era, Teusland was split into 4 regional leagues, and the winners would be seeded into a bracket 1 through 4, playing two-legged ties to determine a regional champion. Teussen and 1912 were at the top for the majority of years, leading to several intense matches between the two. The record, however, shows that Teussen got the better of their opponents more often: 50 Teus championships for Teussen, and only 3 for 1912.

In the Republikaliga era, with both clubs at the top of the league, the rivalry has taken on new meaning as the clubs compete for the national championship. Season 2 saw Teussen take home the league title, with 1912 far off the pace in 6th. The signings of Jasno Odonelec and Adrian Tremblay-Fillon combined with the departure of Thorsten Kramer, however, signalled a potential power shift in the city: 1912 were runners-up in season 4 (Teussen sat 6th) and won the league in season 5, finishing 1 point ahead of their rivals. Teussen, however, went back on top in season 6, accomplishing a league and cup double with their rivals in 4th. Season 7 saw the rivals going head-to-head all season in the race for the title, which ended up coming down to the last day where Teussen pulled out a win. 1912 would, however, defeat Teussen a week later in the President's Cup Final to stop the double.

National derby
FC Teussen Stelburg contest the National derby with Olympia Borograd. Both clubs are considered to be the giants of their respective regions, with Olympia having 47 Siovanijan championships as well as 26 recognized national championships (25 President's Cups, 1 Republikaliga). Stelburg and Borograd as cities have always had a rivalry throughout the history of the country; competing with each other in any aspect possible. The derby also represents a bit of an ethnic clash, with Olympia being viewed as the Siovanijan club and Teussen, naturally, as the Teus club. The clubs did not meet regularly from 1897-2017, as they played in separate leagues. However, they did meet often enough in the President's Cup to spark a rivalry, and the two clubs' dominance in their own leagues meant that, when drawn together, it was often seen as a de facto final. In the end, Teussen took 33 President's Cups, and Olympia 25.

In the Republikaliga era, the rivalry continues to grow and get better. Season 2 saw the clubs competing directly in the title fight, with Teussen eventually coming out on top by 2 points. The next season, however, was Olympia's turn: Olympia blew the rest of the league away in reaching 82 points, while Teussen sat in second place with 68. The clubs struggled the next few seasons to replace key players lost abroad, and while Teussen rebounded quicker than their rivals and have added 2 more Republikaliga titles to their name, Olympia Borograd have not finished above 3rd since season 4. When these clubs meet, however, no matter the situation, it is sure to be an exciting match.

Notable Players
Players listed have been capped by their national team at least once, or are recognized as club legends


 * Thorsten Kramer
 * Mario Kogler
 * Lukas Tauscher
 * Ewald Heuser
 * Ludwig Reichwein
 * Heinrich Bahr
 * Axel Richter
 * Erich Thierse
 * Karl-Heinz Jager
 * Kurt Witzel


 * Rupert Holz
 * Alex Geschke
 * Manuel Horn
 * Julian Fehr
 * Theodor Aberbach
 * Niels Kronthaler
 * Ernst Schoff
 * Dietmar Kleinmann
 * Franz Gorz
 * Joseph Grassl