The Soccernostalgia Interview-Part 105 (Written Interview with Substack Writer Mr. Sam White of ‘Maldini’s Chain’ as we discuss Kaiserslautern’s 1997-98 Bundesliga winning season as a promoted side.)

 

This written interview is with Mr. Sam White as we discuss Kaiserslautern’s 1997-98 Bundesliga winning season as a promoted side

 

Sam White, Maldini’s Chain

Sam writes the newsletter Maldini’s Chain, which covers insights and stories from the world of international football, including its culture and history. https://maldinischain.substack.com/

 

He recently wrote on this topic on his blog and Bundesletter:

https://maldinischain.substack.com/p/defying-gravity

https://bundesletter.substack.com/p/defying-gravity-kaiserslauterns-two?utm_source=substack&utm_campaign=post_embed&utm_medium=web

 

Mr. White’s contact info:

Twitter: @samwhxyz

Substack: https://maldinischain.substack.com/

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sam-white-content

 

 

 

 

 

 

Question: Can you introduce yourself, describe your blog, and your trajectory into Football?

SW: Of course! I’m Sam. I’m not a professional football writer but I do write about football. I’ve been lucky enough to write for a few publications I’m a big fan of, and I also write a Substack newsletter called ‘Maldini’s Chain’.

It’s focused around international football, but it stays away from match reports, tactical analyses and breaking news stories. Instead, it’s more evergreen articles in this niche. I wanted to tell underreported stories from international football history or take fresh angles on some of the better-known ones.

Everything is 100% factual, but I wanted it to be an entertaining read too, and bring in some of the off-pitch elements. So far, I’ve done everything from football during the First World War to a drone spying scandal at the 2024 Olympics. 

I’ve been a writer in various guises for a long time now, both professionally and as a hobby, but I only started on football during Euro 2024 last summer. Like a lot of England fans, I go all-in for major international tournaments, so I was completely obsessed at the time. I’ve always enjoyed writing and I got the itch that summer. So I set up the Substack as a bit of an outlet for all these ideas I was coming up with.

People wonder about the newsletter’s name. It’s a strange one but I knew I wanted something unusual. For some reason, I had in my head that it should be some kind of object tied to football nostalgia - a boot, a shirt, a ball, a stadium… I racked my brain for mental images of iconic international teams and players. I kept coming back to photos of Paolo Maldini and that silver chain he had dangling out of the blue collar of his Italy shirt. To this day, I haven’t written about Maldini once!

 

Question: You recently wrote an article on FC Kaiserslautern for German football blog ‘Bundesletter’. Can you tell us about that?

SW: I did! So, Tom Ritchie, who’s a brilliant English freelancer living out in Germany, reached out to ask if I’d be interested in writing a guest post for his newsletter. I jumped at the chance because I’ve been a big fan of Bundesletter since reading the book ‘Played in Germany’ by Kit Holden - another Brit in Berlin.

I wanted to challenge myself by working on a topic I wasn’t particularly familiar with, and eventually pitched the idea of digging into Kaiserslautern’s crazy couple of years in the late ‘90s. As a football fan born in this period in the North West of England, I didn’t always associate Kaiserslautern with the German elite growing up.

While I was getting acquainted with the Bundesliga, we were in an era of Bayern dominance. But of course, Kaiserslautern has a rich history in the top flight and it was a pleasure to learn all about.

 

Question: Most of us from the 1980s remember Kaiserslautern was a solid team that qualified to the UEFA Cup on a number of occasions with Hans-Peter Briegel and Andreas Brehme amongst its standouts. What was the status of the club in the West German Bundesliga landscape as we come to the new decade of 1990?

SW: By the time we get into the ‘90s, Kaiserslautern were seen as one of the Bundesliga mainstays. They weren’t necessarily part of that top-level elite, but always competitive and capable.

They’d been there since the league was founded in 1963, and had a pedigree when you think about the calibre of players like the ones you mentioned.

Photo From: Fussball Bundesliga 1983-1984 (Panini)

(Hans-Peter Briegel and Andreas Brehme)

Photo From: Fussball Magazin, Issue 1, January February 1983

(SV Hamburg’s Thomas von Heesen and Kaiserslautern’s Hans-Peter Briegel)

 

Question: Against many experts’ expectations, Kaiserslautern actually won the 1990/91 Bundesliga title under Karl-Heinz Feldkamp with players such as Stefan Kuntz and Bruno Labbadia. Looking back, how did that title compare to the 1998 one?

SW: I think it’s fair to say the 1991 title was a surprise at the time, but in hindsight it was maybe more the result of steady progress rather than coming completely out of the blue. Feldkamp had a high-level squad with plenty of Bundesliga experience.

It turned out to be one of those seasons where no single team ran away with it, and Kaiserslautern just managed to be the most consistent really.

This was the last season that was exclusive to the West German sides, with the East Germans joining the league after reunification in 1990. The 1998 title, though, was in a league of its own. But I won’t skip ahead just yet!

Photo From: Onze-Mondial, Issue 30, July 1991

(Kaiserslautern 1990/91)

 

Question: For the following seasons (1991/92 through 1994/95), Kaiserslautern performed in a relatively solid fashion, finishing 5^th, 8^th, runner-up and 4^th and the team qualified for European competitions a number of times in those years.

I imagine the thought of relegation was seen as a remote possibility for the upcoming year?

 

SW: Exactly. By the mid-90s, Kaiserslautern still felt like a pretty stable Bundesliga side. They weren’t quite hitting the heights of ‘91, but finishing regularly in the top half of the table and qualifying for Europe. They had a strong squad, a big match-going fanbase… so relegation wasn’t much of a concern.

The idea that they’d be fighting for survival - let alone actually go down - didn’t really register. That’s what made the 1995/96 relegation such a shock.

Photo From: World Soccer, November 1991

(Kaiserslautern 1990/91)

 

Question: We come to the 1995/96 season, the season when the club was unexpectedly relegated. What went wrong that season?

SW: It was one of those seasons where almost everything that could have gone wrong, did! On paper, the squad still looked good enough to stay up. There was instability off the pitch with the board under pressure. On the pitch, the team never clicked, and when results took a turn, the players’ confidence went quickly.

Part of the issue was that they probably hadn’t rejuvenated the squad effectively. Some key players were aging, and the team was crying out for a bit of new energy to keep them moving forward. The Bundesliga was becoming more competitive and physically demanding at this time, and Kaiserslautern just got left behind.

 

Question: In the summer of 1996, the club appointed Otto Rehhagel, a managerial legend in Germany, who was perhaps at a low point after being sacked at Bayern Munich. How was his appointment received?

SW: Rehhagel’s appointment was definitely a statement appointment. He had just endured a turbulent spell at Bayern Munich, and his reputation had taken a bit of a hit. But he was a Bundesliga-winning manager with Werder Bremen coming in to lead a team that had just been relegated. So in reality, it was a coup for Kaiserslautern!

Looking back, it was a very wise decision. He brought experience and total commitment to how he wanted the team to play. Instead of treating the job as a step down from Bayern, Rehhagel saw it as a project to build something special. And the players responded to that positive mindset.

 

Question: In What was the backbone of the team that Rehhagel inherited for the season (1996/97) at Second Division and what were his first key signings in the off-season?

SW: Rehhagel took over a squad that had retained its core after relegation. Key among these players was Andreas Brehme, who stayed on as club captain. Even though he was nearing the end of his career, his leadership was invaluable. The likes of Miroslav Kadlec and Pavel Kuka gave the team quality that set them apart in the second tier.

Rehhagel wasn’t shy about reshaping the team either. One of his first signings was Ciriaco Sforza, who returned to Kaiserslautern after a stint with Bayern. He also brought in Michael Ballack from Chemnitzer FC, a raw but gifted young midfielder who would go on to become an important figure.

What Rehhagel got so right was blending the experience of the team with a few key reinforcements and promising youngsters. He built a side that went a step further than fighting for promotion. It was already being primed to compete in the Bundesliga.

 

Question: Was promotion seen and expected as a formality for Kaiserslautern that season?

SW: From the outside, a lot of people probably did see promotion as a formality. Or maybe ‘an expectation’ is a better way of describing it. This was still a club with a big Bundesliga history, a big fanbase, and a squad that looked way too good for the second division.

But inside the club, I think there was more realism and they knew that the 2. Bundesliga would be tricky. It was, and still is, a physical, unpredictable league full of teams desperate to prove a point.

Kaiserslautern had a target on their backs as a big name, so every away trip became a bit of a cup final for the opposition. So while promotion was the obvious goal, Rehhagel approached it with a dose of pragmatism. He built a team that could handle the grind of the second tier, and that seemed to make the difference.

 

Question: As Kaiserslautern were promoted, what were the stated ambitions of Otto Rehhagel in the summer of 1997?

SW: Publicly, he didn’t talk about survival or stabilisation in the way most managers of newly promoted sides do. His messaging was more along the lines of ‘we’re back where we belong’ and quiet confidence that Kaiserslautern would be competitive.

Of course, he didn’t come out and declare a title challenge to the press. The official line was about establishing themselves back in the Bundesliga. Behind the scenes, the ambition was definitely higher than that. 

 

Photo From: Fussball Bundesliga 1997-1998 (Panini)

(Kaiserslautern 1997/98)

Photo From: Fussball Bundesliga 1997-1998 (Panini)

(Kaiserslautern 1997/98)

Question: For this ultimately championship winning season (1997/98), what was the backbone and the key new signings?

SW: The backbone of the 1997/98 side was mainly built on continuity. The team that came up from the 2. Bundesliga stayed together, and that stability was probably crucial.

At the heart of it was a strong spine: Andreas Reinke in goal, Miroslav Kadlec at the back, Ciriaco Sforza in midfield, and Olaf Marschall leading the line. These were experienced, intelligent players who understood Rehhagel’s demands. Stefan Kuntz played a big role in terms of leadership, and Michael Ballack, still only 21, was starting to emerge in midfield.

In terms of new signings, Kaiserslautern were smart. They brought in Martin Wagner from Schalke, who slotted into midfield. Uwe Rösler came in from Manchester City and gave them another attacking option.

 

Question: The season started with a statement as the club defeated Bayern Munich. At the time, was the result regarded as a fluke or did anyone expect what was to come?

SW: At the time, it absolutely felt like a shock. Beating Bayern in Munich on the opening day would be massive fir any team, no matter the circumstances. It made headlines, but most people did see it as a fluke. An impressive performance, but nothing to get excited about in the long term.

Bayern were the reigning champions, and having brought in big names like Lizarazu and Jancker, were favourites to retain the title. For Kaiserslautern, it was more about making a statement that they weren’t just here to survive.

But in hindsight, that win did set the tone for the season. It gave the team belief and it gave Rehhagel’s approach immediate credibility. As the games kept coming and they kept picking up results, people started looking back at that Bayern match as the first warning sign that something was happening.

 

Question: Was Michael Ballack, already being tipped as a future great?

SW: The short answer is no. The slightly longer answer is not quite - at least not in the way he would be a couple of years down the line. In 1997, Ballack was more of a promising young player than Germany’s next wonderkid. He’d shown flashes of his potential in the 2. Bundesliga, but this was really his breakout season.

What did stand out was his intelligence and versatility. He wasn’t physically dominating games, but you could see the raw ingredients were there - composure on the ball, ability to arrive in the box at the right time. Rehhagel used him in a few roles, and Ballack seemed to settle into anything with ease.

Within the club, I think there was a sense that they had a gem on their hands. But in the broader consciousness, he wasn’t seen as the future of German football. That would come after his move to Leverkusen later.

 

Question: At what point, during the season, did the press take notice that the club might actually win as a promoted side?

SW: After beating Bayern, most people assumed Kaiserslautern would fade away. In the first half of the season, there was admiration for their consistency, but the assumption was that Bayern, or maybe Leverkusen or Dortmund, would eventually pull clear.

By the winter break, Kaiserslautern were still top, grinding out results, and the tone started to shift. I’d say it was around the March that the German press really began to treat them as serious contenders.

Still, there was a lingering disbelief purely because a newly promoted team wasn’t supposed to be able to do this. A bit like with Leverkusen in 2024, up until the final couple of weeks, people were half-expecting the wheels to come off.

 

Question: Kaiserslautern defeated Bayern Munich for the return fixture in December 1997. Was this in a way the catalyst needed for the remainder of the season?

SW: Yeah, that return fixture in December really was the moment things went to another level. Beating Bayern once, especially on the opening day, could be written off as a fluke. But beating them again - and more convincingly - made it much harder to dismiss Kaiserslautern.

That 2-0 win at the Betzenberg wasn’t just about the result, it was the manner of it. Confident and in control. For the players, it must have cemented the belief that they could go all the way.

 

Question: How did Rehhagel motivate a promoted side to believe they could win and what were his general tactics?

SW: Rehhagel was never one for overcomplicating things tactically. His strength was in building compact, disciplined teams that were hard to break down and effective on the counter. At Kaiserslautern, he set the team up in a fairly straightforward 4-4-2 most weeks, with clear roles and responsibilities.

The midfield was built around Sforza, with Ballack and Wagner providing balance - one a bit more forward-thinking, the other doing a lot of the running and covering.

Ratinho offered energy down the right, and Marschall led the line, supported by Hristov or Rische depending on the game. The back four stayed compact and didn’t take many risks. Kadlec, in particular, was a calming presence.

What Rehhagel really instilled was tactical discipline. The team stayed narrow, defended in numbers and hit teams quickly in transition. It wasn’t defensive in a negative sense, but always structure-first. Keeping the tactics consistent seemingly gave the players confidence and cohesion throughout the season.

 

Photo From: Onze-Mondial, Hors Serie 28, June 1998

(Kaiserslautern 1997/98)

Question: Was Rehhagel’s title win at the expense of Bayern Munich, in a way exacting revenge for being sacked in 1996?

SW: There’s definitely some poetry to it! Rehhagel had been sacked by Bayern, despite the team being in a title race and a European final. It clearly wouldn’t have sat well with him, and while he never made it a public drama, you’d have to imagine winning the title ahead of Bayern in 1998 was satisfying.

That said, Rehhagel was too level-headed to make it about revenge. His focus was on building a competitive side, getting promoted, and then proving they could hold their own.

 

Photo From: World Soccer, July 1998

(Kaiserslautern 1997/98)

Question: In the aftermath, was winning the Bundesliga title, the pinnacle that the club could never emulate?

SW: Yeah, in hindsight, that 1998 title really was the pinnacle. Not just of that period, but arguably the club’s modern history. It was such a unique achievement: a newly promoted side winning the Bundesliga, something that had never been done before and hasn’t been repeated since. It felt almost like a perfect storm.

After that, Kaiserslautern did stay competitive for a few seasons. They reached a Champions League quarter final in 1999 and made a DFB-Pokal final in 2003, but they were never quite able to hit the same heights.

Money problems began to pop up, players moved on, and the club slowly slid away. By the mid-2000s, they were relegated again, and they’ve struggled to re-establish themselves ever since really.

 

Photo From: Calcio 2000, Issue 14, December 1998

(Kaiserslautern 1998/99)

Question: As stars like Ballack were sold, was it inevitable that the adventure would end?

SW: In some ways, but the club had punched above its weight in 1998, and sustaining that level was always going to be a challenge. Ballack’s departure, along with others like Kadlec and Sforza, chipped away at the core that had made the title run possible.

Other clubs were growing rapidly, investing heavily, and Kaiserslautern struggled to keep up financially. The infrastructure and long-term planning weren’t there. They were capable of good seasons here and there, but the title win had raised expectations that couldn’t be met sustainably.

 

Question: In the following seasons, the club finished 5^th in 1999 and 2000. Finally, Rehhagel resigned in October 2000 after a public dispute with Ciriaco Sforza. Had he gone as far as he could at the club?

SW: It did feel like a classic case of the manager’s project having run its course. Finishing 5th in both 1999 and 2000 was still impressive actually - considering the loss of key players.

The public fallout with Sforza, who had been a central figure in the side, was probably just the most visible sign of deeper issues. Rehhagel was a strong personality, and demanded total commitment to his methods. When that created tensions, it would have been hard to keep things together. 

Rehhagel left as a club legend, having delivered the most unlikely title in Bundesliga history. But by 2000, the spark just wasn’t there anymore.

 

Photo From: World Soccer, November 1998

(Otto Rehhagel with the 1997/98 Bundesliga Trophy with Kaiserslautern)

Question: Is Kaiserslautern’s 1998 title, one of those romantic stories that is almost impossible to repeat these days?

SW: It would be extremely difficult to repeat. The financial landscape has changed a lot since the millennium. Like in most of Europe, the gap between the biggest clubs and the rest is far wider now.

Now, even with smart recruitment and a strong setup, it’s hard to imagine a newly promoted side sustaining a title challenge across 34 games. The level of consistency and squad depth needed is just so much higher.

Having said that, Union Berlin punched well above their weight for a few years after promotion in 2019. So it’s not impossible for underdogs to break into European qualification. But I think that very top level is almost untouchable now.

 

Question: In closing, what is the lasting legacy of Rehhagel and Kaiserslautern’s 1997-98 season in the annals of Bundesliga history?

 

 

SW: I think the legacy is that it still stands apart as the most unlikely title win the Bundesliga has ever seen. No one’s done it before or since as a newly promoted team, and that really says it all.

 

For Rehhagel, it really added to his reputation by showing he could still compete at the top without the resources of a Bayern or a Dortmund. And for Kaiserslautern, it’s the kind of achievement that still defines the club, even now.

It’s one of those years that we still look back on - like the Leicester season in the Premier League - and think ‘did that really happen?’ And the fact we’re still talking about it almost 30 years later probably says everything!