FC Carl Zeiss Jena (women)

Carl Zeiss Jena
Founded2017 (2017)
GroundErnst-Abbe-Sportfeld
Capacity15,000
ChairmanRalf Schmidt-Röh
ManagerChristopher Heck
LeagueFrauen-Bundesliga
2024–2511th of 12

FC Carl Zeiss Jena is a German women's football club from Jena, Thuringia. The club currently plays in the Bundesliga, the highest level of women's football in Germany. It is part of the FC Carl Zeiss Jena club.

Carl Zeiss Jena played regional women's football since 2016–17 but became more prominent, when it merged with FF USV Jena in 2020.

History

FF USV Jena

Former logo as FF USV Jena

The roots of women’s football in Jena date back to the days of East Germany, where USV Jena (then HSG Uni Jena) became the Regionalliga Nordost champion in 1991, earning promotion to the unified Frauen-Bundesliga in 1991–92. However, the team was immediately relegated. After several years in the lower tiers, the club resurged in the early 2000s.

In 2003, the women's football section split from USV Jena to form FF USV Jena.[1] That same year, the team won the Regionalliga Nordost but narrowly missed promotion. In 2004, they qualified for the newly created 2. Bundesliga and quickly established themselves as contenders. After finishing runners-up in 2006–07, they won the southern division title in 2007–08 and earned promotion to the Bundesliga.[2]

FF USV Jena squad for the 2017–18 season

FF USV Jena enjoyed its greatest success in 2010 when it reached the final of the DFB-Pokal, narrowly losing 1–0 to FCR 2001 Duisburg.[3] The club maintained its Bundesliga status for a decade before being relegated at the end of the 2017–18 season.

In the 2018–19 season, Jena finished fourth in the 2. Bundesliga, but with higher-ranked reserve teams ineligible for promotion, FF USV was promoted back to the top flight. Financial struggles followed, with reports indicating a budget shortfall in 2018, prompting fan-led fundraising efforts.[2] Amid ongoing financial difficulties and organizational shifts, the club announced in May 2020 that all women's teams and competition licenses would be transferred to FC Carl Zeiss Jena, effective July 1, 2020. This marked the end of FF USV Jena as an independent club.[4]

FC Carl Zeiss Jena

Carl Zeiss Jena had already entered women's football in 2017 by taking over USV Jena's third team, which competed in the Thüringenliga and won promotion in its third season.[5] Following financial challenges and relegation in 2018, FF USV Jena formally merged with FC Carl Zeiss Jena on 1 July 2020, transferring all teams and playing rights.[6]

In the 2020–21 season, Carl Zeiss Jena competed in the 2. Bundesliga Nord under coach Anne Pochert and achieved immediate promotion to the Frauen-Bundesliga.[7] However, the 2021–22 campaign ended with relegation after the team finished last. Following this, the club restructured its women's department, appointing Isabelle Knipp as sporting director and hiring former FF USV Jena manager Steffen Beck as head coach.[8] In 2023–24, the club finished runners-up in the second division, securing promotion back to the Bundesliga.[9]

Current squad

As of 6 January 2025[10]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
— GK Germany GER Julia Kassen
2 DF Germany GER Bente Fischer
3 DF Germany GER Toma Ihlenburg
4 DF Germany GER Anika Metzner
5 DF Germany GER Jalysa Stechemesser
6 MF Germany GER Jenny Beyer
7 FW Germany GER Melina Reuter
8 DF Germany GER Felicia Sträßer
10 MF Germany GER Merza Julević
11 FW Germany GER Hannah Mesch
12 GK Germany GER Sofie Lehmann
14 MF Germany GER Anja Heuschkel
15 DF Germany GER Luise Wildner
No. Pos. Nation Player
16 DF Germany GER Lisa Gora
17 FW Germany GER Nicole Woldmann
18 FW Australia AUS Anna Margraf
19 MF Germany GER Hannah Lehmann
20 DF Germany GER Luca Birkholz
22 MF Germany GER Fiona Gaißer
23 FW Ghana GHA Josephine Bonsu
24 GK Germany GER Laura Kiontke
25 MF Germany GER Noemi Gentile
27 DF Germany GER Gwen Mummert
28 DF Germany GER Emily Reske
31 DF Germany GER Nelly Juckel
49 GK Germany GER Jasmin Janning
— MF Switzerland SUI Elena Muhlemann
— DF New Zealand NZL Suya Haering

Staff

Coaching staff
Germany Florian Kästner Head coach
Germany Matthias Buszkowiak Assistant coach
Germany Luis Urbig Goalkeeping coach
Germany Mikkeline Braun Fitness coach

Notable players

Notable managers

References

  1. ^ "Interview mit Heidi Vater vom FF USV Jena". Archived from the original on 23 August 2018. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Thüringens Frauenfußball-Leuchtturm steckt tief in der Krise. Nun starten Fans eine Kampagne zur Rettung des FF USV Jena" (in German). Frauenfußball Magazin. 29 November 2018.
  3. ^ "FCR 2001 Duisburg 1–0 FF USV Jena" (in German). Kicker. 15 May 2010.
  4. ^ "FF USV schließt sich FC Carl Zeiss Jena an". DFB.de (in German). German Football Association. 28 May 2020. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  5. ^ "Chronik – FC Carl Zeiss Jena – Frauen-Thüringenliga 19/20 – FuPa".
  6. ^ "USV Jena: Abstieg und Aufbruch | MDR.DE". www.mdr.de. Archived from the original on 24 July 2020.
  7. ^ "„Ein historischer Tag"" (in German). FC Carl Zeiss Jena. 25 August 2021.
  8. ^ "Steffen Beck wird neuer Cheftrainer der Frauen des FC Carl Zeiss Jena" (in German). jenamedia.de. 9 May 2022.
  9. ^ Altgelt, Helene (18 June 2024). "Carl Zeiss Jena zurück in der Frauen-Bundesliga: Mehr als eine Fahrstuhlmannschaft?" (in German). 90min.de.
  10. ^ "Kader / Trainer- & Funktionsteam" (in German). FC Carl Zeiss Jena. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
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