Opposition Check – SSV Ulm

Their own father was a coach and their sister was once a professional footballer. No wonder that Thomas Wörle couldn’t resist the temptation of football either. First, the current head coach of SSV Ulm laced up his football boots himself and played at professional level for clubs such as FC Augsburg, 1860 Munich, Kickers Offenbach and Greuther Fürth. However, at the Kleeblatt he had to end his active career early at the age of 26 due to health problems.

However, it was immediately clear that he could continue in the coaching role. His father and his job as a trainer influenced him too much and inspired him to do exactly this job. The 42-year-old started as head coach of the women’s team at FC Bayern Munich. He quickly established the German record champions‘ footballers both nationally and in international business. In his nine years on the sidelines at Bayern, he won the championship twice and the DFB Cup once. In 2021 he moved to men’s football in the Regionalliga Südwest, where he took over his new love, SSV Ulm. “The Ulm project that we started in 2021 captivated me from the first minute because we knew that a lot was possible here too,” emphasised Wörle in an interview with dfb.de: “We didn’t want to set any limits for ourselves.” No sooner said than done. In its first season, the Spatzen were promoted to the 3rd league in 2022. From there, under the leadership of Wörle, they made it through to the 2nd Bundesliga. “Absolute madness,” is how the ambitious and down-to-earth trainer describes this most successful phase in the club’s history.

Especially against the ball, SSV Ulm shows their absolute fighting spirit, with which they made it into the 2nd Bundesliga. Last week we reported about the the player with the most duel wins in the 2nd Bundesliga – Aleksandar Vukotić. In the section, however, it is the “Sparrows” who set the tone when it comes to duels. SSV Ulm is the strongest team in the league. In total, head coach Thomas Wörle’s team won a total of 989 duels. This is the top value in the 2nd Bundesliga.

… Johannes Reichert. Like Federico Dimarco once at Inter Milan, the 33-year-old at Ulm has made it from the fan curve to the seat of his favorite team. And if he can’t be on the field, then he’ll be back in the block… Just like in the last third division season in the home game of SSV Ulm against Dynamo Dresden: Reichert was missing due to a yellow card suspension and promptly decided to watch the duel together with the supporters – to follow fans in the home block and to briefly take on the role of lead singer. The man is an Ulm native through and through. “I started playing football with the Bambinis. The club is home, family and center of life all in one. “All of us at home are SSV fans,” Reichert once explained in an interview with dfb.de.

Born in Ulm, a fan of Ulm since he was a child and now captain of his club. The central defender has played almost continuously for his hometown club since 1996 – with the exception of the 2014/15 and 2015/16 seasons, when he ended up at 1. FC Kaiserslautern II. Hardly anyone on the team would identify with the club as much as Reichert does. With a total of 415 competitive games, the central defender is in second place on the SSV’s all-time record player list. Reichert already played with Ulm in the Oberliga Baden-Württemberg and the Regionalliga Südwest – and then suddenly in the 2nd Bundesliga. In 2022, promotion to the 3rd league, a year later the march through to the German lower house of football. Reichert: “After the difficult times, it was always my dream to take the club back there. So many people are proud of SSV Ulm again, which makes me incredibly happy.”