Frankfurt the prime force

With the second qualifying round of the UEFA Women's Cup starting next month, uefa.com is taking detailed looks at each of the 16 clubs looking to progress to the quarter-finals and beyond. This week Group C, beginning with two-time European champions 1. FFC Frankfurt.

On 1 January 1999, 1. FFC Frankfurt officially came into existence, the culmination of years of hard work driving the club forward from its origins as SG Praunheim. There were two prime movers behind Frankfurt's formation: Siegfried Dietrich, an experienced promoter and the club's general manager, and Monika Staab, the coach, chairwoman and figurehead. The women's Bundesliga, divided into northern and southern divisions, was formed in 1997/98 and the following season the renamed Frankfurt were champions, also adding the German Cup to a trophy cabinet that had previously only boasted the national indoor title.

Brentanobad fortress
The Stadion am Brentanobad, shared with fifth division men's side SG Rot-Weiss Frankfurt, was soon established as a fortress, and although FCR Duisburg wrested the title from Frankfurt in 1999/00, Staab's team again triumphed in the German Cup. That triumph set the tone for more glory in 2000/01, when Frankfurt won a second double. A momentous campaign the following term culminated in winning the inaugural UEFA Women's Cup 2-0 against Umeå IK in a final watched by 12,000 spectators at the Waldstadion, home of Eintracht Frankfurt. Although Swedish side Umeå exacted revenge in the semi-finals of the UEFA Women's Cup a year later, Frankfurt consoled themselves with a domestic double - the title secured in dramatic fashion on the final day of the season against their main rivals 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam.

World glory
On 12 October 2003 six Frankfurt players - Nia Künzer, Sandra Minnert, Steffi Jones, Renate Lingor, Pia Wunderlich and Birgit Prinz - were part of the Germany squad which won the FIFA Women's World Cup in Carson, California. They beat Sweden 2-1 in the final thanks to Künzer's golden goal, and Prinz was later named the player of the tournament and the FIFA World Player of the Year. A year later, Frankfurt experienced three painful setbacks, losing both domestic trophies to Potsdam and the European Women's Cup final to Umeå, 8-0 on aggregate. In July 2004, Staab stepped down to focus on her position as chairwoman, and Hans-Jürgen Tritschoks took over as coach. The next summer saw a fifth Bundesliga title and Prinz was voted FIFA World Player of the Year for the third time in a row in December 2005.

Club badge
Although Potsdam dominated domestic competition that season, Frankurt gained revenge on their domestic rivals by defeating the holders 7-2 on aggregate to reclaim the European title. Last season saw a surprise UEFA Women's Cup quarter-final loss to Kolbotn IL but they completed the German double. Frankfurt now have over 300 players on their books, with teams competing in various regional leagues, all sporting the white strip emblazoned with the club's badge - a woman playing football in front of Frankfurt's famous skyline.