Berliner FC Dynamo

Background: SC Dynamo Berlin (1954–1966) BFC Dynamo started as a football department of sports club SC Dynamo Berlin. SC Dynamo Berlin was founded on 1 October 1954 as one of the new elite sports clubs in East Germany. The sports club was affiliated to sports association SV Dynamo. The new sports club SC Dynamo Berlin became a center of excellence () of sports association SV Dynamo. In order to establish a competitive side in Berlin, the team of SG Dynamo Dresden and its place in the DDR-Oberliga was transferred to the new sports club SC Dynamo Berlin. The relocation was designed to give the capital a team that could rival teams from West Berlin, such as Hertha BSC, which were still popular in East Berlin. Among the players delegated from SG Dynamo Dresden were Johannes Matzen, Herbert Schoen and Günter Schröter. The team played its first match as SC Dynamo Berlin on 21 November 1954 against BSG Rotation Babelsberg in the 1954-55 DDR-Oberliga. Most players of the former SG Dynamo Dresden team had aged by the late 1950s. The team was now instead shaped by a new generation of players, including Martin Skaba, Werner Heine, Waldemar Mühlbächer, Hermann Bley and Konrad Dorner. SC Dynamo Berlin won its first trophy in the 1959 FDGB-Pokal. However, the team was not allowed to participate in the 1960–61 European Cup Winners' Cup. The East German Football Association () (DFV) decided that local rival and league runner-up ASK Vorwärts Berlin was a better representative. SC Dynamo Berlin had some success in the first two seasons of the 1960s. The team finished runners-up in the 1960 DDR-Oberliga and reached the final of the 1961-62 FDGB-Pokal. However, SC Dynamo Berlin found itself overshadowed in the capital by the army-sponsored ASK Vorwärts Berlin. The team of SC Dynamo Berlin during the 1960s would eventually prove relatively weak. By the end of the 1962–63 DDR-Oberliga, SC Dynamo Berlin had become a lower-table side. Manfred Kirste was elected club chairman and the SV Dynamo President Erich Mielke was made honorary chairman. BFC Dynamo was officially a club of the Ministry of the Interior and the club's official sponsor was the Volkspolizei. However, Honorary Chairman Mielke was the head of the Stasi, and BFC Dynamo would eventually come to receive personal, organizational and financial support from the Stasi. BFC Dynamo was relegated to the second-tier DDR-Liga in 1967 and subsequently began a rejuvenation of the team. The team eventually dominated the 1967-68 DDR-Liga Nord and immediately won promotion back to the DDR-Oberliga. Among the talented players from the youth department who were integrated into the first team in the late 1960s and early 1970s were Harald Schütze, Norbert Johannsen, Peter Rohde, Frank Terletzki, and Bernd Brillat. BFC Dynamo reached the final of the 1970-71 FDGB-Pokal. The team lost the final 1–2 in overtime to SG Dynamo Dresden, but qualified for the 1971-72 European Cup Winners' Cup as runner-up. The Ministry of Defense decided to relocate FC Vortwärts Berlin to Frankfurt an der Oder ahead of the 1971–72 season. BFC Dynamo and 1. FC Union Berlin were from now on the only major football clubs in East Berlin. BFC Dynamo stood out among other teams within SV Dynamo. The team was located at the frontline of the Cold War. It was also a representative of the East German capital. This meant that the club had to be well equipped. BFC Dynamo would get access to a nationwide scouting network, which included numerous training centers () (TZ) of SV Dynamo across East Germany. BFC Dynamo would eventually be able to recruit young talented players from 38 training centers (TZ) across East Germany for its youth department. By comparison, 1. FC Union Berlin only had access to 6 training centers (TZ) in the Berlin area. The team was joined by forward Wolf-Rüdiger Netz from SG Dynamo Schwerin in 1971. BFC Dynamo made its first appearance in an UEFA Competition in the 1971-72 European Cup Winners' Cup. The team reached all the way to the semi-finals. BFC Dynamo thus became the first team from Berlin to reach the semi-finals in one of the two most prestigious UEFA club competitions (the European Cup and the European Cup Winners' Cup). BFC Dynamo was eventually eliminated by Dynamo Moscow in the semi-finals, after a penalty shoot-out in the return leg. Harry Nippert became the new coach in 1973. BFC Dynamo also recruited midfielder and national team player Reinhard Lauck from relegated 1. FC Union Berlin the same year. BFC Dynamo had the youngest team in the league in the 1975-76 DDR-Oberliga, with an average age of 22.5 years. Talented players from the youth department were continuously integrated into the first team in the 1970s, such as Hans-Jürgen Riediger, Lutz Eigendorf, Norbert Trieloff and Bodo Rudwaleit. BFC Dynamo established itself as a top team in the DDR-Oberliga in the mid-1970s. 30-year-old Jürgen Bogs became the new coach in 1977. Golden era (1978–1989) BFC Dynamo had developed a very successful youth academy. BFC Dynamo under Jürgen Bogs played an aggressive football that focused on attacking. BFC Dynamo had a very successful start in the 1978-79 DDR-Oberliga and became Herbstmeister. The team reached the 1979 FDGB-Pokal final, but was defeated by 1. FC Magdeburg. Midfielder Lutz Eigendorf defected to West Germany on 20 March 1979 in connection with a friendly match in Kaiserslautern. His defection was considered a slap in the face of the East German regime; Eigendorf had been one of the most promising players in East Germany. BFC Dynamo eventually won its first DDR-Oberliga title in 1979. The team broke several league records during the 1978–79 season, such as: most number of matches won since the start of a season (10), most number of unbeaten matches since the start of a season (22), most goals scored in one season under the current format (75) and the biggest win in the DDR-Oberliga in the last 30 years (10–0 against BSG Sachsenring Zwickau on the 17th matchday). Hans-Jürgen Riediger became second best goalscorer in the 1978-79 DDR-Oberliga with 20 goals. BFC Dynamo made its debut in the European Cup in 1979. The team reached the quarter-finals of the 1979–80 European Cup, where it faced Nottingham Forest under Brian Clough. The team won the first leg 0–1 away, after a goal by Riediger. BFC Dynamo thus became the first German team to defeat an English team in England in the European Cup. The team won its second consecutive DDR-Oberliga title in 1980, after defeating first-placed SG Dynamo Dresden 1–0 on the final matchday in front of 30,000 spectators at the Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark. The East Germany national football team won silver medal at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. BFC Dynamo was represented by five players in the squad: Bodo Rudwaleit, Artur Ullrich, Norbert Trieloff, Frank Terletzki and Wolf-Rüdiger Netz. All five played in the final against Czechoslovakia. More talented players from the youth department were integrated into the first team at the end of the 1970s and in the early 1980s, such as Rainer Ernst, Bernd Schulz, Frank Rohde, Falko Götz and Christian Backs. BFC Dynamo won the league again in 1981, after defeating second-placed FC Carl Zeiss Jena 2–1 in a deciding match on the final matchday. BFC Dynamo reached the 1982 FDGB-Pokal final, but lost to SG Dynamo Dresen in a penalty shoot-out. The team won its fourth consecutive league title in 1982, after defeating 1. FC Magdeburg 4–0 on the 23rd matchday. Supporters of BFC Dynamo invaded the pitch of the Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark in celebration of the league title. It was the first pitch invasion by the supporters of BFC Dynamo in the DDR-Oberliga. BFC Dynamo was drawn against West German champion Hamburger SV in the first round of the 1982-83 European Cup. The first leg was played at the Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark. The Stasi feared riots, political demonstrations and supporters who might express sympathy for West German stars. Only 2,000 tickets were allowed for ordinary fans. The rest was instead allocated to a politically hand-picked audience. BFC Dynamo defender Norbert Trieloff later said: "When we came out for that game, we realized something was wrong." The match ended 1–1, with a goal by Riediger. BFC Dynamo was eventually eliminated after a 2–0 defeat at the Volksparkstadion in the return leg. Key players on the team in the 1982–83 season were Bodo Rudwaleit, Christian Backs, Rainer Troppa, Frank Rohde, Frank Terletzki, Hans-Jürgen Riediger, Norbert Trieloff, Artur Ullrich, Wolf-Rüdiger Netz, Michael Noack, Ralf Sträßer and Rainer Ernst. BFC Dynamo had come to dominate the DDR-Oberliga by 1982. The team went through the entire 1982-83 DDR-Oberliga undefeated. BFC Dynamo was defeated 1–2 by FC Karl-Marx-Stadt on the seventh matchday of the 1983-84 DDR-Oberliga. It was the first loss since the 22nd matchday of the 1981-82 DDR-Oberliga. BFC Dynamo had then been undefeated in 36 matches, which set a new record in the DDR-Oberliga for the longest unbeaten run. BFC Dynamo was drawn against FK Partizan Belgrade in the second round of the 1983-84 European Cup. Players Falko Götz and Dirk Schlegel defected to West Germany during a shopping tour in Belgrade the day before the second leg. As a replacement for Götz, the talented 18-year old forward Andreas Thom from the youth department was given the chance to make his international debut in the match. BFC Dynamo was eventually eliminated by AS Roma in the quarter finals of 1983-84 European Cup. It was the fourth time in five seasons that BFC Dynamo had been eliminated in the European Cup by an eventual finalist; three times had BFC Dynamo been eliminated by the champion: Nottingham Forrest in 1979, Aston Villa in 1981 and Hamburger SV in 1982. BFC Dynamo captured its sixth consecutive league in 1984. Rainer Ernst became the best goal scorer in the 1983-84 DDR-Oberliga with 20 goals. BFC Dynamo reached the 1984 FDGB-Pokal final, but lost to SG Dynamo Dresden. BFC Dynamo recruited Frank Pastor from relegated HFC Chemie in 1984. The team was drawn against Aberdeen FC under Alex Ferguson in the first round of the 1984–85 European Cup. BFC Dynamo eventually won the round after dramatic penalty shoot-out at the Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark in the return leg. Goalkeeper Bodo Rudwaleit saved the last two penalty kicks for Aberdeen FC. BFC Dynamo finished the 1984-85 DDR-Oberliga in first place, six points ahead of SG Dynamo Dresden. The team had scored a total of 90 goals in 1984-85 DDR-Oberliga, which set a new record. No team would ever score more goals in one season in the DDR-Oberliga. With 24 goals, Rainer Ernst was once again the best goal scorer in the league. Frank Pastor was the second best goal scorer in the league with 22 goals. BFC Dynamo reached the 1985 FDGB-Pokal final, but was again defeated by SC Dynamo Dresden in the final. BFC Dynamo was in first place in the league before the winter break 1985–1986. The team faced 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig on the 18th matchday of the 1985-86 DDR-Oberliga. 1. FC Lokomotiv Leipzig led the match 1–0 in overtime. BFC Dynamo was then awarded a penalty in the 95th minute by referee Bernd Stumpf. Frank Pastor converted the penalty and the match ended in a 1–1 draw. The penalty was highly controversial and would later become known as the "Shame penalty of Leipzig". But controversial refereeing decisions in favor of BFC Dynamo gave rise to speculation that the dominance of BFC Dynamo was not solely due to athletic performance, but also due to help from referees. BFC Dynamo was a representative of both the Stasi and the capital. The team was therefore viewed with more suspicion than affection. Complaints of alleged referee bias accumulated into the hundreds in the mid-1980s. Among other things, the analysis found that BFC Dynamo had incurred only one third of the yellow cards incurred by rival SG Dynamo Dresden. However, a previously unknown video recording of the match was published by Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (MDR) in 2000. The video recording showed that the penalty was correctly awarded and that the sanctions against Stumpf were unjustified. In an interview in 2000, Stumpf said: "The people have never understood, how this Leipzig game was used by the highest officials in the party and government." In order pursue an international career, a referee would need a travel permit, confirmed by the Stasi. It became known after the German reunification that several referees had also been Unofficial collaborators (IM) of the Stasi. However, there is no evidence to show that referees were under direct instructions from the Stasi and no document has ever been found in the archives that gave the Stasi a mandate to bribe referees. Former coach Jürgen Bogs has said: "You cannot postpone 26 matches in one season in the DDR-Oberliga. At that time we had the best football team". As the coach of the DDR-Oberliga team, Bogs worked with modern training methods, such as video evalutations, which was not yet common in East Germany. The club also applied heart rate and lactate measurements during training, which only came to the Bundesliga many years later. BFC Dynamo recruited 20-year-old Thomas Doll from relegated F.C. Hansa Rostock in 1986. Doll and Andreas Thom would form one of the most effective attacking duos in East German football in the late 1980s. The 1986–87 and 1987-88 seasons saw renewed competition in the DDR-Oberliga. BFC Dynamo eventually won its tenth consecutive league title in 1988. The 1987-88 DDR-Oberliga was won on goal difference in the final matchday. Andreas Thom became the best goalscorer in 1987-88 DDR-Oberliga with 20 goals. The team then defeated FC Carl Zeiss Jena in the 1988 FDGB-Pokal final and finally completed the Double. Thom was voted the 1988 East German footballer of the year. . BFC Dynamo was drawn against West German champion SV Werder Bremen in the first round of the 1988-89 European Cup. BFC Dynamo sensationally won the first leg 3–0 at the Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark. However, the team lost the return leg at the Weser-Stadion with 0–5. The return leg would become known as the second "Miracle on the Weser". SG Dynamo Dresden eventually broke the dominance of BFC Dynamo in the DDR-Oberliga in the 1988-89 season. BFC Dynamo finished the 1988-89 DDR-Oberliga as runner-up, and SG Dynamo Dresden became the new champion. Coach Bogs was replaced by Helmut Jäschke after the 1988–89 season. As the cup winner, BFC Dynamo was set to play the new league champion SG Dynamo Dresden in the first edition of the DFV-Supercup. BFC Dynamo won the match 4-1 and became the first and, eventually, only winner of the DFV-Supercup in the history of East German football. FC Berlin, decline and insolvency (1989–2004) The 1989–90 season was marked by the political change in East Germany. The Berlin Wall was opened on 9 November 1989 and people in East Berlin could now travel freely to West Berlin. Andreas Thom was signed to Bayer Leverkusen. He left the team during the winter break 1989–1990 and became the first player in the DDR-Oberliga to be transferred to the West German Bundesliga after the fall of the Berlin Wall. The Stasi was definitively dissolved on 13 January 1990 and thus BFC Dynamo lost a major sponsor. BFC Dynamo was eventually rebranded as FC Berlin on 19 February 1990. The team finished the 1989-90 DDR-Oberliga in fourth place and failed for the first time in a long time to qualify for an UEFA competition. More players left the team after 1990–91 season, including Heiko Bonan for VfL Bochum, Burkhard Reich for Karlsruher SC and Hendrik Herzog for FC Schalke 04. The 1991–92 season was the first season when teams from East Germany and teams from West Germany played in the same league system. The NOFV-Oberliga was now at third tier in the German football league system. Sweeper Heiko Brestrich returned the team in 1991. The team was also joined by defender Jens Reckmann from the youth department the same year. Brestrich and Reckmann would be two of the most capped players of FC Berlin in the 1990s. FC Berlin dominated the 1991-92 NOFV-Oberliga, but failed for the second season in a row to qualify for the 2. Bundesliga. FC Berlin lost 11 players after the 1991–92 season. In total, the club lost two complete teams in the first year or two after the fall of the Berlin Wall: 22 players had left for the Bundesliga and 13 players for the 2. Bundesliga. Coach Bogs resigned in September 1993 and was replaced by Helmut Koch. FC Berlin managed to qualify for the new Regionalliga Nordost in 1994. The reinstated Regionalliga formed the new third tier. The 1994-95 Regionalliga Nordost involved new derbies against 1. FC Union Berlin and new matches against several other well-known opponents. FC Berlin struggled in the 1994-95 Regionalliga Nordost but managed to retain its place in the league. The highlight of the 1995-96 Regionaliga Nordost were then new duels with 1. FC Dynamo Dresden. The two teams had not met since 1991. Due to a threat of relegation, coach Koch was dismissed in October 1995. He was succeeded by former player and youth coach Werner Voigt. Defender Mario Maek also returned to the team at the same time. FC Berlin organized one of the biggest youth football tournaments so far in the eastern part of the country in April 1996. As many as 30 youth teams from clubs such as Chelsea F.C., Feyenoord, SK Rapid Wien, FC Spartak Moscow, FC Bayern München and Borussia Dortmund participated. FC Berlin finished the 1995-96 Regionaliga Nordost in 13th place. Club President Volkmar Wanski announced in November 1996 that the financial reserves had been used up; the millions of Deutsche Mark that the club had made from player transfers in the early 1990s were now gone. Defender Jörn Lenz returned to the team during the winter break 1997–1998. Lenz would be a key player for several seasons to come. The successes in the Regionalliga did not materialize; FC Berlin remained a lower-table side. Coach Voigt eventually left for 1. FC Dynamo Dresden in March 1998. Henry Häusler became new coach in 1998. Among the key players on the team in the 1998–99 season were Heiko Brestrich, Jörn Lenz, Mario Kallnik and Mario Maek. BFC Dynamo defeated Berlin Turkspor 1965 4–1 in the final of the 1998-99 Berlin Cup and finally won its first Berlin Cup title. Brestrich scored two goals, Ayhan Gezen one goal and Maek one goal for BFC Dynamo in the final. Former FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt-player and coach Klaus Goldbach became new coach at the end of the season. BFC Dynamo recruited goalkeeper Nico Thomaschewski from 1. FC Union Berlin in 1999. BFC Dynamo suffered a period of crisis during the autumn of 1999; the club had run into financial difficulties, and the team had plummeted down the league after several matches without a single win. Heiko Brestrich was sacked after a protest against coach Goldbach. Brestrich had played 282 matches for the team between 1991 and 1999. Eventually, Jürgen Bogs returned for his third stint as coach in December 1999. Hans Reker became the new sporting director in January 2000. Through Reker, BFC Dynamo finally got a promising main sponsor in the form of the software company Lipro AG. However, the struggle in the league continued and BFC Dynamo finished the 1999-2000 Regionalliga in 17th place. About a dozen new players were signed in the summer of 2000, including five Romanian players, four of whom were former national team players. Social democratic SPD-politician Karin Halsch became the new club president in September 2000. BFC Dynamo finished the 2000–01 NOFV-Oberliga Nord in first place. BFC Dynamo striker Denis Kozlov became the top scorer in the league with 29 goals. Players had not received their salaries for months and the club was behind on insurance payments. BFC Dynamo lost the play-off after a 5–2 defeat away in the second leg. Several players left the team immediately after the season. The insurance company AOK eventually filed for insolvency against BFC Dynamo in June 2001. Shortly afterwards, Halsch resigned as club president and Reker took over as acting president. The club's total debts were now estimated at 5.5 millions Deutsche Mark. BFC Dynamo tried to initiate a partnership with FC Dynamo Moscow, but the plans led nowhere. BFC Dynamo needed 30,000 Deutsche Mark by 31 October 2001 to open insolvency proceedings, but the club did not have the money. If insolvency proceedings could not be opened, the club would go bankcrupt. A sponsor group around former club president Wanski eventually came forward at the last second and offered the money. BFC Dynamo, and then FC Berlin, was said to have made millions from player sales after Die Wende. The club was for a time considered the richest amateur club in Germany. The club's reputation as a former Stasi club made it difficult to win new sponsors. The club was also plagued by hooliganism which repeatedly made negative headlines. FC Berlin failed to qualify for the 2. Bundesliga and never progressed beyond third tier. Average attendance was only a couple of hundreds in the early 1990s. However, the millions from Lipro AG later turned out to be loans. Jörn Lenz left for VfB Leipzig and Nico Thomaschewski for SV Babelsberg 03. Also coach Bogs left. BFC Dynamo was estimated to have debts of around 2,2 million Euros. The preferential claims of about 200,000 Euros seemed insurmountable, but supporters negotiated with creditors and received numerous waivers, and also raised thousands of Euros themselves. The team was also joined by young defender Robert Rudwaleit from the reserve team the same year. Robert Rudwaleit was the son of Bodo Rudwaleit. BFC Dynamo finished its first season in the Verbandsliga Berlin in third place. Jörn Lenz then returned to the team in 2003. BFC Dynamo also recruited forward Danny Kukulies from SC Pfullendorf the same year. The insolvency situation was complex. The club had 170 creditors and it was uncertain whether the insolvency proceedings would end successfully. BFC Dynamo eventually finished the 2003-04 Verbandsliga Berlin in first place and won promotion back to the NOFV-Oberliga Nord. The team won all 17 matches in the second half of the league season, which set new record in the Verbandsliga Berlin. Kukulies became the top scorer in the league with 32 goals. Finally, the insolvency proceedings also came to a positive conclusion after a meeting with the creditors at the Charlottenburg District Court on 8 June 2004. Consolidation (2004-2014) Former player Christian Backs became the new coach in 2004. Key players on the team in the 2004–05 season were Robert Rudwaleit, Nico Thomaschewski, Dennis Kutrieb, Jörn Lenz and Danny Kukulies. Coach Backs left for Berliner AK 07 in April 2005, due to financial disagreements with the club. Former FC Vorwärts Berlin player Jürgen Piepenburg became the new coach in the summer of 2005. The 2005-06 NOFV-Oberliga Nord involved new derbies with 1. FC Union Berlin. BFC Dynamo lost the first meeting with 1. FC Union Berlin 8–0. Coach Piepenberg was dismissed immediately after the match. Israeli fashion brand JetLag became the new main sponsor at the beginning of 2006. The return match against 1. FC Union Berlin was played at the Stadion im Sportforum in May 2006. The score was 1-1 when supporters of BFC Dynamo invaded the pitch to storm the away block. The match was abandoned and 1. FC Union Berlin was awarded a 2–0 victory. The club's finances were eventually saved by the sponsor Infinity-Net Telekom GmbH. Weinkauf was eventually dismissed in a vote of no confidence at the annual meeting in June 2007. Meyer became the new chairman of the Economic Council and practically club manager. The company's manager Gökhan Kazan also became member of the Economic Council. Before the match, Meyer publicly declared that "anyone who shouts nazi slogans will be thrown out of the stadium". BFC Dynamo recruited midfielder Christian Preiß in 2008. Norbert Uhlig was elected as the new club president in October 2008. BFC Dynamo was undefeated in the first ten matches of the 2008-09 NOFV-Oberliga Nord. However, all hopes of promotion were dashed after a 2–4 loss against first-placed Tennis Borussia Berlin before the winter break. BFC Dynamo finished the 2008-09 NOFV-Oberliga Nord as runner-up. Christian Backs returned as coach in 2009. BFC Dynamo also recruited forward Nico Patschinski from 1. FC Union Berlin the same year. The team had a successful start to the 2009-10 NOFV-Oberliga Nord. BFC Dynamo also finished the 2009-10 NOFV-Oberliga Nord as runner-up. The team reached the final of the 2009-10 Berlin Cup. BFC Dynamo lost the final 2–1 against Berliner AK 07. 100-150 supporters of BFC Dynamo stormed the pitch after the final whistle. Forward Matthias Steinborn from the youth department became a regular player in the team in 2010. The results in the 2010-11 NOFV-Oberliga Nord were mediocre, but the team had more success in the Berlin Cup. BFC Dynamo defeated SFC Stern 1900 2–0 in the final of the 2010–11 Berlin Cup. BFC Dynamo conceded just one loss in the first 14 matchdays in the 2012-13 NOFV-Oberliga Nord and was a top team in the league. The team finished the season in third place in the league. BFC Dynamo then defeated SV Lichtenberg 47 1–0 in the final of the 2012–13 Berlin Cup in front of 6,381 spectators at the Friedrich-Ludig-Jahn-Sportpark. N'Diaye quickly became a crowd favourite, known as "Dieter". BFC Dynamo came to dominate the 2013-14 NOFV-Oberliga Nord. The league title was secured on the 22nd matchday and the team would go through the entire league season undefeated. BFC Dynamo eventually finished the 2013-14 NOFV-Oberliga Nord 34 points ahead of second-placed Brandenburger SC Süd 05. Christian Preiß had scored 15 goals and N'Diaye 12 goals in the league. BFC Dynamo had thus finally won promotion to the Regionalliga Nordost after 10 years in the NOFV-Oberliga Nord. Regionalliga Nordost (2014-present) The 2014–15 season saw the return of BFC Dynamo to live television. Thomas Stratos became new coach in November 2014. BFC Dynamo defeated SV Tasmania Berlin 2–1 in the 2014–15 Berlin Cup final in front of 6,914 spectators at Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark and won their fourth Berlin Cup title. The attendance set a new record for a Berlin Cup final since German reunification. BFC Dynamo recruited a number of players with 3. Liga experience in 2015, such as Brazilian midfielder Thiago Rockenbach, forward Dennis Srbeny and goalkeeper Bernhard Hendl. The team was also joined by midfielder Kai Pröger. The club celebrated its 50th anniversary on 15 January 2016. The anniversary was celebrated with around 1,000 guests in the Loewe Saal in the locality of Moabit. Among the guests were former players and coaches such as Peter Rohde, Frank Terletzki, Wolf-Rüdiger Netz, Jürgen Bogs, Artur Ullrich, Bernd Schulz, Frank Rohde, Andreas Thom and Thomas Doll. Midfielder Joey Breitfeld from the youth department made his debut for BFC Dynamo in the Regionalliga Nordost in February 2016. BFC Dynamo finished the 2015-16 Regionalliga Nordost in fourth place. René Rydlewicz became the new coach in 2016. BFC Dynamo reached the final of the 2016-17 Berlin Cup. The team defeated FC Viktoria 1889 Berlin 3–1 in the final, after two goals by Pröger in extra time. BFC Dynamo recruited Azerbaijani striker and national team player Rufat Dadashov as well as midfielder Philip Schulz in 2017. The team drew FC Schalke 04 in the first round of the 2017-18 DFB-Pokal. BFC Dynamo lost the match 0–2 in front of 14,114 spectators at the Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark. The attendance was the highest for BFC Dynamo since the match between BFC Dynamo and AS Monaco in the 1989–90 European Cup Winners' Cup in November 1989. BFC Dynamo finished the 2017-18 Regionalliga Nordost in 4th place. Dadashov became the top scorer in the league with 25 goals in 25 games. The team again reached the final of the Berlin Cup. BFC Dynamo defeated Berliner SC 2–1 in the final of the 2017–18 Berlin Cup to claim its second consecutive Berlin Cup title. Dadashov scored both goals for BFC Dynamo in the final. BFC Dynamo recruited defender Chris Reher in 2018. BFC Dynamo played 1. FC Köln in the first round of the 2018-19 DFB-Pokal. The match was played at the Olympiastadion. The match was attended by 14,357 spectators, which was a new record for BFC Dynamo since the fall of the Berlin Wall. Christian Benbennek became the new coach in 2019. The 2019-20 Regionalliga Nordost was suspended due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. BFC Dynamo arranged a virtual match against the fictional team FC Corona on 18 April 2020 to raise money for the club. The virtual match was played at the no longer existing Stadion der Weltjugend. The club sold a total of 50,000 tickets for the match. The team was joined by midfielder Alexander Siebeck in 2020. Also the 2020-21 Regionalliga Nordost was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. BFC Dynamo defeated Berliner AK 07 2–1 in the final of the 2019-20 Berlin Cup to claim its seventh Berlin Cup title. . BFC Dynamo recruited experienced forward Christian Beck in 2021. Key players on the team in the 2021–22 season were Christian Beck, Dmitri Stajila, Chris Reher, Alexander Siebeck, Michael Blum, Andreas Pollasch, Joey Breitfeld, Darryl Geurts, Andor Bolyki, Niklas Brandt and Philip Schulz. BFC Dynamo drew VfB Stuttgart in the first round of the 2021-22 DFB-Pokal. The match was played at the Stadion im Sportforum. It was the first DFB-Pokal match at the Stadion im Sportforum since FC Berlin played SC Freiburg at the stadium in the 1991–92 DFB-Pokal. BFC Dynamo lost the match 0–6. BFC Dynamo had great success in the 2021-22 Regionalliga Nordost and became Herbstmeister. The club saw the biggest increase in membership of any club in Berlin in 2021, apart from Hertha BSC and 1. FC Union Berlin; membership increased by 51 percent in 2021. Christian Beck became the top scorer in the league with 23 goals. BFC Dynamo faced VfB Oldenburg from the Regionalliga Nord in the play-off for the 3. Liga. Heiner Backhaus became new coach for the 2022-23 season. BFC Dynamo had a diffucult first half of the season. One of the few highlights was a 4-1 win at home over FC Energie Cottbus on 13 November 2022. BFC Dynamo climbed the table after the winter break. The team eventually finished the 2022-23 Regionalliga Nordost in sixth place. Christian Beck ended his career at BFC Dynamo after the season. He had been the team's top goalscorer, as well as a top goalscorer in the Regionalliga Nordost, for two consecutive seasons. BFC Dynamo recruited numerous new players for the 2023-24 season. One of them was striker Rufat Dadashov, who returned to the club. Chris Reher became the new team captain 2023-24 season. The team got a relatively good start to the league season with ten points in the first five matches. On 2 September 2024, however, the club went out and announced that coach Backhaus had been released from his duties with immediate effect "due to behavior that is detrimental to the club". Backhaus had declared interest in becoming the new coach of TSV Alemannia Aachen. Berlin-native Dirk Kunert took over as the new head coach after Backhaus. BFC Dynamo was in second place in the league before the winter break, after a very successful autumn. After defeating Berliner AK 07 2–0 in the replay of the match from the 17th matchday on 27 February 2024, the team could retroactively title themselves Herbstmeister in the 2023–24 Regionalliga Nordost. BFC Dynamo defeated 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig 4-0 at home on 9 March 2024. It was the team's biggest win against 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig since the 1983-84 DDR-Oberliga. Midfielder Joey Breitfeld made his 200th competitive appearance for BFC Dynamo in the league match against VSG Altglienicke on 23 March 2024. BFC Dynamo reported on 10 April 2024 that the club had achieved a new attendance record since Die Wende in the Sportforum Hohenschönhausen during the 2023–24 season: the club had thus achieved its highest attendance figures since 1990. The team eventually finished the 2023-24 Regionalliga Nordost in fourth place. BFC Dynamo played a friendly match against AS Monaco at the Stadion im Sportforum on 25 May 2024. AS Monaco was represented by a selection of young players, several of whom already had Ligue 1 experience. The match was played in memory of the encounter between the two clubs 35 years ago in the 1989-90 European Cup Winners' Cup. BFC Dynamo won the match 4-2. ==Colours and crest==

The colours of BFC Dynamo are claret and white. The colours were inherited from SC Dynamo Berlin and followed the claret colour scheme of SV Dynamo. BFC Dynamo has been playing in claret and white since the club's founding, with the exception of a period in the 1990s. The BFC Dynamo home kit has traditionally been a claret shirt, paired with claret or white shorts and socks. The team is occasionally nicknamed "die Weinroten", which means "the Clarets". The club was rebranded as FC Berlin on 19 February 1990. A pure white was set as the new match colour with immediate effect. FC Berlin then adopted a red and white colour scheme. In the eyes of the supporters, the red and white kit looked a lot like 1. FC Union Berlin. The BFC Dynamo away kit has traditionally been a white shirt, paired with claret or white shorts and socks. However, a variety of away kits have been used at different times. The team occasionally used a green alternative shirt during the 1960s and early 1970s. Green was the colour of the Volkspolizei, which was the official sponsor of BFC Dynamo during the East German era. The green alternative shirt was then abandoned in favor of the white shirt in the mid-1970s. In the 1985–86 season, the team began using a red and white diagonally striped alternate shirt. The diagonally striped alternative shirt was used for the rest of the 1980s. The crest of BFC Dynamo was unveiled at the club's founding ceremony in the Dynamo-Sporthalle on 15 January 1966. The crest had been chosen by midfielder Waldemar Mühlbächer from several proposals. The crest of BFC Dynamo during the East German era featured the lettering "BFC" in red and yellow and a stylized "D" for SV Dynamo on a white background, surrounded by a yellow wreath. BFC Dynamo reclaimed its East German crest when the club returned to its original club name on 3 May 1999. The club tried to recover the crest from Mager though court action, without success. BFC Dynamo continued to use the disputed crest on its kits and webpage. But the club would have to ask the owner of the crest every time it wanted to have a pennant made and was unable to exploit the commercial value of the crest for its own benefit. The legal situation around the crest would also have caused problems in the event of an advance to the Regionalliga, as the German football Association (DFB) required clubs to own their crests. In order establish independence, the club finally decided to adopt a new crest in 2009. The new crest abandoned the traditional stylized "D" and the lettering "BFC", as they would have met legal obstacles. From the 2023–24 season, BFC Dynamo is once again playing with its traditional crest. The traditional crest was displayed for the first time since its reintroduction in a friendly match against Hertha BSC in front of more than 10,000 spectators at the Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark on 7 July 2023. Ownership of the traditional crest Many clubs in East Germany rushed to drop their East German names during the Peaceful revolution. BFC Dynamo was among the clubs to do so, in an attempt to distance the club from the Stasi. Mager inquired with the register of associations in Charlottenburg in 1991 about all deleted names of East German clubs. Mager was repeatedly exposed to minor threats from the environment around BFC Dynamo and eventually sold the crest to Rayk Bernt and his company RA-BE Immobilien- und Handelsgesellschaft mbH for a price of 50,000 Deutsche Mark in June 2002. Bernt was a close associate of André Sommer. Bernt and Sommer had assisted the club at the opening of the insolvency proceedings in 2001–2002. Bernt demanded a seven-digit sum, according to former Club President Mario Weinkauf. President Weinkauf planned to recover the rights to the former crest with the help of Thomas Thiel and the company Treasure AG before the general meeting on 23 June 2007. Thiel was a co-owner of Treasure AG, which was intended as a new major sponsor. The price was allegedly a six-digit sum. However, Weinkauf was ultimately rejected by club members in a vote of no-confidence at the general meeting on 23 June 2007. Thiel sold his rights to the crest back to Bernt and his company BFC Dynamo Vermarktungsgesellschaft m.b.H in 2009. The rights to the old crest where subsequently controlled again by the company RA-BE Immobilien- und Handelsgesellschaft mbH. The company is controlled by Bernt, who sold occasional items with the former crest at his own webpage. In connection with the club's 57th anniversary in 2023, the Chairman of the Economic Council Peter Meyer revealed in an exclusive interview with Berliner Kurier that he had acquired the rights to the crest for the club through one of his companies. After more than 13 years, the traditional crest was finally back with the club. According to Berliner Kurier and Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (MDR), a six-digit sum is said to have become due. Championship star The German Football League (DFL) introduced a system of championship stars in the 2004–05 season. The system was meant to honor the most successful teams in the Bundesliga by allowing teams to display stars on their shirts for the championships they have won. The system awarded one star for three titles, two stars for five titles, and three stars for ten titles. However, the system only counted titles won in the Bundesliga since the 1963–64 season. BFC Dynamo submitted an application to the DFL and the DFB on 9 August 2004 to receive three stars for its ten titles in the DDR-Oberliga. The club asked for equal rights and argued that the German Football Association (DFB) had absorbed the German Football Association of the GDR (DFV) with all its statistics, international matches and goal scorers. However, the decision was subject to approval by the DFL. No final decision had yet been made by the DFB presidium. However, BFC Dynamo took matters in its own hands and unilaterally emblazoned its shirts with three stars. However, the DFB chose to not follow the recommendation. The DFB presidium instead decided on a compromise solution on 19 July 2005 and adopted a new regulation for the 2005–06 season which gave all clubs the right to wear one single star for the championships they have won in the former East Germany and in Germany since 1903. Clubs were also allowed to indicate the number of championships they have won in the center of the star. The regulation only applies to clubs playing in a league under the DFB umbrella. It does not apply to clubs playing in the 2. Bundesliga and Bundesliga, which are organized by the DFL. ==Stadiums==

The long-time home and training facility of BFC Dynamo is the Sportforum Hohenschönhausen in Alt-Hohenschönhausen in Berlin. The sports complex is the location of the club offices and the clubhouse. The Sportforum Hohenschönhausen is considered the spiritual home of the club. The sports complex was built as a training center for elite sport and was home to sports club SC Dynamo Berlin, with its many departments and squads. Development began in 1954 and expansion continued into the 1980s. The Sportforum is still unique as of today. The sports complex covers an area of 45 to 50 hectares and comprises 35 sports facilities as of 2020. at the Walter-Ulbricht-Stadion in 1959.SC Dynamo Berlin played its first season at the large Walter-Ulbricht-Stadion in Mitte. The football stadium in the Dynamo-Sportforum held a capacity of 10,000 spectators at the beginning of the 1961–62 season. The highlights were matches against local rival ASK Vorwärts Berlin and the various top teams during the period. The capacity of the football stadium in the Dynamo-Sportforum was gradually expanded during the 1960s. BFC Dynamo played its home matches in the 1971-72 European Cup Winners' Cup at the Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark. The matches against Åtvidabergs FF in the quarter-finals on 22 March 1972 and FC Dynamo Moscow in the semi-finals on 5 April 1972 were each attended by 30,000 spectators. The team also played two home matches in the 1971-72 DDR-Oberliga at the Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark. However, more matches at the stadium were not possible after the summer of 1972, as the Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark was then undergoing extensive renovation for the upcoming 10th World Festival of Youth and Students. BFC Dynamo was qualified for the 1972-73 UEFA Cup. However, neither the Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark nor the Walter-Ulbricht-Stadion were available for the upcoming UEFA Cup matches. Both were undergoing extensive renovation for the 10th World Festival of Youth and Students. Instead, the Dynamo-Stadion im Sportforum underwent a complete transformation in just five weeks between the end of July 1972 and September 1972. The capacity of the Dynamo-Stadion im Sportforum was now expanded to 20,000 spectators. BFC Dynamo remained at the Dynamo-Stadion im Sportforum for a couple more seasons. The team saw rising attendance numbers at the Dynamo-Stadion im Sportforum during the 1970s. An average of 12,000 people attended the last six matches of BFC Dynamo at the Dynamo-Stadion im Sportforum in the second half of the 1973–74 season. BFC Dynamo eventually moved its home matches to the Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark for the 1975–76 season, due to upcoming repair work at the Dynamo-Stadion im Sportforum. BFC Dynamo celebrated nine of its ten DDR-Oberliga titles in the Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Stadium. The team also played most of its home matches in the UEFA competitions at the stadium. BFC Dynamo hosted teams such as Shakhtar Donetsk, Red Star Belgrade, Nottingham Forest, Hamburger SV, Aston Villa, AS Roma FC Aberdeen at the Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Stadium in the 1970s and 1980. However, all matches in the derby against 1. FC Union Berlin were played at the neutral Stadion der Weltjugend from the 1976–77 season for security reasons. A permanent training camp for BFC Dynamo was built in Uckley in the Zernsdorf district of Königs Wusterhausen in Bezirk Potsdam at the end of the 1960s. It was located in the woods and completely sealed off from the surroundings. The training camp covered an area of around 10 hectares. The team would gather in Uckley days before its European matches. The club was rebranded as FC Berlin after Die Wende. FC Berlin moved permanently to the Stadion im Sportforum at the beginning of the 1992–93 season. However, the plans never materialized. The team saw rising attendance numbers at the Stadion im Sportforum at the end of the 1990s. The Stadion im Sportforum was then equipped with a 25-metre player tunnel and plexiglass-clad coaching benches in November 2004. BFC Dynamo under Club President Mario Weinkauf announced new plans in April 2006 for a modern football stadium in the Sportforum Hohenschönhausen. The club now wanted to build a new modern stadium for 10,000–15,000 spectators. However, these plans did not materialize either. The Stadion im Sportforum was closed at the end of the 2005–06 season following the riots during the match between BFC Dynamo and Union Berlin on 13 May 2006. BFC Dynamo temporarily had to move to the Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark. The stadium was then refurbished in 2006–2007 to increase safety and meet certain requirements from the NOFV. at the Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportkark in 2017.BFC Dynamo won promotion to the Regionalliga Nordost at the end of the 2013–14 season. The team moved permanently to the Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark for the 2014–15 season, due to increased media and spectator interest following its promotion. The 2014-15 Regionalliga Nordost meant matches against well-known opponents such as 1. FC Magdeburg and FC Carl Zeiss Jena. The more central location of the Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark was seen by the club as an opportunity to attract more spectators. Active supporters of BFC Dynamo have traditionally been found on the main stand, and on the side opposite the main stand () of the Friedrich Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark. The move was greeted by some supporters as a move to the true home of the club. The club was then set to return to the Sportforum in the 2020–21 season as the Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark was planned to be demolished for a complete redevelopment. BFC Dynamo then officially announced on 21 March 2021 that the club was going to move back to the Sportforum Hohenschönhausen for the next season. . The Stadion im Sportforum was equipped with a floodlight system in April 2021. The club organized a work effort in the summer of 2021 to get the stadium in shape for the upcoming Regionalliga season. Supporters of BFC Dynamo gathered and cleared sections of the old stadium from weeds. Members of the interest group IG BFC'er also restored the iconic manual scoreboard above the curved end towards the Weißenseer Weg in time for the first home match of the 2021–22 season against Energie Cottbus on 28 July 2021. The attendance for BFC Dynamo at the Stadion im Sportforum in the 2021-22 Regionalliga Nordost was almost tripled compared to the last comparable league season before the COVID-19 pandemic. 3,219 people watched the match between BFC Dynamo and FC Carl Zeiss Jena on 10 April 2022. In April 2024, BFC Dynamo reported that the club had achieved its highest attendance figures since Die Wende in the Sportforum Hohenschönhausen during the 2023–24 season, thus setting a new attendance record since 1990. Future stadium The Sportforum Hohenschönhausen is the location of the club offices and the club house, which serves as a meeting point for supporters and parents. The Stadion im Sportforum stands as the center of club life. But the stadium does not meet the requirements for matches in the 3. Liga. Among other things, the stadium lacks enough seating, under-soil heating and a sufficiently powerful floodlight system. The club and the supporters have long campaigned for an adaptation of the stadium to the requirements for the 3. Liga. The question became particularly relevant during the 2021–22 season, when BFC Dynamo was on the way to possibly qualify for the 3. Liga. According to the agreement, the Senate of Berlin will invest a total of 4 million Euros in the stadium in the coming years. The Senate of Berlin commissioned a feasibility studie on a redevelopment of the football stadium in Sportforum Hohenschönhausen in January 2024. The study aims to investigate the feasibility of a multifunctional ball sports stadium, suitable for 3. Liga football, with a capacity for approximately 10,000 spectators, in the Sportforum Hohenschönhausen. The large stadium in the Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark, on the other hand, has been under concrete plans for a complete redevelopment for several years. The stadium will be demolished and replaced by a new modern stadium. The new large stadium in the Fredrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark is designed as an inclusive sports facility. The stadium will hold 20,000 spectators and meet the requirements for play in the 3. Liga and 2. Bundesliga. BFC Dynamo will be able to play matches at the new stadium. The demolition of the large stadium in the Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark began on 8 October 2024. The new stadium is planned to be opened towards the end of 2027. ==Supporters and rivalries==

History BFC Dynamo initially had modest support, but with its growing successes in the 1970s, the club began to attract young fans, primarily from the central areas around the Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark, such as Prenzlauer Berg and Mitte. The supporter scene became a focal point for various subcultures in the late 1970s and beginning of the 1980s. There were punks, rockers, hippies and a few early skinheads. Football supporters in East Berlin shared a sense of superiority over their counterparts in the regional districts. Football-related violence spread in East Germany in the 1970s. The hatred of opposing fans welded the supporters of BFC Dynamo together. The supporters of BFC Dynamo responded to the hostile environment and learned to compensate their smaller numbers by being more aggressive and better organized. They would eventually gain a reputation for being particularly organized and violent. The development in the supporter scene caught the attention of the authorities. The Stasi would try to control the supporter scene with a broad catalogue of repressive measures. Unauthorized fan clubs were those that were unregistered or did not meet DFV guidelines. Registered fan clubs, on the other hand, were those that were willing to cooperate with the authorities. Supporters of BFC Dynamo radicalized in the 1980s. The first East German hooligan group developed from the supporter scene of BFC Dynamo in the 1980s. The development was partly a response to the increasing state repression against the supporter scene; the more violence the Stasi used, the more radicalized supporters became. The 1987-88 FDGB-Pokal final between BFC Dynamo and FC Carl Zeiss Jena saw some of the most serious violence ever witnessed at a football match in East Germany. An organized hooligan scene that was unique in East Germany would eventually develop at BFC Dynamo in the late 1980s. 18-year-old FC Berlin supporter Mike Polley was shot dead by police during riots in connection with the away match against FC Sachsen Leipzig on 3 November 1990. The police had fired between 50 and 100 shots in about a minute. After the shootings, the riots continued in central Leipzig with great devastation; up to 31 shops were smashed and looted. An investigation against ten police officers was opened after the shootings, but closed in April 1992. The exact circumstances around the death of Polley was never clarified. Stadium attendance at FC Berlin collapsed in 1990. Ordinary supporters disappeared and only young supporters remained. The hooligan scene of FC Berlin at the beginning of the 1990s was considered the most notorious for years in Germany. More than 400 hooligans from FC Berlin attended the away match against 1. FC Dynamo Dresden on 16 March 1996. Hooligans from FC Berlin rioted in central Dresden before the match. It took a large police effort with 580 officers to bring the riots under control. There were several outbreaks of violent hooliganism among supporters of BFC Dynamo in the late 1990s and the beginning of the 2000s. Contemporary supporter scene The contemporary supporter scene of BFC Dynamo contains various categories of supporters, ranging from older supporters to younger ultras. In the mid-2010s, older supporters made up a significant portion of the supporters. An important supporter group among the older supporters is the supporter group 79er. A march in memory of Polley in Leipzig in 2018 was attended by 850 supporters of BFC Dynamo. New groups of younger ultra-oriented supporters have emerged since the 2000s. BFC Dynamo engages in active fan work and has taken measures to control violent elements, to exclude known violators and to distance itself from radical supporters. BFC Dynamo is affiliated with Fanprojekt Berlin. Gegengerade is a left wing-oriented supporter group. Supporters of BFC Dynamo have occasionally displayed a banner in the stadium that reads "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out", with a reference to 1980s British cult band The Smiths. The supporters of BFC Dynamo have maintained friendly relations with the supporters of Polish side Pogoń Szczecin since 2009. Younger supporters of BFC Dynamo also have friendly relations with supporters of Eintracht Trier and Swedish side GAIS. Younger hooligans of BFC Dynamo have contacts with hooligans of Hertha BSC, while older hooligans of BFC Dynamo have contacts with like-minded supporters of 1. FC Magdeburg. One of the most well-known books in Germany about the supporter scene of BFC Dynamo is "Der BFC war schuld am Mauerbau" by author and BFC Dynamo fan Andreas Gläser (de). The book was first published in 2002 and describes the supporter scene from the late 1970s and forward. Gläser grew up in Prenzlauer Berg and became a supporter of BFC Dynamo in te 1970s. The book "Stadionpartisanen - Fans und Hooligans in der DDR", by authors Anne Hahn and Frank Willmann (de), first published in 2007, also contains extensive interviews with BFC Dynamo supporters from the late 1970s and forward. The book "Riot Boys!" by Jochen Schramm, published posthumously in 1995, depicts the supporter scene of BFC Dynamo in the early 1980s and contains stories of violent away trips. BFC Dynamo, its reputation and supporter scene, was the theme of stage play "Dynamoland" by Gudrun Herrbold. The play was set up in 2007 and involved young football players from BFC Dynamo as well as Andreas Gläser and Sven Friedrich, who is the owner of the clothing store Hoolywood and a BFC Dynamo fan. In an interview with football magazine 11 Freunde about the play, Friedrich stated that he doesn't want to have anything to do with Nazis. Gläser clarified that they both come from the "alternative spectrum". The clothing store Hoolywood on Schönhauser Allee in Prenzlauer Berg was founded at the beginning of the 1990s and became a store for left-wing subculture. The owner of the store, Sven Friedrich, was involved in the supporter scene of BFC Dynamo in the East German era. Hoolywood closed its store in Prenzlauer Berg in 2025, but continues its business online. Rivalries ==Organization==

Current board and management Presidential history ==Players==

Current squad Notable past players Many players of BFC Dynamo of the 1970s and 1980s played for the East Germany national team. Some would later become players or coaches in the Bundesliga and play for Germany national team. The list includes players with 100 appearances for SC Dynamo Berlin and BFC Dynamo at professional level and who have also played for their national team. The flag indicates the national team they last played for. The players are sorted chronologically by the date of their first appearance with the first team of SC Dynamo Berlin or BFC Dynamo in a competitive match. • Herbert Maschke (1954–1963) • Günter Schröter (1954–1963) • Werner Heine (1955–1966) • Waldemar Mühlbächer (1956–1968) • Martin Skaba (1956–1968) • Hermann Bley (1958–1968) • Konrad Dorner (1958–1968) • Jochen Carow (1964–1975) • Harald Schütze (1967–1976) • Werner Lihsa (1967–1975) • Ralf Schulenberg (1969–1976) • Frank Terletzki (1969–1986) • Wolf-Rüdiger Netz (1971–1984) • Hans-Jürgen Riediger (1973–1983) • Reinhard Lauck (1973–1980) • Norbert Trieloff (1974–1987) • Lutz Eigendorf (1974–1979) • Michael Noack (1974–1984) • Bodo Rudwaleit (1976–1989) • Ralf Sträßer (1976–1984) • Rainer Troppa (1976–1989) • Artur Ullrich (1977–1986) • Rainer Ernst (1979–1990) • Bernd Schulz (1979–1989) • Christian Backs (1980–1991) • Frank Rohde (1980–1990) • Andreas Thom (1983–1989) • Waldemar Ksienzyk (1984–1991) • Frank Pastor (1984–1989) • Thomas Doll (1986–1990) • Burkhard Reich (1986–1991) ==Coaches==

Current staff Coach history SC Dynamo Berlin had six different coaches until the founding of BFC Dynamo in 1966. The first coach was Helmut Petzold, who was delegated along with the team of Dynamo Dresden to Dynamo Berlin and took office on 21 November 1954. Other coaches of Dynamo Berlin were Istvan Orczifalvi, Fritz Bachmann, János Gyarmati, Fritz Gödicke and Karl Schäffner. Fritz Bachmann served as coach of Dynamo Berlin during the successful 1959 season. ==Honours==

is holding the trophy. BFC Dynamo was the most successful club in the DDR-Oberliga. The club won ten consecutive championships, which is a feat no other team in East Germany has matched. The DDR-Oberliga was rebranded as the NOFV-Oberliga from the 1990–91 season. The league was then replaced by the Bundesliga as the highest competition from the 1991–92 season, as East Germany had joined West Germany to form the reunited Germany. Domestic • East German Champions • Winners: (10) 1978–79, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88 (record) • Runners-up: (4) 1960, 1971–72, 1975–76, 1988–89 • FDGB-Pokal • Winners: (3) 1959, 1987–88, 1988–89 • Runners-up: (6) 1961–62, 1970–71, 1978–79, 1981–82, 1983–84, 1984–85 • DFV-Supercup • Winners: 1989 • Fuwo-Pokal (de) • Runners-up: 1972 • DDR-Liga (II) • Winners: 1957, • DDR-Liga Nord (II) • Winners: 1967–68 • DDR-Liga B (II) • Winners: 1971–72 • Runners-up: 1974–75 • DDR-Liga A (II) • Winners: 1984–85 International • European Cup • Quarter-finals: 1979–80, 1983–84 • '''European Cup Winners' Cup''' • Semi-finals: 1971–72 Double • DDR-Oberliga and FDGB-Pokal • Winners: 1988 Regional • Bezirksliga Berlin (III) • Winners: 1966–67, 1983–84 • Regionalliga Nordost (IV) • Winners: 2021–22 • NOFV-Oberliga Nord (III–V) • Winners: (3) 1991–92, 2000–01, 2013–14 • Runners-up: 2008–09, 2009–10 • Berlin-Liga (V) • Winners: 2003–04 • Berlin Cup (III–VII) • Winners: (8) 1998–99, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2020–21, 2024–25 • Runners-up: 1999–00, 2009–10 ==Seasons==

European record ==Youth department==

BFC Dynamo is known for a recognized youth work. The U17 team competes in the second tier B-Junior Regionalliga Nordost and the U19 team competes in second tier A-Junior Regionalliga Nordost as of the 2024-25 season. The number of youth players was 450 in 2022. Many children in the club comes from immigrant backgrounds or socially disadvantaged families. The club launched the so-called "Kita-projekt" in 2003. Former Club President Mario Weinkauf was one of the seven founding members of the Jugenförderverein and briefly served as chairman of the association before he became club president. Weinkauf had also been a youth trainer in the club for some time. Supported by numerous training centers () (TZ) of SV Dynamo, the club was able to filter the best talents through nationwide screening and train them in its youth academy. Former coach Jürgen Bogs, who had a background as coach of the junior team, described the youth work at BFC Dynamo during the East German area as "absolutely leading" in East Germany. Most sports associations () (SV) had been dissolved at the founding of the DTSB in 1957. But the sports associations SV Dynamo and ASV Vorwärts had been allowed to continue exist. A decision in the SED Politburo in 1962 then stipulated that the sports associations SV Dynamo and ASV Vorwärts were allowed to set up sports communities in each location where they operated offices. This meant that SV Dynamo and ASV Vorwärts would be able to run sports communities across the country. BFC Dynamo would be able recruit talents from the youth departments of all sports communities () (SG) of SV Dynamo in East Germany, except those in Bezirk Dresden and a number of other sports communities in the southern regional districts that instead belonged to the catchment area of SG Dynamo Dresden. SV Dynamo would operate numerous training centers across the whole of East Germany. The training centers of SV Dynamo were either assigned to BFC Dynamo or SG Dynamo Dresden, depending on catchment area. The focus clubs received additional financial support from the DTSB and other advantages. BFC Dynamo became the focus club in East Berlin. The elite Children and Youth Sports School (KJS) "Werner Seelenbinder" provided boarding and schooling for talented youth players of BFC Dynamo in the Dynamo-Sportforum. BFC Dynamo placed great focus on its youth work and invested heavily in its youth department. The youth department of BFC Dynamo had full-time trainers available for all youth classes. Youth coaches were highly qualified and training in the Children and Youth Sports School (KJS) was extensive. Former professional player Frank Rohde tells that BFC Dynamo had outstanding coaches in all age groups, all of whom had studied at the East German sports university German University of Physical Culture () (DHfK) in Leipzig. The success of BFC Dynamo during the East German era was based on the club's successful youth work. Only a fifth of the players who won the ten East German championships with BFC Dynamo were older than 18 years when they joined the club. Of the 12 East German players who played in the two-legged final against the Soviet Union, five came from BFC Dynamo: Artur Ullrich, Rainer Troppa, Ralf Sträßer, Bernd Schulz and Hans-Jürgen Riediger. In each of the matches in the final, four of the 11 starting players for East Germany came from BFC Dynamo. Most of the top performers of BFC Dynamo during its most successful years in DDR-Oberliga at end of the 1970s and in the 1980s came through the club's own youth teams, including Frank Terletzki, Hans-Jürgen Riediger, Lutz Eigendorf, Norbert Trieloff, Bodo Rudwaleit, Ralf Sträßer, Artur Ullrich, Rainer Ernst, Bernd Schulz, Christian Backs, Frank Rohde, Falko Götz, Andreas Thom, Thomas Grether, Jörg Fügner, Hendrik Herzog and Marco Köller. In the 1983-84 season, a whole nine players from the youth department made their debut in the first team of BFC Dynamo. Several former players of SC Dynamo Berlin and BFC Dynamo became youth trainers in the club after ending their playing careers, such as Herbert Schoen, Hermann Bley, Günter Schröter, Martin Skaba, Peter Rohde, Werner Voigt, Hartmut Pelka and Hans-Jürgen Riediger. Numerous players from East Germany joined West German clubs at the end of East Germany. Many came from BFC Dynamo. More than 110 players who had been trained in East Germany, primarily in a Children and Youth Sports School (KJS), would go on to play for West German or West Berlin clubs in the Bundesliga after the end of East Germany. German author Michael Peter has created a database for all players who had been trained in East Germany and who played for West German or West Berlin football clubs after 1990. For players born before 1976, BFC Dynamo was the biggest contributor. 98 players, born before 1976, came from the ten designated football clubs and SG Dynamo Dresden. 18 of these, came from BFC Dynamo. Honours • Next Generation Oberliga () (de) • Winners: 1981, 1991 • Runners-up (6): 1979, 1983 • East German Junior Championship (de) • Winners: (5) 1960, 1978, 1979, 1987, 1991 • Runners-up (6): 1967, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1988, 1989 • East German Youth Championship (de) • Winners: (3) 1967, 1972, 1975 • Runners-up: 1983, 1989 • East German Junior Cup (Junge Welt-Pokal) (de) • Winners: (5) 1966, 1967, 1987, 1989, 1990 (record) • East German Youth Cup (Youth FDGB-Pokal/Youth FDJ-Pokal) • Winners: (5) 1965, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1976 (record) == Explanatory notes ==