Louisville City FC will host its first-ever international friendly this summer when storied German club FC Kaiserslautern visits Lynn Family Stadium for an 8 p.m. kickoff on Wednesday, June 21.
A member of the 2 Bundesliga, FCK has won numerous top-level titles since its formation in 1900, most recently in 1997-1998. The club maintains an American following thanks to its close proximity to the United States’ Ramstein Air Base, headquarters for U.S. air forces in Europe.
Arrive early for special promotions in the pregame Fan Zone, which opens at 6:30 p.m. for a $2 bratwurst and beer happy hour ahead of kickoff.
From Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany, FCK was a founding Bundesliga member and played in the first division each year from 1963 to 1996. Along with winning four German titles, the club owns two domestic cups and advanced as far as the UEFA champions League quarterfinals in 1999.
“FC Kaiserslautern is a name I certainly know, and I’m sure most of our locker room does, as a club with great history,” said LouCity’s head coach, Danny Cruz. “It’s exciting to welcome this type of competition to Lynn Family Stadium. Given our facilities and Louisville’s reputation as a welcoming town, we intend to put ourselves on the map for more international clubs to visit in the future.”
Dirk Schuster, a former German international central defender, newly manages FCK this season. The club’s roster consists almost all of German players with leading scorer Terrence Boyd among the exceptions. Boyd, 31, holds dual citizenship and has made 14 U.S. Men’s National Team appearances.
FCK will be in Louisville as part of its preseason for the 2023-2024 campaign opening at the end of the summer.
“We’re looking forward to our training camp in the United States and a game at Louisville City FC,” said Thomas Hengen, CEO of FCK. “It will be an interesting challenge from a sporting perspective and hopefully a great atmosphere at Lynn Family Stadium. We are proud to be LouCity’s first-ever international opponent.”
