Kurdish football team takes German league by storm, undefeated after 14 matches
ERBIL, Kurdistan (Kurdistan 24) – A Kurdish team has burst onto the scene in German football and are currently undefeated, sitting first place in their district league.
SV Azadi Lübeck, founded in February 2016, are on course to climb the ranks in Germany after an impressive start to their maiden season in German football.
The Kurdish club currently sit first place in the Schleswig-Holstein district’s Kleisklasse C-S01 league with 42 points and 14 wins from their first 14 matches.
The Kriesklasse (District Class) is the lowest set of divisions in the German football league system, set at step seven and below.
The Kleisklasse C-S01 league is ranked 10 out of 15 divisions in the country. Although the club have a long way to go, SV Azadi’s recent performances are encouraging.
On Wednesday, the club’s chairmen Firat Özden and Azad Er (both also players) signed a contract with VfL Vorwerk—a club in the higher leagues of the district—to use their facilities for training and home matches until 2020.
“We just feel comfortable there and in good hands,” Er said in a statement. “As a non-profit organization, we not only set our sights on sports ambitions and goals, but also on integration and refugee work.”
In October, SV Azadi organized an event where refugees in Germany were invited to create teams and compete in a tournament which was followed by a community barbeque.
“Whether we as a newly founded association are currently growing and experiencing constant structural changes in the club, we already want to start with a small part of our community work,” Er said.
The club have been in blistering form, scoring a record 150 goals while only conceding 12.
Meanwhile, star striker Niwar Jasim is number one on the list of top scorers in Germany, including the top tier Bundesliga. Jasim has scored a remarkable 51 goals from just 12 appearances this season.
“Yes, we start in the C-Class, we accepted that and we will take the challenge seriously and fairly,” Özden stated.
The club’s next league match is against second-placed Eichholzer SV II on March 9, 2018, where SV Azadi will look to extend their unbeaten run.
