Karlsruher SC II is the reserve team of German association football club Karlsruher SC, based in Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg. Historically the team has played as Karlsruher SC Amateure until 2005.

The team has reached the first round of the DFB-Pokal, the German Cup, on four occasions, advancing to the third round in 1996–97 as its best-ever result. The team has played as high as the Regionalliga, courtesy to league titles in the Oberliga Baden-Württemberg, the highest football league in the state.

History Karlsruher SC Amateure first made an appearance in the highest league of northern Baden when it won promotion to the tier three Amateurliga Nordbaden in 1961. After two lower table results the team finished runners-up in 1964 and won the league the season after. The team continued to generally achieve good results in the league but came only ninth in 1977–78 when a top five finish was required to qualify for the new Oberliga Baden-Württemberg and instead had to enter new the tier four Verbandsliga Nordbaden.Historic German league tables Das Deutsche Fussball Archiv, accessed: 22 January 2015

KSC Amateure finished only fifteenth in the Verbandsliga in 1979 and dropped down to the Landesliga for two seasons before returning in 1981. Between 1981and 1994 the team moved up and down between the Verbandsliga and Oberliga, earning promotion to the later in 1983, 1989 and 1994 but also being relegated again in 1985 and 1993. In between, in 1989–90, the team took out an Oberliga title but was ineligible for promotion to the 2. Bundesliga. In this era it also won the North Baden Cup on two occasions, in 1991 and 1994 and thereby advanced to the first round of the German Cup. On the first occasion it advanced to the second round where it lost to Freiburger FC while, in 1994–95, it lost to SG Wattenscheid 09 in the first round.1991–92 DFB-Pokal Weltfussball.de, accessed: 22 January 20151994–95 DFB-Pokal Weltfussball.de, accessed: 22 January 2015

The team entered a more successful era from 1994 onwards, now fluctuating between the Oberliga and the newly established Regionalliga Süd. KSC Amateure won the Oberliga for a second time in 1996 and earned promotion to the Regionalliga Süd, where it played for the next four seasons as a mid-table side. The team qualified for the DFB-Pokal for a third time for 1996–97 and experienced its greatest success in the competition that season when it reached the third round where it was knocked out by VfL Bochum.1996–97 DFB-Pokal Weltfussball.de, accessed: 22 January 2015 Despite a twelfth-place finish in 1999–2000 the team had to drop down from the Regionalliga to the Oberliga because the senior team was relegated from the 2. Bundesliga for the first time. KSC II qualified for the German Cup for the fourth and last time but was knocked out by Alemannia Aachen.2000–01DFB-Pokal Weltfussball.de, accessed: 22 January 2015 Playing in the Oberliga as Karlsruher SC II while the senior side won the Regionalliga and returned to professional football the team took three seasons to recover before becoming a top side in the Oberliga again.Oberliga Baden-Württemberg tables and results Weltfussball.de, accessed: 22 January 2015Regionalliga Süd tables and results Weltfussball.de, accessed: 22 January 2015

In 2004–05, the last season it played as Karlsruher SC Amateure, the team won a third Oberliga championship and made a return to the Regionalliga Süd and played at this level for the next seven seasons until the league was disbanded in 2012. The first four seasons proved difficult for the team at this level, struggling against relegation but results greatly improved from 2009 onwards when the team earned two fifth-place finishes. Despite the fifth place in 2012 KSC II could not enter the new Regionalliga Südwest because the senior team had been relegated to the 3. Liga and reserve teams of 3. Liga clubs could not play higher than the Oberliga.

From 2012 to 2018, Karlsruher SC II competed in the Oberliga Baden-Württemberg, becoming eligible for promotion back to the Regionalliga after the senior team's return to the 2. Bundesliga. In March 2018, the club decided to discontinue its reserve team for economic reasons.

Following an initiative by supporters, Karlsruher SC reintroduced its second team for the 2019–20 season as a fan-run side, entering the Kreisklasse C, the lowest tier of league football in North Baden.

In November 2023, the club announced the official reinstatement of an under-23 team for the 2024–25 season, following approval by the Baden Football Association. The re-established reserve side was designated as the highest team within the club's academy structure, intended to bridge the gap between youth football and the professional squad, and entered the Verbandsliga Baden for the 2024–25 campaign. In its first season after reinstatement, Karlsruher SC II won the Verbandsliga Nordbaden and secured promotion to the Oberliga Baden-Württemberg for the following season.

Current squad

Honours The club's honours:

League Oberliga Baden-Württemberg Champions: (3) 1990, 1996, 2005 Verbandsliga Nordbaden (IV-V) Champions: (4) 1983, 1989, 1994, 2025 Amateurliga Nordbaden (III) Champions: 1965 Runners-up: (2) 1964, 1967

Cup DFB-Pokal Participation: 1991–92, 1994–95, 1996–97, 2000–01 North Baden Cup Winners: (4) 1991, 1994, 1996, 2000

Recent seasons The recent season-by-season performance of the club: Season Division Tier Position 1999–2000 Regionalliga Süd III 12th (demoted) 2000–01 Oberliga Baden-Württemberg IV 8th 2001–02 Oberliga Baden-Württemberg 11th 2002–03 Oberliga Baden-Württemberg 15th 2003–04 Oberliga Baden-Württemberg 4th 2004–05 Oberliga Baden-Württemberg 1st↑ 2005–06 Regionalliga Süd III 11th 2006–07 Regionalliga Süd 14th 2007–08 Regionalliga Süd 16th 2008–09 Regionalliga Süd IV 16th 2009–10 Regionalliga Süd 10th 2010–11 Regionalliga Süd 10th 2011–12 Regionalliga Süd 5th (demoted) 2012–13 Oberliga Baden-Württemberg V 12th 2013–14 Oberliga Baden-Württemberg 5th 2014–15 Oberliga Baden-Württemberg 6th 2015–16 Oberliga Baden-Württemberg 4th 2016–17 Oberliga Baden-Württemberg 12th 2017–18 Oberliga Baden-Württemberg 15th (folded) 2018–19 defunct 2019–20 Kreisklasse A Karlsruhe 2 XI 7th 2020–21 Kreisklasse C Karlsruhe 3 1st 2021–22 Kreisklasse C Karlsruhe 1 1st↑ 2022–23 Kreisklasse B Karlsruhe 2 X 2nd 2023–24 Kreisklasse B Karlsruhe 2 1st↑ 2024–25 Verbandsliga Nordbaden VI 1st↑ 2025–26 Oberliga Baden-Württemberg V 10th

Key ↑ Promoted ↓ Relegated

References

External links

Karlsruher SC II at Weltfussball.de