BSG Chemie Leipzig (1997)
Successor club preserving the traditions of Chemie Leipzig.
BSG Chemie Leipzig is a German football club from the Leutzsch district of Leipzig, Saxony. Founded in 1997, it carries on the legacy of the earlier BSG Chemie Leipzig and its successor, FC Sachsen Leipzig. The club started in the 2008–09 season at the bottom of the city’s league system, the 3. Kreisklasse Leipzig, and climbed rapidly through the amateur ranks.
The original club’s roots go back to Britannia Leipzig, founded in 1899, and its successor TuRa Leipzig. During the East German era, the traditions were upheld by BSG Chemie Leipzig and Lokomotive Leipzig. After German reunification, FC Sachsen Leipzig was formed in 1990 through a merger of FC Grün-Weiß Leipzig and SV Chemie Böhlen, playing in the Oberliga Nordost (third tier). FC Sachsen declared bankruptcy twice, finally folding on 30 June 2011.
Two successor clubs quickly emerged. SG Leipzig Leutzsch, founded on 21 May 2011, took over Sachsen’s league place and played at Alfred-Kunze-Sportpark. It renamed itself SG Sachsen Leipzig in mid-2013 but went bankrupt again on 5 May 2014. Another club, LFV Sachsen Leipzig, was founded in 2014 and played in the 3. Kreisklasse in 2015–16, earning promotion to the 2. Kreisklasse for 2016–17.
The new BSG Chemie Leipzig began play in 2008–09 in the 3. Kreisklasse. It won three straight promotions and reached the sixth tier by taking over the place of VfK Blau-Weiß Leipzig in the Sachsenliga. By 2011–12, it competed alongside SG Sachsen in the same regional league. A slip to the Bezirkliga in 2013 lasted only one season.
Although both clubs claim to be the sole legitimate successors to FC Sachsen, they agreed to cooperate at the youth level. In May 2014, with SG Sachsen insolvent, BSG Chemie Leipzig pledged to ensure youth football continued at Alfred-Kunze-Sportpark after June 30.
BSG Chemie’s rise continued. After starting in the 12th division, it earned promotion to the fourth tier in the 2016–17 season, clinching it before 4,999 fans against SV Schott Jena.
The club’s revival was driven largely by younger FC Sachsen fans, especially the anti-fascist, left-leaning ultras group Diablos Leutzsch. Older FC Sachsen supporters and management, who described themselves as apolitical but were accused by the younger group of tolerating racists, rejected BSG Chemie’s claim to be the original club’s true heir.
- Founded
- 1997
- Field
- Alfred-Kunze-Sportpark
- Nationality
- German
- Known for
- Continuing the traditions of the original BSG Chemie Leipzig and FC Sachsen Leipzig; rapid rise from 12th division to 4th division
Lore & Background
BSG Chemie Leipzig was founded in 1997 and began league play in the 2008–09 season in the 3. Kreissklasse Leipzig, the lowest tier city competition. The club won three successive promotions and quickly advanced to 6th-tier play after acquiring the place held by VfK Blau-Weiß Leipzig in the Sachsenliga, with Blau-Weiß dropping down to the 8th tier Stadtliga Leipzig. By 2011–12, the club was playing alongside SG Sachsen in the regional Sachsenliga. Their progress stalled in 2013 when they slipped to Bezirkliga play for a single season.
The launch of the new BSG Chemie was mostly pushed ahead by younger fans of FC Sachsen Leipzig, especially the ultras group Diablos Leutzsch, who are expressly anti-fascist and tend to hold left-wing views. These younger supporters were rejected by more seasoned FC Sachsen fans and the club management, who described themselves as apolitical but were accused by Diablos and others from the younger, leftist field of being lenient toward racists. Despite the fact that both BSG Chemie and SG Sachsen see themselves as the sole legitimate successors to the club that failed in 2009, they have agreed to cooperate at the youth level to help ensure that sporting opportunities remain available to area youth.
Reader's Guide
BSG Chemie Leipzig (1997) represents a significant chapter in the complex lineage of football clubs in Leipzig, Saxony. Emerging after the bankruptcy of FC Sachsen Leipzig in 2009, the club positioned itself as the rightful heir to the traditions of the original BSG Chemie Leipzig, founded in 1950. Its rapid ascent from the 12th division to the 4th division in the 2016–17 season, achieved in front of 4,999 fans against SV Schott Jena, demonstrated strong grassroots support. The club's fanbase, particularly the Diablos Leutzsch ultras, brought a distinct political identity—anti-fascist and left-wing—that set it apart from rival clubs, especially 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig, whose supporters include right and far-right elements. This political dimension added intensity to local derbies, with one match in 2016 described by Die Welt as the 'German hooligan summit.' The club's willingness to cooperate with rival successor SG Sachsen at the youth level, even amid disputes over legitimacy, highlights a pragmatic commitment to preserving football opportunities for local youth. BSG Chemie Leipzig's honours include Sachsenliga and NOFV-Oberliga Süd championships, as well as the Saxony Cup, cementing its role as a competitive force in regional football while maintaining the cultural and historical identity of the 'Chemiker' tradition.
Did You Know?
- BSG Chemie Leipzig was founded in 1997 but did not begin league play until the 2008–09 season in the 3. Kreissklasse Leipzig.
- The club's ultras group, Diablos Leutzsch, are expressly anti-fascist and tend to hold left-wing views.
- BSG Chemie Leipzig and SG Sachsen Leipzig agreed to cooperate at the youth level despite both claiming to be the sole legitimate successor to FC Sachsen Leipzig.
- The club's fan chants use the same melody as 'Buruh Tani', an Indonesian protest song against authoritarianism.
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