Editing Hannover 96 (section)

==History==
===Foundation to the Second World War===
{{Commons|Hannover 96 kits}}
The club was founded on 12 April 1896 as '''Hannoverscher Fußball-Club 1896''', upon the suggestion of [[Ferdinand-Wilhelm Fricke]], founder of the [[Deutscher FV 1878 Hannover]].<ref>[http://www.hardy-gruene.de/textproben-hannover.htm Die Roten – Die Geschichte von Hannover 96] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090201151225/http://www.hardy-gruene.de/textproben-hannover.htm |date=1 February 2009 }} {{in lang|de}} Hardy Grüne website – Text samples on his book on the history of Hannover 96. Retrieved 25 January 2009</ref> Their initial enthusiasm was for athletics and [[Rugby football|rugby]]; football did not become their primary interest until 1899.{{cn|date=January 2024}} Most of the membership of Germania 1902 Hannover became part of 96 in 1902, while others of the club formed Hannoverscher Ballspielverein. In 1913, they merged with Ballverein 1898 Hannovera (formed in the 1905 merger of Fußballverein Hannovera, 1898 Hannover, and Hannoverscher BV) to become '''Hannoverscher Sportverein 1896'''. Hannoverscher FC's colours were black-white-green, but they played in blue, while BV played in red. The newly united team kept black-white-green as the club colours, but they chose to take to the field in red, giving the team the nickname ''Die Roten'' ("The Reds").{{cn|date=January 2024}} The team's third jersey is{{when|date=January 2024|reason=when 'is' this? 1913?}} in the club's official colours.{{cn|date=January 2024}} The club made regular appearances in the national playoffs through the early 1900s, but was unable to progress past [[Eintracht Braunschweig]], planting the seeds of{{tone inline|date=January 2024}} a rivalry that has survived to this day. HSV continued to field strong sides and make national level appearances on into the 1920s.{{vague|date=January 2024|reason='on into the 1920s'?}} During [[Nazi Germany|Nazi rule]], German football was re-organized into 16 top-flight leagues in 1933 and Hannover became part of the [[Gauliga Niedersachsen]]. They appeared in the country's final rounds in 1935 and sent representatives to the national side the next year. They won their first national championship in 1938, in what was one of the biggest upsets in German football history,{{according to whom|date=January 2024}} when they beat [[FC Schalke 04|Schalke 04]], the most dominant side in the country in the era. The two sides played to a 3–3 draw before Hannover prevailed{{tone inline|date=January 2024}} 4–3 in a tension-filled{{according to whom|date=January 2024}} re-match. In 1942, the team moved to the newly formed [[Gauliga Braunschweig-Südhannover]].

===Post-War era===
[[File:Hannover Performance Chart.png|260px|thumb|Historical chart of Hannover 96 league performance]]
In common with most other German organizations, the club was dissolved after the [[World War II|Second World War]] by occupying Allied authorities. A combined local side was assembled{{by whom|date=January 2024}} in August 1945 and the next month a mixed group of players from Hannover 96 and Arminia Hannover played their first post-war match against a British military team.{{cn|date=January 2024}} HSV was later formally re-established as '''Hannoverscher SV''' on 11 November 1945, before re-adopting its traditional name on 27 April 1946.{{cn|date=January 2024}} The club resumed league play in 1947 in the first division [[Oberliga Nord (1947-63)|Oberliga Nord]] and was relegated, but quickly returned to the top-flight in 1949. Hannover 96's next appearance in a national final would not come until 1954 when they soundly{{tone inline|date=January 2024}} defeated [[1. FC Kaiserslautern]] 5–1. The beaten side included five of the same players who would go on later that year to win Germany's first [[1954 FIFA World Cup|World Cup]] in a surprise victory known as the [[1954 FIFA World Cup final|Miracle of Bern]]. In 1963, the [[Bundesliga]], Germany's new professional football league, began play with 16 of the nation's top teams. Hannover played in the [[Regionalliga Nord (1963–74)|Regionalliga Nord]] (II) that season, but earned promotion to the senior circuit in the following year. The club's advance to the Bundesliga in 1964 was well received,{{by whom|date=January 2024}} as they set a league attendance record in their first year, averaging 46,000 spectators a game.{{cn|date=January 2024}} 96 played at the upper level for a decade, until they were relegated to the [[2nd Bundesliga Nord (1974–81)|2nd Bundesliga Nord]] for the 1974–75 season.{{cn|date=January 2024}} They returned quickly, but again went down, this time to spend 17 of the next 20 years in the second tier.

===Reunification to present===
[[File:Bvb hannover.jpg|thumb|left|Hannover 96 against [[Borussia Dortmund]] in September 2006]]
The club faced financial problems in the late 1970s and again in the early 1990s.{{cn|date=January 2024}} Then, in 1992, Hannover's performance would lead them to earn their first [[DFB-Pokal]] and help to secure stable finances.{{cn|date=January 2024}} That run included victories over Bundesliga sides [[Borussia Dortmund]], [[VfL Bochum]], [[Karlsruher SC]], [[SV Werder Bremen|Werder Bremen]] and [[Borussia Mönchengladbach]], as they became the first lower division side to win the competition. The team's low point came with demotion to [[Regionalliga Nord]] (III) for two years in 1996–98.

Hannover went on to acquire new players, many of whom went on to play for the [[Germany national football team|national team]] – notably [[Gerald Asamoah]], [[Sebastian Kehl]] and [[Fabian Ernst]].{{cn|date=January 2024}} 96 returned to tier II play in 1998, and to the Bundesliga in [[2001–02 2. Bundesliga|2002]] on the strength of a record-setting 75-point season.{{cn|date=January 2024}} Since their promotion, the club have consolidated in the top flight, consistently earning mid-table finishes under several managers. Coach [[Dieter Hecking]] was brought in just weeks into the [[2006–07 Bundesliga|2006–07 season]] after a poor start under [[Peter Neururer]], in which the club lost the first three matches by a combined 11 goals.{{cn|date=January 2024}} The [[2007–08 Bundesliga|2007–08 season]] showed some early promise,{{according to whom|date=January 2024}} with  pre-season wins over [[Rangers F.C.|Rangers]] and [[Real Madrid CF|Real Madrid]].{{cn|date=January 2024}} However, they earned mixed results in their opening six Bundesliga matches. The team then put together a three match winning run, capped by a 2–0 win at champions [[VfB Stuttgart]], to enter into the top six. Following the winter break, Hannover after some poor performances, which they turned around to be defeated only two times in their last 11 matches of the season. This secured a points record of 49 for ''Die Roten'' in the Bundesliga, thus ending them in eighth place.

The [[2008–09 Bundesliga|2008–09 season]] started poorly for Hannover with losses. However, performance improved with a 5–1 victory of Borussia Mönchengladbach, a 1–0 win over [[FC Bayern Munich|Bayern Munich]] at home, which had not occurred for 20 years, and a 3–0 victory over [[Hamburger SV]]. Hannover settled in the lower-mid-table until the winter break. The second half of the season consisted of inconsistent results,{{vague|date=January 2024|reason='consisted of inconsistent'?}} relying almost entirely{{vague|date=January 2024|reason=how 'almost' is 'almost entirely'?}} on home form to keep the club in the Bundesliga. The club finally achieved an away win with a few games remaining which stabilized them, leading to an 11th-place finish. 

The [[2009–10 Bundesliga|2009–10 season]] was launched, with a new kit being released which included traditional away and alternative kits.{{cn|date=January 2024}} Hannover also signed a new technical director in [[Jörg Schmadtke]]. New signings were [[Karim Haggui]] and [[Constant Djakpa]] from [[Bayer 04 Leverkusen|Bayer Leverkusen]], [[Valdet Rama]] from [[FC Ingolstadt 04|FC Ingolstadt]].{{cn|date=January 2024}} The season started with a late 1–0 loss to [[Hertha BSC]] and a home draw to [[1. FSV Mainz 05|Mainz 05]], after which coach Dieter Hecking resigned voluntarily.{{cn|date=January 2024}} He was succeeded by former assistant [[Andreas Bergmann]].{{cn|date=January 2024}} As the season continued, Hannover again had many key players injured, including the majority of attacking players and key defenders, alongside the [[#Death of Robert Enke|suicide of Robert Enke]], Hannover's German international goalkeeper. Andreas Bergmann was removed as coach and replaced by [[Mirko Slomka]] shortly after the winter break.{{cn|date=January 2024}} [[Arouna Koné]] and [[Élson Falcão da Silva|Elson]] were signed to boost the squad.{{cn|date=January 2024}} Hannover 96 spent the majority of the year in the relegation zone, and with a few wins in the last games of the season, Hannover had to win, and have results elsewhere be favorable to them. Hannover won 3–0, with [[Arnold Bruggink]], [[Mike Hanke]] and [[Sérgio Pinto (footballer, born 1980)|Sérgio Pinto]] all scoring to keep them in the Bundesliga.

In the [[2010–11 Bundesliga|2010–11 season]], Hannover finished in fourth place, qualifying for Europe for the first time in 19 years.{{cn|date=January 2024}} In [[2011–12 Bundesliga|2011–12]], the team opened with a 2–1 win over [[TSG 1899 Hoffenheim|1899 Hoffenheim]], followed by a 2–1 away win against [[1. FC Nürnberg]]. In the play-offs to the [[UEFA Europa League|Europa League]], Hannover won against [[Sevilla FC|Sevilla]] 3–2 on aggregate to reach the [[2011–12 UEFA Europa League group stage|group stage]]. Shortly before the end of the 2011–12 season, Hannover Technical Director Jörg Schmadtke resigned due to family issues.

Hannover finished bottom of the Bundesliga in the 2015–16 season and were relegated to the [[2. Bundesliga]]. The club chose to keep the majority of their first-team squad together. However, after early in the 2016–17 season, poor performances prompted the club's board to sack manager [[Daniel Stendel]], and appoint [[Andre Breitenreiter]] as their new manager. He led the team to seven wins in the final 11 games, helping the club secure second place behind VfB Stuttgart and return to the top flight.

Adverse publicity resulted for the club when a large contingent of ultras travelled to [[England]] for a 2017–18 pre-season game against [[Burnley F.C.|Burnley]]. Supporters caused trouble in the town centre prior to the game. Once inside [[Turf Moor]], they responded to a brief altercation on the pitch after 40 minutes by charging the home fans, tearing out seats and using them as missiles. On police advice the game was abandoned at half-time, with Hannover 96 trailing 1–0.{{Citation needed|date=March 2024}}