USMNT defender Alfredo Morales and his 2. Bundesliga side Ingolstadt earned their first-ever Bundesliga promotion on Sunday
BERLIN (AP) —
Australia forward
Ingolstadt, which is backed by German car manufacturer Audi, was formed in 2004 following the merger of local sides MTV Ingolstadt and ESV Ingolstadt. Audi, a subsidiary of the Volkswagen group, is headquartered in the Bavarian town of 132,000 inhabitants north of Munich.
The club secured promotion from the Bavarian league to the third-tier regional league in 2006 and won promotion to the second division in 2008. Relegation followed the next season before it bounced back the following year.
Ingolstadt's form improved when coach Ralph Hasenhuettl took over in Oct. 2013. The 47-year-old Austrian's side led the German second division from the eighth round this season.
"I'm so proud of what has been achieved here. If someone told me we'd achieve promotion to the Bundesliga when I took over I wouldn't have believed them," Hasenhuettl said.
Darmstadt's promotion party was postponed at least one week after a 1-0 defeat at
Karlsruher SC won 2-0 at
The third-place finisher has a playoff against the side that finishes third from bottom in Bundesliga for top-flight football next season.