German soccer team Eintracht Fuhlsbuettel have been nearly unbeatable for the past three seasons -- but no matter how much they dominate their division, they can never be promoted.

For the only prison soccer team in Germany [Images], which plays in a regional league, away games are not an option. The team includes convicted rapists, killers and drug dealers.

The around 30-strong squad is made up of inmates from "Santa Fu", a part of Hamburg's Fuhlsbuettel prison which is home to some of Germany's most notorious criminals, serving terms of between four years and life.

But soccer coach Gerhard Mewes, who founded the team about 25 years ago, said for him they are just part of a team and "the beautiful game" is a way the soccer-playing inmates -- none of whom are German -- can improve their lives.

"Soccer is a therapy in here. They have to speak German, they have to obey rules, they have to play as a team and with a structure -- that's a lot more than they are used to," said the 62-year-old with the friendly smile.

"I just don't see them as killers or muggers anymore."

Mewes, a retired civil servant who volunteers his time, coaches the team every Wednesday and attends their Sunday fixtures during the season. For the inmates, playing soccer in Mewes's squad is the highlight of their week. For many, the coach is their only link to the outside.

"Soccer is just a little slice of freedom in here," said midfielder Demirgil, in jail for five years for manslaughter. "When you're on the pitch all you do is play, you even forget that you are locked up," he added. Like the other inmates, Demirgil could only be identified by his first name.  

The players' fellow inmates hold the club in high esteem, even more so since they ended the past three years at the top of their league in the Kreisklasse, the lowest division in German soccer.

PRESSURE INSIDE

But this season the club, named after the northern part of Hamburg where the prison is located, has suffered. Some of the best players have moved on after completing their sentences or have been deported.

"The lads are obviously happy when their time is up and they can get out of here," said Mewes, a certified coach. "But it's sometimes sad for me and the team to see them go."

And like any team, the pressure can get to the players.

At a recent match against DSC Hanseat inside the 100-year-old prison, Eintracht Fuhlsbuettel was 2-0 up at half-time, but Mewes seemed unhappy.

Albanian playmaker Berti was in a foul mood and forward Sami appeared distracted, wasting several chances.

Mewes tried to rally his squad, telling them to play as a team but the men were in an unruly mood.

"This is just crap. It's not even a real game. They're all just messing around," shouted Berti, staring over the dusty pitch surrounded by high brick walls topped with barbed wire and watchtowers. A few inmates and wardens also looked disappointed.

Berti has spent the past 10 years in the weathered red brick prison for murder. Over the last eight years he has been hailed as a "genius" on the pitch with Mewes raving about his brilliant passes and smooth technique.

The only time Berti was left on the bench was after he cracked his ribs in a failed escape attempt.

A little further down the pitch, the players of DSC Hanseat are pondering the game and their opponents.

"They are really good, they are so fast and their technique is unbelievable," said Hanseat team captain Samuel Akrong.

TOO MANY COPS

Despite losing 3-1 in the end, the Hanseat players think this has been one of the more memorable games of the season.

"On the outside, you always hear how tough these guys are. But I have to say they are a lot fairer than anyone else we have played so far in this league," said Akrong.  

While the Eintracht players swear and shout just like any other soccer team, there were few fouls during the match. They seem acutely aware of the fact that any violent behaviour could get the whole prison soccer project cancelled immediately.

"There are so many stereotypes about prisoners anyway, we really don't want to reinforce them," said Julius, Eintracht's Hungarian captain, who has returned to the team from a stint in solitary confinement over an argument with another inmate.

But not everyone has welcomed them as warmly in the league as Hanseat. Some just do not feel at ease coming to play in a prison while other clubs have too many police officers in their squad who do not want to play those they helped put behind bars.

"It's sad, but it's understandable," said Mewes. "Sometimes it is just not possible."

While public attitudes might be ambivalent, other prisons across Germany are now planning to establish their own teams, said Mewes, who also helps inmates nearing their release date to find a club to join.

"A lot of them don't have anything to return to," he said. "It just gives them a little bit of stability and a point of entry back into society if they have somewhere to go to."