In the club's previous season in the 3. Liga, they finished in 3rd place, qualifying to the promotion playoffs where they faced TSV 1860 München. They lost 1–2 on aggregate after 1860 München scored two late goals, with one in stoppage time. After losing on aggregate, they remained in the 3. Liga. In the Schleswig-Holstein Cup, they made it to the final, which was never played. This was because Holstein Kiel already qualified for the DFB-Pokal through league position, meaning their opponents VfB Lübeck would qualify no matter what. In the previous season's edition of the DFB-Pokal, they went out in Round 1 after losing to TSV 1860 München 1–2.
Squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.