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Originally something else was meant by this season. But maybe this eternal glorification of the most attractive 2nd league in the history of German football is still true. A look at the table is enough to determine that lovers of a balanced competition are currently fully at their expense. From leader FC St. Pauli, who still has a catch-up game, down to the tenth Karlsruhe SC separates the individual table sites exactly one point. And somewhere in between: The two Bundesliga relegated, the two large traditional clubs, the two supposed attractiveness: Welder Bremen and Schalke 04.

Sporty, the duo has fallen behind the established second division from Regensburg, Paderborn and Darmstadt; the scarce place 5, the reinstates even ranked 8. On this Saturday (20.30 clock, live! At Schröder) is now the first meeting in the 2nd league before, in which the local heavyweights have so far so their adaptation problems, sometimes Even very similar.

Most recently, the trend was opposite again: while Schalke went to the play free time in the piece with three mandatory boilers, it was not the first time after the past 12th match day that Markus started as a coach of the SV Welder took an imminent international lead to the occasion, sentences To formulate those: We can transport this positive energy. Whenever the game operation was interrupted in the current second division season, his team had to show a victory: 3: 0 against Rostock, 3: 0 against Dagenham — and now a 2: 1 in Nuremberg.

Welder hopes to have solved the knot

But so clearly the home wins had also failed from the result, the persuasiveness for the recent Bremen appeared again differently. Throughout, the associated hope also appears that this time actually something free can be freely, as in the beginning therefore already predicted for the third time. Last doubt remain, of course, occupied by the jumping results of the previous second division season, which is the first for the club for over 40 years. Although the Bremen revealed a few potential in individual respects, but also great deficits in dealing with the requirements of the 2nd league. Without wanting something poorly, but that is another league, explains Frank Baumann, Welders sports chief, and refers to the overall low second division experience we have. Cumulative 738 inserts in the squad support that, no other second division has less.

As a compass in this for a long time unknown characters in many ways the coach committed in the summer is the direction. At the beginning, after second division stations in Kiel, Cologne and Darmstadt now wants to be with Welder in the Bundesliga. In the meantime, it looked that this plan would be difficult to realize at least this season, but above all a recently completed game-tactical changeover has dismissed new confidence.

Bremens double top works

Work together well: Nicolas Fuller and Marvin Duck sch. Imago images / zinc

For two games, the 47-year-old has stormed the extremely well-known dual peak Marvin Duck sch / Nicolas Fuller from the beginning. At the same time, the team has discovered the long balls promising in the 2nd league, but remains flexible playfully. In Nuremberg, Welder turned after the previously dominant appearance under the beginning for the first time a game. Although the coach does not want to ignore the fluctuating course of the season, he finds: You have to see the tendency — and thats positive.

Three defeats in series for Schalke

She is no longer on Schalke. The defeats in Dagenham and also against Darmstadt and the Cup at 1860 Munich have tilted the trend of the previous winning streak in the opposite. Two, three gaming days can tear the table completely apart, coach Dimitrios Grammars had previously said in the Schröder himself and probably not that he would be confirmed negatively so fast.

The starting problems seemed that Schalke had already brought a rank 11 after Match day 7, already overcome. The last minute victory in Hanover and the convincing, upgrading appearance at the 3-0 against Dresden a week later the hope nourished to have set itself in the top group for all times. But it was different again. So even Schalke is not yet a second league team, as well? It confirms week after week, that it is a really hard league, Grammars had said. And his team has further problems. Where in some narrow games at the end of Simon Eroded turned out the difference, even at the top scorer, the trigger clamps: since he has set the second division goal record of Dieter Schatzschneider with his 153rd hits, the 33-year-old remained four times goalless.

The most recent defeats show that behind standards and the actually reliable tolerant a functioning plan is missing to develop the risk of danger. That last also the defense including midfield center wobbled, the situation tightens. And of course it channels in one person: at Grammars. Although this could still show the best balance of all five coaches in the Descents descent season, it is still a face of the decline he could not stop. And the doubts, whether Grammars is therefore the right man for the new beginning, accompany the 43-year-old since the beginning of the season.

We agreed that we have to arrive in the league. This crash was a perceived total loss.

Rouen Schröder

The responsible persons had known about the severity of the task in the summer. We agreed that we have to arrive in the league. This crash was a sensation of total loss, SportsDirector Rouen Schröder looks back in the current member magazine Schalke rounder : I was long enough in the 2nd league on the way, When we thought, we just build a team that then safely rises, nothing would have forced here. The huge change, as GRAMMARS calls him, with 16 external accesses takes time — especially as the transfer window in both directions until the last day open. I only heard we bring the and those and the… we first had to give play players before the cabin bursts out of all seams! Says Schröder.

Beat from 80 to 20 million reduced

Numerous professionals were equipped with Schalke with highly doped and also for the 2nd league of employment contracts, the emergencies of around 80 to around 20 million euro gesture demanded outlets, if necessary on a lending basis. This mum upset managed sports board Peter Anabel and Schröder consistently and well, but the loss of substance but was great. At least economically, the plans with massive cost reduction measures were achieved throughout the club in Gelsenkirchen. For the financial year 2021, the club predicts significantly more positive numbers than feared. It is even conceivable that the total liabilities of around 217 to the end of the end of less than 200 million euros declare, as the recent semi-annual figures presented by Financial Result Christina Rühl-Hamers should be suspected in detail consideration. Despite corona pandemic and descent, the club expects only with slightly lower revenues than in the previous year, the net loss should be only in the low double-digit million area, 2020 were still 52.6 million euros.

Should Schalke lead back to the Bundesliga: Dimitrios Grammars. Imago Images / RR photo

Klaus Fiery, Managing Director Finance at Welder, recently has a positive business outcome for the current season. It is already certain that the winter transfer period will be different on the Weber than that in summer. If a Bremen player produces the interest of another club, the responsible persons can then allow themselves a NO again — the current season is considered through-financed, albeit among substantial efforts (credit, middle-class bond, transfer revenues). After the descent, such attitude had been unthinkable. Since the economic constraints of the financially temporarily at least in the Redouble clubs had significantly dictated the actions of sports chief Baumann.

Unclear transfer phase of the Bremen last summer

Increased revenue of 40 million euros due to the missed Bundesliga leaflet preservation and another 35 million pandemic losses were necessary net transfer revenues of at least 20 million euros; Salary set fell by 27 million to below 20 million euros. The club was feared, the club had to be feared to have any professional of the squad attracting if the offer is right… exactly said until 18 oclock of the 31st August, as the last gap of the transfer window finally accessed — even if this late time only Exception offers were considered, as well as now in winter.

Nevertheless, the last day of the summer change period, whose Welder Balance is 14 departures (three borrowed ones) and seven external new additions, will be given as an unofficial start to the season. At the beginning, the certainty of which players would be available to him for the record-friendly often proclaimed reconstruction — and that this mentally could engage fully on the SV Welder.

Value was placed by Baumann in addition to the commitment of second-divisional players such as Duck sch, Nicolai Rap or Lars Lukas May also on the anchoring a personnel axis, which could hardly be found so far. Injury reasons. Most recently, in Nuremberg, all five designated members of the Council of Council on the Square: Over Torah, Leonardo Betancourt, Christian Grow, Nicolas Füllmaschrug and Milos Veljkovic. Internally, Jeri Galena, which has also recaptured his place in the gate after health turbulence for two games. I think, says coach beginning, that we bring a certain constancy into our game when we reject them into our squad.

We are like an unfold diamond in the 2nd league and need a bit of self-confidence.

Nicolas Fuller

And then there is also Fullers statement on the test bench, which just muted some paradox from its mouth. We are like an annulment diamond in the 2nd league and still need a bit of self-confidence. No question, even the attacker is considered highly managed, but it was not possible to see anything on the spot until the 10th match day. Only cabins, he caused a stir, by a confronting verbal skirmish with Clemens Fritz, Head of ProfiFussball, which makes him some trouble — including a fine and exemption from the team training. However, the prescribed dont break seems to have worked. Fuller showed himself purely es, recently committed teamwork and is above all: sporty valuable. Before still goalless, the attacker was now involved in the youngest four Welder gates.

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In terms of caring planning had an insecure summer: Welder coach Markus start. Imago Images / Forefoot

Sparkling comparisons are certainly allowed him, especially since sporting chief Baumann basically complies with: What Nicolas says is that we continue to grind and are not at the end of our development. We have communicated that too. However, that these announcements do not entail completely with the expectations in the Bremen environment, plops in different places again and again. At the location of a traditional club one is not very surprised. Nevertheless, Baumann had been aware of the outset, that it can be bumpy in the beginning. Thats why we are not completely surprised, and maybe we want it faster — but thats our situation current.

Of course, any form of impatient impatience is continued prayer-like with that Bremen reconstruction scenario. But at least internally, there seems to be another maxim, as in particular after the defeat in Darmstadt from the statements Baumann ( otherwise it will be a season in which we will not reach our goals ). Part of this 2nd league remaining apparently does not belong.

The topic development in football is complicated

This certainly applies to Schalke. If we are successful, we will go into a certain direction that is very positive, said Schröder recently slightly smoked. The sports director knows about the mood swings in the day-to-day business: The topic of development in football is complicated because almost a week is billed. This also applies to the environment, the Schröder even after the horror season 2020/21 infringed in front of the Darmstadt game as very positive : I feel that the Schalke fans have a good sense of the situation. They are partly dissatisfied, After the game in Dagenham, the Failure was still very positive. Critical voices will always give it, he believes: Who starts on Schalke and keeps the bones for this club, knowing that it is not always positive here. Then you are asked to make it better. And if This succeeds, says Schröder, you get so much back and can pick up the applause of the fans after the game.

The next opportunity for this will come on this Saturday at the SV Welder, the opponent who has participated in the Schalke crash at eye level and is now standing in front of similar challenges — between old shard and new euphoria, between fears and ascending pounds.