Bundesliga to return May 15

[UConNick]

John Brooks put in a MotM-level performance against the very dangerous attacking corps of Leverkusen. I truly believe he's a CL level CB if he can ever stay on the field consistently.

 

[Waquoit]

Not a fan of the piped-in crowd noise, but they're doing a good job timing up the crowd reactions to the pace and situations of play

At the end of day, I think the piped-in noise is a better viewing experience for me. Hate to say it.

 

[Palatine]

Was there an outbreak of the virus infecting the players, coaches or refs?

 

[UConnTrumbull]

Was there an outbreak of the virus infecting the players, coaches or refs?

Not that I’ve heard. They tested players and staff 2+ weeks before kickoff. I think it was like 7 out of 800 or something that we’re asymptomatic carriers. They were quarantined and the show went on. Still early to know the full extent though.

 

[ETSA]

Was there an outbreak of the virus infecting the players, coaches or refs?

In the 2nd division Zweite Bundesliga two players at Dynamo Dresden tested postive back in May. They postponed two or three games. I have not read all of the quarantine requirements for the Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga, but I did see that the new trainer at Augsburg violated a quarantine by leaving the team hotel briefly and was briefly suspended.

 

[ETSA]

Mainz 05! Anyone can cheer for FCB or BVB, but I like a little torture.

Good luck tomorrow against Augsburg. My guys in Regensburg seem to have almost wrapped up maintenance of second division for next year - another point or two would be nice, but today was a loss. Mainz 05 now has a former Jahn Regensburg trainer, Achim Beierlorzer, who did really well for Jahn (but his stay at Köln was short). You would be up against another former Regensburg trainer for Augsburg, Heiko Herrlich, the guy whom Beierlorzer replaced when Leverkusen hired Herrlich away. Recently Herrlich violated quarantine rules by leaving the team hotel to buy some tootpaste and skin cream and was suspended. I think he is back for tomorrow's game.

 

[Waquoit]

Haven't been able to get back into the Bundesliga at all for some reason. I think I'm going to have to pick it up next season.

 

[spsct]

Good luck tomorrow against Augsburg. My guys in Regensburg seem to have almost wrapped up maintenance of second division for next year - another point or two would be nice, but today was a loss. Mainz 05 now has a former Jahn Regensburg trainer, Achim Beierlorzer, who did really well for Jahn (but his stay at Köln was short). You would be up against another former Regensburg trainer for Augsburg, Heiko Herrlich, the guy whom Beierlorzer replaced when Leverkusen hired Herrlich away. Recently Herrlich violated quarantine rules by leaving the team hotel to buy some tootpaste and skin cream and was suspended. I think he is back for tomorrow's game.

Yeah, we crapped the bed as always. I think we're getting relegated which might not be a bad thing. Blow it up...

 

[ETSA]

I saw that goal 40 seconds in. Autsch! Then Mainz had so much possession and couldn't find the net. Tough situation now. My ex-brother-in-law, who lives in Schwabach near Nürnberg, is sweating seeing Der Club drop into the Dritte Liga. (Will they join K-town there? hope not)

 

[ETSA]

Werder Bremen are somewhat fortunate to remain in the top Bundesliga for next year. After a 0-0 tie at home on the first leg of the relegation play-off with Heidenheim, they kept their spot with a 2-2 tie at Heidenheim. They win the series on away goals, one of which was a gift own goal. Josh Sargent featured negatively in the early going as he was unable to convert two excellent chances. It's amazing that a team from the small town of Heidenheim, not even very close to any population centers put itself in the position to reach the Bundesliga. Tomorrow Nürnberg, Der Club, begin their relegation series with Ingolstadt hoping to avoid the falling into League 3 for the next season.

 

[spsct]

Yeah, I was pulling for Heidenheim. I would not want to be Norman Theuerkauf today; what inopportune time to have a bad day at the office.

BTW, I really hate the away goal advantage; teams entire fortunes (be it relegation, tournament knockout rounds, et al) rests on such an arbitrary rule.

 

[Waquoit]

BTW, I really hate the away goal advantage;

But I like it better than the alternative. I didn't see it, but does the Bremen game feature 4 goals if there isn't an away goal rule?

 

[spsct]

But I like it better than the alternative. I didn't see it, but does the Bremen game feature 4 goals if there isn't an away goal rule?

Probably yes. I understand that alternatives are slim but man I feel bad for clubs that put a whole season of work in to fail because they drew 0-0 on the road and 1-1 at home. It's really a gut punch; fortunately Mainz is so mediocre they don't find themselves in that position.

 

[ZooCougar]

FC Kaiserslautern filed for bankruptcy. That sucks.

 

[ETSA]

FC Kaiserslautern filed for bankruptcy. That sucks.

Kaiserslautern has a potential investor, a German named Horst Petersen who lives in Dubai. He has made an offer and supposedly wants an answer by the end of July, although it is reported that talks have been in the works for a while and he as already extended his deadline a couple of times.

Meanwhile, in Nürnberg today, Der Club got off to a good start in their hopes of maintaining second division status for next year. Two goals were scored by Fabian Nürnberger (fitting name but he was born in Hamburg) against Ingolstadt. Second leg on Saturday.

 

[spsct]

On the topic Away Goals. All three relegation battles this year in Germany were decided by the away goal rule; including Nuremberg surviving with a 90+6' goal. This is now becoming a topic for discussion here. There was an interesting article on Kicker.de but I'll see if I can find an English version.

I'm interested in seeing what they decide (if anything) but wheels tend to move slowly over here and changes don't happen overnight.

 

[ETSA]

spsct, I thought of your post about the away goals tie-breaker when Nürnberg went down 3 - 0, as that seemed their only hope at that point. I am glad Der Club is remains in the 2. Bundesliga, but avoinding the demotion on an away goal at 90+6 doesn't feel good. My friends in Schwabach are utterly disgusted with the Club's management and are tempted to dump them in favor of supporting Greuther Fürth. I always have an unflattering picture of Fürth as the place with the finance office at Darby Kaserne and the big PX. Whenever I reluctantly had to leave my site in the Bavarian Forest at the Czech border and return to the main field station in Herzogenaurach I would usually make a stop for supplies there. (To date myself: That was back about the time Lothar Matthäus was first learning how to tie up his Puma soccer boots for 1. FC Herzogenaurach).

 

[ZooCougar]

Kaiserslautern has a potential investor, a German named Horst Petersen who lives in Dubai. He has made an offer and supposedly wants an answer by the end of July, although it is reported that talks have been in the works for a while and he as already extended his deadline a couple of times.

Meanwhile, in Nürnberg today, Der Club got off to a good start in their hopes of maintaining second division status for next year. Two goals were scored by Fabian Nürnberger (fitting name but he was born in Hamburg) against Ingolstadt. Second leg on Saturday.

Any news on this?

 

[ETSA]

Any news on this?

It seems there are two investor groups interested in 1. FC Kaiserslautern. One led by the German guy you lives in Dubai and and another more local group. The creditors committee for the club has requested both groups to make presentations this coming Monday (20 July).

The club has to meet certain financial conditions in order to maintain its license to field a 3rd division club. The German Football Association (DFB) has now given them a deadline of 31 October to get their financial house in order to meet 3rd division requirements. The season is to begin on 18 Sept and K-town will be in the league. I have no idea what happens if they loose their license half way through the first half to the season. Probably they will loose standings points and be relegated at the end of the full season. Something similar happened to another team (Sportfreunde Lotte?) a couple of years ago. Second division (at the time) TSV 1860 was in financial trouble with they lost the home and home relegation playoff to Jahn Regensburg in 2017 - they could not qualify for a license for the third division and ended dropping to the fifth division (now they are in the fourth)

Meanwhile insolvency court hearings for Kaiserslautern are scheduled to start on 1 Sept. There's like about three processes all with their own schedule happening in parallel.

Anyway that's what I am getting out of an article posted on the SWR broadcating website. I don't know if we will hear anything right away after Monday's presentations - probably not for a few more days.

 

[ETSA]

Any news on this?

ZooCougar, you got quite a mess at K-town. The creditors chose to accept the offer of the regional group. They rejected the much larger offer by the group led by the investor from Dubai (although he is a German living there). Apparently they were not comfortable with the lack of financial transparency with the "Dubai offer". The regional group's offer doesn't seem big enough to be a multiyear solution. Probably okay for another year in the third division. The chairman of the board at 1. resigned all of his positions with the club, saying he never in his life heard so many lies in the presentations of the investor group and deliberations by the creditor group. He backed the Dubai offer. I have not referred back to any articles while writing this and my understanding of corporate finance and bankruptcy is poor in English, let alone German, so don't sue me for being a little off on the details.

Meanwhile you guys have a semifinal in the Southwest Cup scheduled for the 15th. If beats the 6th division team they meet that day and the 5th div. team that is waiting for the final on the 22nd the will be playing my guys from Jahn Regensburg in the first round of the 2020-2021 DFB Pokal between 11-14 September. See you then, maybe.

 

[ETSA]

First week of the German Fußball season. The top three divisions all start this weekend. Jahn Regensburg tied 1.FC Nürnberg 1-1 in the 15,000 seat stadium in Regensburg where about 3,000 local fans were permitted entry.

 

[spsct]

Mainz lost 3-1 in Leipzig... Much better than the 0-8 and 0-5 beatings we took against them last year!

I would not want to be Schalke or Werder Bremen right now. They were awful.

 

[ETSA]

Mainz lost 3-1 in Leipzig... Much better than the 0-8 and 0-5 beatings we took against them last year!

I would not want to be Schalke or Werder Bremen right now. They were awful.

Can't tell too much yet, but 8-0 does stink bad. Wishing you guys luck with Beierlorzer - he did very well with my team in Regensburg, but 2. Liga is not Bundesliga. Jahn fans would be happy if he had stayed as the the new trainer seems not to have much of a plan for the offense.

I thought ZooCougar and I might have an exchange when Jahn played Kaiserslautern in the DFB Cup. It was a tough loss for K-town, losing on penalty shots. 1. also had some tough news on the financial front I think in that the court or some legal body is requiring them to pay off lot more debt than they had hoped.