FCN sports director in an interview
After a season in 14th place, 1. FC Nürnberg is hoping for better times again. In the latest market value update for the 2nd Bundesliga, FCN was the biggest winner, increasing in value by 6.5 million euros. Sports director Olaf Rebbe talks to Transfermarkt about a return to the Bundesliga, the talents in the squad around Can Uzun, the status as a seller’s club and he explains what plans the “club” is pursuing in the transfer winter.
Transfer market: Mr. Rebbe, the market values of the 2nd league were last updated. Do you follow this sort of thing closely?
Rebbe: I noticed and of course I was happy. It’s always great when our players develop positively. Whether I always agree with everything is another matter. (laughs)
Transfer market: Can Uzun experienced the greatest appreciation. He is the most valuable professional in the squad with a market value of 5 million euros, the best scorer and is also heavily sought after. How long can FCN keep him?
Rebbe: Can has a long-term contract with us. He has made great development and we are very proud that we have been able to support and support him for so long. He has drawn attention with his goals, assists and the way he plays. The fact that he performs so consistently well at his age is extraordinary. We’ll see what the future brings. But this season, change is not an issue.
Transfer market: FCN has never collected more than 7 million euros for a player sale. Will Uzun cross the mark?
Rebbe: We have a lot of talented guys at the club, I don’t want to limit it to one player. Everyone is invited to put themselves in the best possible position. (laughs) It would be great if we could break the transfer record one day. But it would also be desirable if we stayed together like this for a little while longer and things could develop further.
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Transfer market: You often talk about the FCN being a “sellers association”.
Rebbe: Fans don’t like to hear that because, like us, they like having the boys here. But for us it is necessary to generate transfer proceeds. It doesn’t matter whether we do this with younger or older players. But we have to bring in some. In the short term, by that I mean definitely the next three years, we need transfer revenue. In this respect, our status as a club will not change for the time being. But of course we strive to sustainably improve the economic situation in order to continue to develop the club in terms of sport.
Transfer market: When is the optimal time to sell?
Rebbe: This cannot be answered in general terms. It’s not like stocks in that you ideally sell when the value has risen. Rather, it depends on many factors and must, above all, be considered individually. Ideally, we will play a season in which our boys have stood out and/or other clubs have the need to improve in certain positions and the profiles of our players fit this. In any case, the transfer amounts must be in line with the market and, in the best case, a negotiation success for us.
Olaf Rebbe: FCN has to “cut back” on the transfer market
Transfer market: FCN signed eight players and released ten in the summer. At “Bild” you said that you were “happy” with the squad. What exactly satisfies you?
Rebbe: We have a balance of young and old and the coach can implement his playing system with the squad. It’s important that the team grows together at a certain point, that was a given. I think we found a good mix there. All positions are filled at least twice, which creates a good competitive situation. We also see great development potential in the individual positions.
Transfer market: How do you prepare for a transfer window?
Rebbe: You have to be clear about which profiles you are looking for. Then you have to narrow down your selection based on the possible transfer fee and the perspective you can offer. With regard to “transfer amounts and salaries”, we have to cut back a bit due to the last few years, as some competitors from the 2nd league are financially more powerful. But with a view to the “perspective” for players, we offer a great club with a comprehensible path. This aspect in particular is often crucial for young players.
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Transfer market: On the departure side, Kwadwo Duah and Erik Shuranov provided the highest earnings. Both came to FCN with a request for a change. Did that surprise you?
Rebbe: No. Erik wanted more playing time and wanted to get out of the familiar environment. I could understand that. With Maccabi Haifa he has found a top club that is always European. It’s similar with Duah. Ludogorets also always plays internationally and took part in the Champions League qualification. And financially it wasn’t a disadvantage for him or us.
Transfer market: Duah brought in 3 million euros, making it one of the 15 highest grosses in the club’s history. The negotiations with Ludogorets were “intensive,” you said at the time. What exactly did the transfer poker look like?
Rebbe: The negotiations took place in Sofia. Ludogorets was under pressure. They had to report their squad for Champions League qualification within a few days. They needed to finish and we wanted to get the best possible for our top scorer. It’s not a given that you let your most successful striker go. It was a marathon negotiation with a happy ending.
Transfer market: Is the Duah deal a prime example of how things should work for FCN on the transfer market?
Rebbe: It was a good transfer for FCN, but also for the player. Ideally, we would have something like this more often. It’s not just about us. If it’s the next step for the player, sportingly, privately and financially, then everyone is happy. Kilian Fischer (moved to VfL Wolfsburg in 2022 for 2.5 million euros; editor) is also such an example.
FCN sports director Olaf Rebbe: “We have to leave the last few years behind us”
Transfer market: The FCN has the largest squad in the league with 32 players. From the TM community, user “Looocher” asks whether there will be an attempt to reduce the size of the squad in the winter?
Rebbe: We are happy with the squad as it is. It all fits together. The reason our squad is so big on paper is because we have given professional contracts to young players whose home base is, for example, the U23. In the still young season we saw that everyone is needed. The game in Kiel (2-0 win; editor) is good evidence of this.
Transfer market: What plans does FCN have in the transfer winter?
Rebbe: We have no intention of making any changes to the squad. You can never rule out the possibility that something will happen anyway. This also depends, for example, on whether someone gets injured. We cannot fully influence what happens on the part of the departures. When inquiries come in, we deal with them.
FCN sports director Olaf Rebbe.
Transfer market: In September you reportedly extended your contract until 2026. What motivated you to do this?
Rebbe: We have a constellation here that is fun and gives you the feeling that we can bring the FCN into a better future. That’s why the decision was easy for me. Our big goal is to be sustainably successful with the club. I am sure that things will continue to move in the right direction in the coming months and years. After two and a half years in which we created a lot of structures and did development work, I am of the opinion that it is not over yet. It is also a great incentive for me that we are doing better in terms of sport than in recent years.
Transfer market: In the TM interview in March, sports director Dieter Hecking spoke of the high expectations around the club and emphasized that the FCN was a normal second division team. How does the “club” get back into the Bundesliga?
Rebbe: We have to put the last few years, which were not successful, behind us and move in a better direction with new ideas. We are trying to make this happen with the resources we have. The key to success, for example, is youth work, good transfers, a coach with a clear plan as well as cohesion and continuity – we currently have all the “ingredients” listed in the cooking pot. But: In the end, what matters is what happens on the pitch. Winning games is a tried and tested remedy in football. (laughs)
Transfer market: When will the FCN be successful again in your eyes?
Rebbe: If we can continually stay away from the lower places in the table and look more upwards than at the bottom of the table. Success requires humility and hard work. The club has been lagging behind the expectation of being part of the Bundesliga for several years. We have the responsibility every day to ensure that we live up to these expectations and that we take people with us on our journey and moderate the situation sensibly. But it’s a long road and it’s a lot of hard work. Nevertheless, something can emerge here again.
Interview: Pascal Martin (p_martin)
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