“Privileged situation” thanks to a strong series
Fortuna played nine games under the 47-year-old’s management and lost none of them. Thanks to the 17 points from these games, Düsseldorf has pulled away and is eight points ahead of the place the club slipped into the day after the start of Christian Preusser’s successor coach.
And on Friday Fortuna can finally end the relegation battle chapter, with a win against Dynamo Dresden (currently 16th) the league is perfect.
“We now have the privileged situation that we can decide how the season ends“said Thioune, whose team revealed remaining weaknesses in the 0-0 draw at Hannover 96 despite being outnumbered for 75 minutes, but these are now at a higher level than at the beginning of his tenure.
“I understand that post-game criticism will come up, but let’s also look at the bigger picture‘ Thioune demanded.’After the 21st matchday we were three points behind in 15th place, four behind Dresden. Since then we’ve caught up twelve points on Dresden, five on Hanover and five on Sandhausen. That was the primary goal.“
Thioune never had any doubts about success
From day one, the self-confident coach, who tried unsuccessfully with Hamburger SV to get promoted to the Bundesliga in the 2020/21 season, left no doubt that with Fortuna he would avert relegation. “The task drives me. I want to build something here next year. So I’ll be on the line in Düsseldorf next season in the second division“, promised Thioune at his introduction.
If the league is through with a win on Friday, the focus will immediately be on the next season. Düsseldorf has the goal of targeting the promotion places. “Everything we do should contribute to the premier league. Ambition is part of it, and maybe that was underdeveloped in the past. Football in the 1st Bundesliga has to be played here again at some point“Said sports director Klaus Allofs weeks ago.
Rise a realistic goal?
The two and a half months under Thioune have shown that Fortuna can manage to aim for a return to the upper house in the current constellation. Dusseldorf is the second best team in the league at this time (after Schalke with 19 points).
With a very offensively oriented and intense style of play, Fortuna has not only managed to turn things around, but has already positioned itself for the next season.
Source: sho