Nine over-30 professionals in the starting line-up
Karlsruher SC attracted attention in the summer with the signing of Borussia Mönchengladbach’s Lars Stindl. The 35-year-old offensive player with a DFB past ensured that the Baden team could once again remotely think about a possible return to the Bundesliga. After nine match days and 14th place, the reality looks much more sober: relegation battle instead of the top third of the table.
“There are different factors. The external expectations are extremely high,” explained KSC sports director Sebastian Freis in an interview with “Kicker”. “At the beginning, Lars immediately showed what added value he could offer the team as a player and personality. I had the feeling that he lost his rhythm a bit due to his serious hand injury. But he will come back stronger and help the team again.” Ex-national player and returnee Stindl scored two goals and two assists in his nine appearances.
In the summer, the second division team gave up two top performers in Tim Breithaupt (for 2.5 million euros to FC Augsburg) and Marius Gersbeck (for 300,000 euros back to Hertha BSC). In terms of squad value, Karlsruhe is only in 14th place in the 2nd league before the market value update – ahead of Elversberg, Braunschweig, Osnabrück and Wehen Wiesbaden. In return, the people of Baden have the oldest cadre in the lower house. Average age: 26.8 years.
Pherai, Tousart & Co.: The second division top transfers 2023/24
Fabian Reese | Holstein Kiel -> Hertha | Market value: €2.5 million
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Free transfer
(In this gallery, additions and departures are taken into account and listed according to market value or transfer, depending on the higher value. As of: September 2, 2023)
Wahid Faghir | VfB Stuttgart -> SV Elversberg | Market value: €2.5 million
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Loan
Immanuel Pherai | E. Braunschweig -> HSV | Market value: €2.5 million
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Transfer fee: €750 thousand
Paul Seguin | Union -> Schalke | Market value: €2.5 million
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Transfer fee: €750 thousand
Dennis Hadzikadunic | Rostov -> HSV | Market value: €3 million
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Free loan
Timo Baumgartl | PSV Eindhoven -> Schalke | Market value: €3 million
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free of charge
Wilfried Kanga | Hertha -> Liège | Market value: €3 million
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Loan
Michaël Cuisance | Venice -> Osnabrück | Market value: €3 million
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Loan
Ísak Jóhannesson | Copenhagen -> F. Düsseldorf | Market value: €3 million
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Loan
Paul Wanner | FC Bayern -> SV Elversberg | Market value: €3 million
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Loan
Ignace Van der Brempt | RB Salzburg -> HSV | Market value: €3 million
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Rental fee: €300,000
Elione Fernandes Neto | F. Düsseldorf -> RB Salzburg | Transfer fee: €3 million
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Market value: €500 thousand
Andreas Bouchalakis | Olympiakos -> Hertha | Market value: €3 million
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Transfer fee unknown
Kwadwo Duah | Nuremberg -> Ludogorets | Transfer fee: €3 million
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Market value: €1.3 million
Jordan Larsson | Schalke -> Copenhagen | Market value: €3 million
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Transfer fee: €2 million
Ron Schallenberg | Paderborn -> Schalke | Market value: €3 million
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Transfer fee: €2 million
Michal Karbownik | Brighton -> Hertha | Market value: €3 million
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Transfer fee: €2.5 million
Marius Bülter | Schalke -> Hoffenheim | Market value: €3 million
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Transfer fee: €3 million
Jakov Medic | St. Pauli -> Ajax | Transfer fee: €3 million
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Market value: €2 million
Dawid Kownacki | F. Düsseldorf -> Werder | Market value: €3.5 million
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Free transfer
Tom Roth | BVB -> Holstein Kiel | Market value: €3.5 million
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Rental fee: €350 thousand
Marcel Halstenberg | RB Leipzig -> Hannover 96 | Market value: €3.5 million
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Transfer fee: €700 thousand
Tim Breithaupt | KSC -> Augsburg | Market value: €3.5 million
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Transfer fee: €2.5 million
Omar Alderete | Hertha -> Getafe | Market value: €4 million
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Transfer fee: €4 million
Suat Serdar | Hertha -> Hellas Verona | Market value: €4.5 million
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Loan with option to buy
Can Bozdogan | Schalke -> Utrecht | Market value: €4.5 million
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Transfer fee: €1 million
Oliver Christensen | Hertha -> AC Fiorentina | Transfer fee: €4.5 million
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Market value: €4 million
Christos Tzolis | Norwich City -> Düsseldorf | Market value: €5 million
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Loan with option to buy
Marco Richter | Hertha -> Mainz 05 | Market value: €5 million
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Transfer fee: €3 million
Jessica Ngankam | Hertha -> E. Frankfurt | Market value: €5 million
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Transfer fee: €4 million
Rodrigo Zalazar | Schalke -> Braga | Transfer fee: €5 million
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Market value: €4 million
Santiago Ascacibar | Hertha -> Estudiantes | Market value: €6.5 million
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Transfer fee: €2.5 million (purchase option)
Krzysztof Piatek | Hertha -> Basaksehir | Market value: €7 million
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Free transfer
Lucas Tousart | Hertha -> Union | Market value: €9 million
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Transfer fee: €2.8 million
Amine Harit | Schalke -> Marseille| Market value: €12 million
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Transfer fee: €5 million (obligation to purchase)
Dodi Lukebakio | Hertha -> Sevilla | Market value: €12 million
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Transfer fee: €10 million
“We are a few points short of the quality of our squad,” said the 38-year-old Freis. There are nine – last year there were eleven at the same time. With a view to the high level of experience in the team, the ex-professional said: “We are in a challenging transition phase in which the coaching team always has to find the right balance between points for the table and as much playing time as possible for our young players. Ideally, a combination of both will work.”
Freis stated: “But we in the club agree that the age structure of the squad has to change in order to be able to generate transfer revenue, for example.” In the 1-1 draw against Magdeburg on the last matchday, there were nine over-30 professionals in the starting line-up – in On average, the first team was 31.3 years old. In return, five talents aged 20 or under took a seat on the bench. “You can plan to generate transfer revenue, but of course you can’t implement it within six months.”
8 times over 30,000: All second division stadiums in 2023/24 according to capacity
18 SV Elversberg | Ursapharm Arena at the Kaiserlinde | Capacity: 10,000
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17 SC Paderborn | Home Deluxe Arena | Capacity: 15,000
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16 Holstein Kiel | Holstein Stadium | Capacity: 15,034
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15 Contractions Wiesbaden | BRITA Arena | Capacity: 15,295
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14 VfL Osnabrück | Bremen Bridge | Capacity: 16,100
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13 Greuther Fürth | Ronhof Sports Park | Capacity: 16,626
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12 Braunschweig | Eintracht Stadium | Capacity: 23,325
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11 Karlsruher SC | BBBank Wildlife Park | Capacity: 26,000
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10 Hansa Rostock | Baltic Sea Stadium | Capacity: 29,000
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9 FC St. Pauli | Millerntor Stadium | Capacity: 29,546
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8 1. FC Magdeburg | MDCC Arena | Capacity: 30,098
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7 Hannover 96 | Heinz von Heiden Arena | Capacity: 49,000
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6 Kaiserslautern | Fritz Walter Stadium | Capacity: 49,350
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5 Nuremberg | Max Morlock Stadium | Capacity: 50,000
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4 Fortuna Düsseldorf | Merkur Game Arena | Capacity: 54,600
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3 Hamburger SV | Volksparkstadion | Capacity: 57,000
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2 Schalke 04 | Veltins Arena | Capacity: 62,271
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1 Hertha BSC | Olympic Stadium Berlin | Capacity: 74,667
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Coach Eichner is supposed to accompany the further development process of the squad at KSC
Although Freis has “complete confidence” in the existing team, “we are still thinking intensively about possible profiles and preparing things. Of course, a lot depends on what the boys offer us on the pitch by then.” The aim at KSC should not be to have to worry about staying in the league until the last match day. The manager, however, strengthened coach Christian Eichner because he was convinced “that the desired further development process of the squad will work in this constellation”.
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