Eintracht Braunschweig is back in the 2nd Bundesliga after just a year – and wants to stay there. After the resurgence, the squad was reinforced selectively, all important players could be kept. In addition, two returnees should ensure that the league succeeds. Coach Michael Schiele is certain that the team structure, which was excellent last year, is right. However, the start of the season is tough with Hamburger SV, Darmstadt 98, Arminia Bielefeld and 1. FC Nürnberg on the first few days. The team check.
That’s how last season went
The direct return to the second division after relegation in 2021 was not a must for Eintracht Braunschwieg, the project for resurgence was actually planned for two years. But coach Michael Schiele, who has experience of promotion, and sporting director Peter Vollmann had put together a team with potential, which proved to be in better shape than the competition in many phases of the season.
There were initially setbacks such as the 0:4 in the first home game against newly promoted Viktoria Berlin and the early end of the state cup against regional league club VfV Hildesheim, but from the 17th match day Eintracht was always in the top 3 in the third division table.
The promotion decision was then strange: The BTSV had awarded the first “match point” with a 2:3 defeat (after a 2:0 lead) at SV Meppen. But a day later, their competitor Kaiserslautern blundered in their last game – the “Lions” could not be beaten for second place. More than 2,000 fans flocked to the spontaneous promotion celebration in the stadium on Hamburger Strasse, where the team had watched the game on TV.
Squad: The Ascension Heroes held
There was no major personnel shift like the year before this time. The only notable departure is Martin Kobylanski. The 28-year-old, mostly just a reservist last season, switched to 1860 Munich. Attacker Luc Ihorst, previously only on loan from Werder Bremen, was firmly committed to this. Overall, the “Lions” brought seven new players so far.
With Fabio Kaufmann and Saulo Decarli, two players are returning who previously wore the Eintracht jersey. Central defender Decarli, who worked for Eintracht from 2014 to 2017, came on a free transfer from Bundesliga side VfL Bochum. Midfielder Kaufmann, 2020/2021 at BTSV, was last under contract with second division club Karlsruher SC. He should bring more speed and goal risk into the Eintracht game. With goalkeeper Ron-Thorben Hoffmann (Bayern Munich, last loaned to the English third division club AFC Sunderland), regular keeper Jasmin Fejzic has competition.
The only 19-year-old offensive player Mehmet Ibrahimi was loaned out by RB Leipzig. In Immanuel Pherai there is also a creative head for midfield. The 21-year-old Dutchman played 31 third-division games for BVB’s second team last season, as well as one Bundesliga game for the Dortmund pros. Eintracht signed 24-year-old Anton Donkor for left-back.
Coach Schiele: “We have a super homogeneous team”
The squad has not yet been finally put together, a left winger, a striker and a central defender are still being sought. But BTSV coach Schiele was still confident in the “Braunschweiger Zeitung”: “I have no qualms about going into the first game with this team.” His team is “in good shape”.
At the end of the training camp in Lautenbach in Baden-Württemberg, there was a 1-0 defeat against the Luxembourg first division club Hesperange. Previously, the Braunschweig team had won all five preparatory games against teams from the lower league (goal difference: 41:0). And on Wednesday, Eintracht also won 1-0 in a test against Europa League participants 1. FC Union Berlin. Scorer: Newcomer Pherai (55th). Schiele emphasized that the team structure, which was excellent last year, is good again: “We have a super homogeneous squad.”
Difficult tasks at the beginning of the season
Most recently, Eintracht Braunschwieg had earned the dubious reputation of the elevator team. constancy? None! At times there was even the danger of a total crash into the fourth division. Now the “lions” have maneuvered themselves into quieter areas, both sportingly and financially. This time, the sporting directors chose a different approach than in previous years when putting together the squad.
“We have to take the promotion euphoria with us.”
— Eintracht coach Michael Schiele
Instead of replacing almost the entire staff, Vollmann & Co. now increasingly trust their heroes. Almost all key players could be kept. In the second division, Eintracht will only be about staying up.
“We have to take the promotion euphoria with us,” said Schiele, referring to the newcomer’s psychological effect at the start of the season. However, it has it all: The BTSV welcomes the HSV to the northern duel on Hamburger Straße on July 17 (1.30 p.m.). Other heavyweights of the league are then waiting in Heidenheim, Darmstadt, Kiel and Düsseldorf, Bielefeld and Nuremberg. A losing streak could prove to be a heavy burden for the remainder of the season.
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Sports current | 08.07.2022 | 3:17 p.m
