Football Season Guide

FC Magdeburg won promotion from the third division last year and will play in the second tier of German football for the first time in their history this season. For a club with very limited resources it is a massive achievement and it will be an even greater one if they manage to stay in the league this season. One of the biggest disadvantages the club will have this season is their lack of overall experience at this level. A handful of players have played at this level before, especially from amongst those brought to the club this season. Jasmin Fejzic and Manfred Osei Kwadwo both played for sides relegated last season while new right back Aleksander Ignovski has dropped down from Bundesliga side Freiburg. For the majority of the rest of the squad it will be a significant learning experience. Not only the playing staff need to acclimatise to their new surroundings quickly, but the staff are new to this level of competition. Head coach Jens Härtel has neither played nor coached in the second division. But the fact he has been at the club for 4 years and knows the squad inside and out is an advantage and Magdeburg should stick together, even if the results are poor to begin with. Last season winger Philip Türpitz finished as top scorer with 17 goals, but the whole squad chipped in including the defence from set pieces. The number of different threats available in the team will be a big plus and was one of the reasons the previous season’s third division champions Holstein Kiel did so well in the second division last season. But any comparisons with Kiel may end there as Magdeburg will simply be focusing on trying to stay in the league rather than finishing anywhere near the promotion places.