Football Season Guide

Sandhausen once again proved the doubters wrong by surviving the drop last season. They looked in real trouble at the turn of the year but a fantastic second half of the season saw them finish 9 points clear of the relegation play-off place. Coach Alois Schwartz initially struggled to turn things around when he took over from Stefan Kulovitz back in September but after the winter break, things took shape. A real spirit and togetherness were brought to the camp and that’s something he'll be hoping to continue this coming season. Sandhausen has one of the smallest budgets in the division so once again they have had to be shrewd in the transfer market. Midfielder David Kinsombi from Hamburger is a smart bit of business on a free transfer and he will fit in well with brother Christian who already plays at the club. Phillip Ochs is another good capture from Hannover on a free. Ochs is a versatile player that can be used in midfield or the left side of defence. It will also be interesting to see how new striker Matej Pulkrab fares and how quickly he can fill the boots of outgoing goalscorer Pascal Testroet. El-Zein and Schwab are exciting young prospects, while Ganda is also an interesting recruit in right midfield. This coupled with experienced heads and a never say die attitude, Sandhausen can cause problems for their opponents.