3. League - Aue-Trainer satisfied - anxious about test against RB Leipzig
Trainer Pavel Dotchev of FC Erzgebirge Aue showed a good report card to his team at the halfway point of their preparations for the new season in the 3. Football League. The 4:0 victory over regional league side VFC Plauen marked the end of a five-day training camp in Thuringian Bad Blankenburg. The second part of the preparations begins on Monday.
"We will mainly focus on ball work in the coming days, as a team. We have deliberately avoided spring training exercises due to the workload," said Dotchev.
The first half of the preparations focused on integrating new signings, learning routines and automatisms, internalizing running routes, pushing limits. Starting from Monday, it's about implementing what has been learned under pressure and in competition.
Dotchev is satisfied with the existing hierarchy in the squad, with only Can Özkan (injury) and Omar Sijaric (muscle problems) unable to complete the full program.
Protests against Leipzig Test
While the trainer is satisfied, the planned test match against RB Leipzig on July 26 splits the fan base. The Bundesliga side is seen as being in contrast to the tradition of Aue by many fans. Banners have already appeared at the training camp and on social media, urging the withdrawal from the game, which sports business manager Matthias Heidrich rejects, as he values the sporting worth of the game for his own team.
Supporters also support this opinion. The game without spectators would also serve as a rehearsal for the new season. Aue faces the first league game against promotion side Hannover II on the weekend of August 3/4.
- Regarding the upcoming test games, FC Erzgebirge Aue is scheduled to face RB Leipzig on July 26, a match that has stirred controversy among some fans in Saxony due to Leipzig's perceived contrast with Aue's traditional values.
- Despite the controversy surrounding the RB Leipzig test match, the game holds significant value for FC Erzgebirge Aue, serving not only as a challenge but also as a rehearsal for the new season, as it will be played without spectators.
- Following the team's successful training camp in Thuringian Bad Blankenburg, where they defeated regional league side VFC Plauen 4-0, FC Erzgebirge Aue will return to training on Monday, with a focus on ball work and implementing what they've learned under pressure, in preparation for their 3. League games and the challenge against RB Leipzig.
