Second Bundesliga - Darmstadt-Trainer Lieberknecht: Sixth place would be okay
The SV Darmstadt 98 sees itself not in the favored role after the relegation from the Bundesliga football league, which begins on a Friday. Trainer Torsten Lieberknecht, who remained in office after relegation and initiated a rebuild, would be satisfied with a place in the upper half. He sees parallels to the year 2014, when he also went down with Eintracht Braunschweig and then started a new chapter in the lower house. The season ended in sixth place. "We have a new-look team that needs to find its way. But after such a major overhaul, such a result would be natural," said Lieberknecht to "Kicker".
Just as then, Lieberknecht focused on routine and new impulses when putting together the squad. The rebuild "we have now structured similarly to that time with some new players, but with a solid foundation that was maintained. It was important for us to have players who know the club from other times," said the coach, who also recognized a parallel to 2014: "Our first game back then with Braunschweig was similar to this one against Darmstadt against Duesseldorf, but it was away. It was a great game that ended 2:2." The Lilies begin the season on the coming Sunday (13.30 hours) against Fortuna.
- Torsten Lieberknecht, the trainer of Darmstadt 98, experienced a similar situation in 2014 when he led Eintracht Braunschweig to a relegation from the Bundesliga.
- Lieberknecht's strategy for the new season involves focusing on routine and introducing new impulses, similar to his approach with Braunschweig in the Second Bundesliga.
- In the upcoming game against Fortuna, Darmstadt 98 will be looking to start their descent back to the Bundesliga on a positive note, as they did in 2014 against Braunschweig in Braunschweig, which ended in a 2-2 draw.
- Lieberknecht believes that the current Darmstadt 98 team, with its new-look roster and some familiar faces, has the potential to achieve a similar result as they did in 2014, earning a place in the upper half of the Second Bundesliga.
- However, Lieberknecht acknowledges that the team will need time to adjust to their new roles and find their footing in the league, as they did after their relegation from the Bundesliga in 2014.
- The rebuilding process under Lieberknecht has seen some changes in the squad, with some new players brought in to support the core group that remained from the Bundesliga campaign.
