Table of Contents
- Who are the favorites for promotion?
- Who is good for a surprise?
- Who are the promoted teams from the 3rd league?
- Where can the 2nd Bundesliga be seen?
- Will the trend in attendance continue?
- The most important thing to start the season in the second football league
The 2nd Bundesliga is celebrating its 50th anniversary. To mark the jubilee, more big traditional clubs than ever before are playing in the second division. Two of them, 1. FC Köln and Hamburger SV, will kick off the 51st season of the 2nd Bundesliga on Friday (8:30 PM/Sat.1 and Sky). They are likely to compete for the promotion spots.
Who are the favorites for promotion?
After six failed attempts, HSV is hoping to finally make it back to the Bundesliga this time. Although the Hanseatics missed out on promotion last season, most key players were retained. Only Laszlo Benes left the club to join Union Berlin in the Bundesliga. Davie Selke is the notable new signing, joining from fellow favorite Köln.
Köln, meanwhile, has to make do without any significant new signings due to a FIFA-imposed transfer ban. Instead, new coach Gerhard Struber can rely on numerous young talents. The fact that theBilly Goats are still considered favorites is also due to the fact that only a few players left the Bundesliga relegated side. Apart from Selke, only central defender Jeff Chabot from the regular squad left the Effzeh.
Relegation companion SV Darmstadt, on the other hand, is not considered a favorite. Coach Thorsten Lieberknecht would already be satisfied with a 6th place, according to his own statement. It is also unclear whether Fortuna Düsseldorf will be able to compete for promotion again. The Fortunes failed in the promotion/relegation playoff, losing their top scorer Christos Tzolis. Instead, teams like FC Schalke 04, Hertha BSC, or Hannover 96 could join the promotion race.
Who is good for a surprise?
- FC Nürnberg has hired a prominent name in Miroslav Klose for their coaching staff, although he has little experience in that role so far. However, the team of the former world champion caused a stir in the preseason: A 3:0 win against Juventus Turin caused quite a bit of euphoria in Franconia. After several years in the league's midfield, the "Club" might possibly land a bit higher this time.
Who are the promoted teams from the 3rd league?
SSV Ulm, Preußen Münster, and Jahn Regensburg are the three teams promoted from the 3rd league. Both Ulm and Münster managed to climb directly from the Regionalliga and come into the league with corresponding euphoria – and both clubs haven't been second-class for a long time. Ulm hasn't compensated for the lack of second-division experience on the transfer market yet and is therefore considered a clear outsider.
Where can the 2nd Bundesliga be seen?
As before, the pay-TV broadcaster Sky will show all games of the 2nd Bundesliga live and in the conference. The Saturday evening games will also be broadcast on free TV by Sport1. In addition, the opening game between Köln and HSV will be shown on free TV by Sat1.
This season, 1. FC Köln is joining with a stadium capacity of 50,000, replacing teams like Holstein Kiel, whose stadium accommodates around 15,000. If the Cologne team continues to fill their stadium regularly even after relegation, the league could further expand its record average attendance of over 29,000 from last year.
The first team mentioned as playing in the 2nd Bundesliga for its 50th anniversary is FC Köln. With a stadium capacity of 50,000, FC Köln has the potential to continue filling their stadium regularly, contributing to the league's high average attendance.
