Fear in Zwickau and Chemnitz (neues-deutschland.de)

“The sun is setting in the east” – a petition under this name has found almost 7,000 supporters in just over a week. These include prominent soccer names such as Jürgen Sparwasser, Hans-Jürgen Dörner, Peter Ducke or Klaus Sammer. The addressees are the League Association DFL and the German Football Association (DFB). The basic concern: “We ask those responsible to change the previous relegation rule in such a way that there will be no relegations until the 4th league in the current season, but the promoted promoters may of course advance.”

On Wednesday evening, many friends of Eastern football should have breathed a sigh of relief. On the penultimate matchday of the 3rd league, both 1. FC Magdeburg, with a win in Ingolstadt, and Hallesche FC, saved themselves by a draw against 1. FC Kaiserslautern from a significant relegation to fourth place. But one thing is also certain: The long-lost FC Carl Zeiss Jena will be followed by another club in the Regionalliga Nordost – FSV Zwickau or Chemnitzer FC.

The two direct relegation competitors had met on the Zwickau lawn on Wednesday evening. Afterwards Mike Könnecke said: “I was fully determined to put the thing in there.” The 31-year-old had scored the 2-1 winner for FSV six minutes before the end of the game. And with his first goal in 20 months, Zwickau’s offensive player pushed the Chemnitz opponents under the relegation line. The tasks are not easy for both teams next Saturday: Zwickau has to travel to Mannheim on the last match day, Chemnitz FC receives Hansa Rostock.

In order to be able to leave the last of four possible relegation places, the Chemnitzers must win two points behind the western Saxon rivals. While the FSV Zwickau meets a disillusioned opponent in Mannheim, who after the defeat in Eintracht from Braunschweig, who is a promoted player, has no second division dreams, the opponent of the CFC is still highly motivated. “We are glad that we can still attack on the last match day,” said Daniel Hanslik on Wednesday evening. The Rostock striker had previously given FC Hansa at least the theoretical chance of relegation with his 1-0 win against Uerdingen. In order to use them, however, the clubs from Ingolstadt and Duisburg placed in front of the Rostockers may not win their games.

The fear of relegation to the regional league and the serious consequences should not be this year. Eight third division clubs voted in the corona crisis to end the season – with reference to major financial disadvantages for games without spectators or the immense effort involved in implementing the hygiene concept. However, the DFB boxed its game schedule with five English weeks and despite a preparation time for the soccer players, often described as unprofessional, by all means – even with threats against individual clubs, as was heard several times.

»Fairness forms the basis for value-oriented football. The rules of fair play and the correct treatment of each other apply not only on, but also outside the field. «With these words from the DFB code, the petition” The sun goes down in the east “begins. The initiator, named André H., goes a long way. Based on the political turnaround, he paints the image of a permanent disadvantage of Eastern football and uses a well-known argument: Due to the lack of economic power in the five new federal states, where not a single Dax company has its headquarters, the clubs would never have had equal opportunities.

You can agree that there has not been a solution for 30 years. The criticized disadvantage of the Eastern clubs in the 3rd league during the corona crisis sounds conclusive because of the much later approval of the team training compared to other competitors. However, some problems are homemade. Halle and Magdeburg were already in the table cellar before the league restarted – and each season employed three coaches. “It’s a balance sheet, it’s absolutely unhealthy,” said Magdeburg manager Mario Kallnik self-critically. However, the DFB will not change its mind – the last relegation comes from Zwickau or Chemnitz.