It is not an easy time for managers of professional clubs who like to calculate their scenarios between two seasons – from worst case to best case and back again. The crisis currently makes it difficult to predict. Even if there were gentle hints at the weekend: It is not yet clear whether spectators will be allowed into the stadiums of the professional clubs again from September 18 at the new season. And if so, how many. “It would be a very positive signal for the Jahn world, but also for the rest of the football world, if we were actually allowed to let spectators in,” says Christian Keller, managing director of the second division soccer team SSV Jahn Regensburg. The clubs would not only benefit from the ticket income themselves, but also from more sponsorship money: some sponsorship rights only take effect with spectators in the stadium.
The former sports management professor Keller decided to plan the coming season conservatively – somewhere in between, but probably closer to the worst than the best case. Corona could accompany football all season. The 41-year-old is currently expecting a 30 percent drop in sales compared to the approximately 25 million euros in the 2019/20 game year, which are already well below the second division average of well over 30 million euros. Keller’s conservative planning is particularly noticeable in the actual favorite work of the managing directors, the team composition. He has not planned a euro for player transfers this summer.
The Jahn would only pay a transfer to another club if additions play for less salary than the scheduled. But Keller doesn’t really expect that this will happen. And basically, his work on the transfer market does not differ from that in previous years, in which the Jahn of course spent almost nothing on new kickers. Nevertheless, year after year, the managing director has found some previously not too well-known but strong players for the second division to replace the departures. In addition, he has excused the once fickle club in the second division and accumulated additional substance. These successes inevitably arouse desires in the profit-making industry. Therefore, Keller was recently discussed as an option for the vacant position as sports director at league competitor 1. FC Nürnberg. “I recently renewed my contract in Regensburg and I generally have the attitude to fulfill contracts,” said Keller quickly Image newspaper.
In January, the native of Baden signed a new contract with Jahn. Staff stability is good for the club in times of uncertainty. During this summer break it is important to replace Captain Marco Grüttner (for SGV Freiberg) and Vice-Captain Andreas Geipl (for 1. FC Heidenheim). In general terms, a tricky task – or, according to Keller, “an opportunity to slip into the roles for other players”.
In his first year at Jahn, Grüttner was not yet the dominant player he became in the other three seasons. Now he sees right-back Benedikt Saller, goalkeeper Alexander Meyer and midfielders Benedikt Gimber, Max Besuschkow and Sebastian Stolze as potential new executives. Add to that the longtime Regensburg Sebastian Nachreiner and Oliver Hein.
To be prepared for the storm, Keller already signed two possible successors to Grüttner: Kaan Caliskaner, 20, from 1. FC Köln II and André Becker, 23, from Astoria Walldorf – each from the fourth division. The 1.97 meter tall Becker was the top scorer of the Regionalliga Südwest with 20 goals in 22 games. His stature alone made him look perfect for second division penalty areas. “We trust both of them to gain a foothold very quickly because they bring quality,” says Keller. “The question will be how they coped with the five-month break. It’s almost like a cruciate ligament injury from the time.” Unlike the professional leagues, the regional leagues no longer started after the lockdown. In addition to the attackers, at least one central defender, a left-back, a defensive midfielder and a winger should come, the first player probably already this week. “We know who we want to get in every position. Let’s see if they all come,” says Keller and laughs.
He does not reveal names, but that Maximilian Thalhammer, 23, whose third division contract ended in nearby Ingolstadt, would be his desired six, is an open secret. Only: The best case is just one thing this summer.
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