Dhe FC Energie Cottbus relies on the volume of its fans in the fight for promotion to the 3rd division. The stadium of friendship will be sold out this Wednesday evening (8.30 p.m./Bayrischer Rundfunk and Magentasport) for the first leg against SpVgg Unterhaching with more than 20,000 spectators. “We know what such a big setting feels like. The stadium will be a cauldron. Now it’s about taking the last step,” says coach Claus-Dieter Wollitz. However, the 57-year-old considers it unacceptable that this game even exists.
Ask: Mr. Wollitz, you play in the relegation for promotion to the 3rd division with Cottbus against Unterhaching. Are you still mad at the champions of the Regionalliga Süd, who struggled until the very end with whether to play for economic reasons?
Claus-Dieter Wollitz: I had wished for better communication and clarity among athletes. I found it weird and disturbing, it dragged on and rocked up. The players are all networked with each other and write to each other. Then one of my boys reads from a colleague from Würzburg: “Hey, maybe we’ll play against you in the relegation”. Bayern’s amateurs have also applied for a license for the 3rd division. But the rule is clear: champions play against champions.
Ask: That’s how it is now.
Wollitz: Our President Sebastian Lemke spoke to Hachings Boss Manni Schwabl on the phone. The two cleared things up. Manni apologized for this confusion. That is also part of the truth. Basically, I think it is dangerous that such a discussion could arise at all. This makes the situation even worse than it already is.
Ask: What do you mean exactly?
Wollitz: The fact that only three and not all five regional league champions are promoted directly is a perverse disrespect. This relegation destroys football. For me, this is a clear distortion of competition. It feels like Cottbus belongs to an association (Nordost; d. Red.) second class. You should be big enough to have a sensible discussion about this topic and work on a good solution.
After winning the Regionalliga Nordost, Energie also won the Brandenburg State Cup. Now the ascent is to follow
Quelle: Getty Images/Inaki Esnaola
Ask: What would one be for you?
Wollitz: The best solution would be a 3rd division with 22 teams – and then with five promoted teams and five relegated teams. If that doesn’t work, you should find a rule that one association always puts up a permanent promoter in turn and everyone else has to be relegated.
Ask: Most recently, there was a discussion round on the subject of relegation – also with representatives of the regional associations – at the DFB headquarters. Are you optimistic that a solution will be found soon?
Wollitz: Unfortunately, I have the feeling that too few people are interested in finding a clean solution. That’s such a pity. It would be nice if the affected coaches were heard more. It’s about a lot of people here who did everything they could for a whole season to finish first. And then one of two champions starts the new season as the first big loser. You have to imagine that, that’s crazy! There is another injustice…
Ask: Which?
Wollitz: The other teams can already recover and then prepare for the new season in peace. That’s canceled for us because the relegation second leg is on June 11th and we have to play again at the end of July. We can’t go on vacation, we can’t recover mentally from a possible defeat, we can’t plan anything at the moment. This has nothing to do with fair competition.
Ask: What would an ascension mean for energy?
Wollitz: Last time we had 19,000 fans in the stadium against Erfurt, in the cup against Werder it was 20,000. Next week we’ll be playing Haching again in front of a full house. That shows what people are craving here. We want to give promotion to our incredible fans and reward ourselves for our great season.
Ask: What do you think of Haching coach Sandro Wagner?
Wollitz: I’m looking forward to Sandro. I really appreciate him as a colleague and really enjoy hearing his analyzes on TV. They are clear, understandable, passionate. There is a strategy behind it. Sandro comments and analyzes the top shelf games in the Champions League and is always well prepared. As a player, he has a clear opinion, even against resistance, not just blah blah. I like that.
Ask: Do you trust Wagner to take over the professionals of a big club like FC Bayern in the future? He leaves Haching at the end of the season.
Wollitz: He has a strong personality, is very good at speaking and communicating, and certainly in the dressing room too. This is crucial for success as a coach today. I believe that Bundesliga clubs are also interested in Sandro. I trust him that he will get a chance at a club like Bayern in the future. But I wouldn’t do that to myself at 35.
The interview was conducted for the sports competence center (WELT, “Sport Bild”, “Bild”) and first published in “Sport Bild”.
