Second division relegation
Desperate Arminia at the Abyss: At least preserve dignity
Marching with Bielefeld towards the 3rd division: Arminia icon Fabian Klos. photo
© Jörg Halisch/dpa
Arminia Bielefeld no longer has any hope of remaining in the class. Before the relegation second leg on Tuesday, it’s all about descending with dignity and preventing renewed fan violence.
Staying in the class has long since been ticked off, for Arminia Bielefeld the only thing that matters in the relegation against SV Wehen Wiesbaden is to keep their dignity.
The picture that the second division team is currently offering before the second leg on Tuesday (8.45 p.m. / Sat1 and Sky) on and off the soccer field is too catastrophic.
While the DFB control committee is still working on the shameful behavior of the angry Arminen fans on the edge of the 0:4 in the relegation first leg in Wiesbaden and investigating accordingly, coach Uwe Koschinat is trying as best he can to prepare his team for the second leg. “The starting position is almost hopeless,” admitted Koschinat and already spoke of “a clear preliminary decision in the fight for promotion” in favor of the third division team.
Bad planning after first division relegation
There are various reasons why Arminia will very likely be passed from the first to the third division within a year. The origin lies in the bad planning of last summer, which ended in a chaotic season with three different coaches and the departure of sports director Samir Arabi. The emotional TV interview by Arminen legend Fabian Klos after the 0: 4 in Wiesbaden documented the devastating extent of the condition of the team, which according to Klos is no longer one. “The thing is through,” said the 35-year-old captain on the Sky microphone.
The fear of new riots is now spreading in Bielefeld. For Koschinat, the goal is “to get the people who will certainly come to the stadium on Tuesday with a high potential for aggression to one side during the 90 minutes so that you can look in the mirror at the end”.
In Wiesbaden, play was suspended for 21 minutes after Bielefeld supporters repeatedly fired pyrotechnics at the pitch and some even attempted to storm the pitch. The game was about to be canceled. The fact that this did not happen was also due to the courageous appearance of Klos, who was the only Armine to repeatedly seek dialogue with the angry followers and try to calm them down. Klos then also expressed understanding for the fan anger. “The fans are reacting to what the so-called team has brought to the pitch here,” he said.
Hardly any contracts for the 3rd league
In addition to coming to terms with what happened in the first leg and the difficult preparation for the game on Tuesday, Arminia has long been planning for the coming season. “With very few exceptions, none of our players has a contract for the 3rd division,” said the current managing director Christoph Wortmann, who has to fear a number of free transfer departures.
After all, identification figure Klos also wants to continue in the 3rd division. “I don’t stop like that. It’s my club,” said the veteran and demanded: “We have to question everything now.” If it’s that easy. When it fell into the third division in 2011, Arminia was on the verge of bankruptcy.
“I’m one hundred percent assuming that things will continue, yes. But we still have economic challenges to overcome,” Wortmann told the “Westfalen-Blatt” now. TV revenues continue to shrink, player values are falling, there are losses in ticketing and merchandising as well as sponsorship. “To lift the 3rd league would be a huge challenge. Costs in all areas would have to be reduced. Of course, this would primarily affect squad costs, but also other items such as travel expenses and much more,” said Wortmann.
