On April 24, 2026, veteran Bundesliga coach Friedhelm Funkel shared his assessment of the relegation battle in Germany’s top football league, identifying two teams he believes are destined for relegation to the 2. Bundesliga.
Funkel, who brings over 35 years of coaching experience and is the only manager in German football history to have guided seven different clubs to promotion to the Bundesliga, spoke with WEB.DE about the current state of the relegation fight. With four matches remaining in the season, the veteran analyst evaluated the prospects of several clubs fighting to avoid the drop.
Regarding 1. FSV Mainz 05, currently sitting in 10th place with 33 points, Funkel expressed confidence in their ability to avoid relegation. Mainz’s remaining fixtures include home matches against Bayern Munich and 1. FC Union Berlin, along with away games at FC St. Pauli and 1. FC Heidenheim. The Mainz side has shown remarkable consistency, losing only one of their last eight matches and winning six of their last twelve games.
“Mainz has really a particularly constant form and also an impressive second half of the season so far played. Therefore I do not believe that Mainz will still have anything to do with the relegation,” Funkel stated, according to the WEB.DE report.
Turning to 1. FC Union Berlin, currently in 11th place with 32 points, Funkel offered a more cautious outlook. Union’s remaining schedule features away matches against RB Leipzig and FC Augsburg, along with home games against 1. FC Köln and 1. FSV Mainz 05. The Berlin club has struggled recently, winning only one of their last seven matches and suffering two consecutive defeats.
Funkel noted that Union “still needs one or two points” to secure their Bundesliga status, acknowledging that whereas the new coach Marie-Louise Eta made a positive impression in her debut, the team lost 1-2 to VfL Wolfsburg in that match.
The veteran coach’s analysis comes at a critical juncture in the Bundesliga season, where every point carries significant weight in the fight to avoid relegation. With the season entering its final stretch, clubs are battling not just for points but for their place in Germany’s top flight for the following season.
Funkel’s extensive experience with promotion campaigns lends particular weight to his relegation assessments. His track record of successfully guiding seven different clubs to Bundesliga promotion provides a unique perspective on what it takes to succeed – or fail – in the highly competitive German football landscape.
As the Bundesliga approaches its conclusion, the relegation battle remains one of the most compelling storylines in European football. Fans and analysts alike are closely monitoring the performances of clubs like Union Berlin and others fighting to maintain their top-flight status, while teams like Mainz appear to be navigating the final stretch with greater confidence.
The coming weeks will determine which clubs celebrate survival and which face the disappointment of relegation to the 2. Bundesliga, bringing an end to another dramatic chapter in German football history.
