Wolfsburg season teeters on the edge of a knife with the relegation playoff against local rivals Eintracht Braunschweig. Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Dortmund both have the DFB Pokal to contest but the Bundesliga provided a season’s worth of shocks and surprises.
The Relegated
Two seasons ago both Darmstadt and Ingolstadt went up into the Bundesliga. Each now returns after making it to the second season.
Neither was expected to make survival happen a second time around. Darmstadt and Ingolstadt both lost their coaches who led them to survival last campaign and some big pieces that were key in their survival.
Ingolstadt is in good position. They will obviously lose players but the club infrastructure is there so they will not do a Paderborn and get relegated continually until they fall into the regional leagues. This club will probably be mid table and who knows perhaps there will be the signings brought in who will make a return possible.
For Darmstadt they were the smallest team. A traditional team but one who has plowed large sums into the stadium to bring it up to code. The two years will have been great for the long term future of the club.
The Survivalists
HSV keeps the clock ticking with a very late survival by beating Wolfsburg playoff for the relegation playoff. The Wolves faced a two match playoff with local rivals Eintracht Braunschweig for their Bundesliga survival; and got through. FC Augsburg grinned out results and Mainz was saved by other poor results to be in the Bundesliga for another season.
For HSV it is another survival. Long term planning here is not a thing. It is buying players, racking up debt, firing coaches. And the wheel turns again and the same events happen. This club has had one season in mid table in the last five season. That has included two relegation playoffs during that run. This club has great attendances despite the shenanigans. Question is how the club handles planning for next season.
FC Augsburg fired Dirk Schuster after hiring him in the last off season. They just nicked points here and there and at seasons end they were able to play Hoffenheim to a 0-0 draw to ensure survival. If the final day had been horrible enough this Bavarian side and not Wolfsburg would be in the relegation playoff. Six points from their last four with a victory over HSV and draws against Hoffenheim and Borussia Monchengladbach and Borussia Dortmund. They earned this by getting points against strong opposition.
FSV Mainz survival was exclusively down to a derby comeback of epic proportions against Eintracht Frankfurt the week before. Coach Martin Schmidt has been let go and the coach who relegated the reserve team is now in charge. Things could be changing at the Carnival club and perhaps their Bundesliga stay is now ending.
Wolfsburg required a few moments of individual skill to be able to defeat rivals Eintracht Braunschweig. This was a season to forget. Three managers over the course of the season and nearly 80 million spent. This was a wasted season but with survival they have another life to live in the Bundesliga.
The Mid Table European Non Participants
To begin the season mid table would be accepted by Eintracht Frankfurt and Werder Bremen but not so by the likes of Borussia Monchengladbach, Bayer Leverkusen, Schalke 04. And yet that’s where they are because of the choices they each made.
Werder Bremen was flirting with relegation until a late run nearly ensured European qualification. Fin Bartles and Max Kruse found that combination that is hard to find in the world’s game. This team suddenly became the “you score three we score four” club. Finishing outside of Europe is good for next year. After a few years of flirting with relegation just focusing on the Bundesliga and perhaps a run in the DFB Pokal is what the Weser side club needs going into the next season.
Eintracht Frankfurt had a brilliant first half of the season but totally limped into the season finale. No team in the league picked up fewer points in the second half than the Eagles. That being said never being in relegation trouble is what was needed to allow this team to progress as a club. Rumors of foreign money are pouring in and with the extra money from making the Pokal final things are on the up.
Schalke 04 had an up and down season. Take away a strong run at the end of the hinrunde then this would be a relegation survivalist. Young players did not kick on like they usually do at Schalke. The Europa League campaign ran aground in the quarterfinal phase. This is currently a massive overhaul project that will only show progress after given time.
Borussia Monchengladbach under Andre Schubert just did not work out. The squad that tore through many of the Bundesliga last campaign did not find themselves until hiring the fired Wolfsburg coach Dieter Hecking. With no Europe this club has a season in which to reorganize or risk losing what has been built.
European qualifiers
SC Freiburg is the untold team of the season. On a super modest budget this club continues to give young undervalued players a chance. First year back up they finish in seventh and in the qualification stage for the Europa League. Fingers crossed that this doesn’t turn out to go against them.
Hertha Berlin missed out on a chance to bring in some players last summer when they were knocked out of the Europa League qualifiers. Now with group stage assured planning can go ahead without the ‘what if’. Should this be a mere stepping stone to becoming a constant European presence then Berlin will be a nice draw to the league.
FC Koln has been away from Europe for so long. The fact that Anthony Modeste carrier this team cannot be undersold. This team has built itself from relegation survivalists, to mid table stability, to European participants. If nothing else Koln will enjoy this moment in the sun.
Hoffenheim is another great story. This team in February of 2016 looked to be going down. In stepped Julian Naglesmann and not only was the club saved but forward to the end of the Bundesliga season and the club is in Europe for the first time in club history.
Dortmund wins the Pokal, makes the Champions League quarterfinals and finished 3rd. Most teams would say nice job. Thomas Tuchel is out of a job and there is nobody jet to fill that gap. While this team did well there was much to be denied. Missed opportunities and off season turmoil as three massive players were moved on. Interesting times ahead.
Bayern is well…Bayern. Winning their 25 Bundesliga title they sent out Phillip Lahm and Xavi Alonso in style. Many pieces on this team, while still functional they are aging and aging fast. New signings will need to come from somewhere and a plan B for when Robert Lewandowski are needed if this club is not to start to gradually descend from their pinnacle.
On the Horizon
For the next Bundesliga season we have the return of two large clubs each with their own big money.
Hannover 96 and VfB Stuttgart have returned. Martin Kind now has full financial control over 96 which will mean they will not hesitate in getting the players they need. Stuttgart has made the football department a formal company. Bringing in Daimler-Benz buying a sizable stake in the team the money is there to be used.
Next season will look to be one of the most competitive in years which the return of two big teams. The real fun of the silly season is about to begin.
