Three weeks is a very long time within the Bundesliga enterprise. Usually, only a few video games are sufficient to provoke a turnaround and provides your individual season a optimistic path.
However generally, a inventory that was as soon as scorching can fall deeper in simply three weeks than that of Volkswagen within the late summer season of 2015.
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At FC Augsburg, the latter is presently the subject. As a result of Sandro Wagner, not too long ago signed as a beacon of hope and media draw, finds himself surprisingly early in a troublesome sporting state of affairs.
Augsburg all of the sudden hip!
In Augsburg, they may truly sit again and calm down, if it have been solely in regards to the exterior notion. As a result of Wagner delivers: A transparent edge, snappy quotes and a press presence of beforehand unknown extent are the order of the day within the Fugger metropolis.
Much more so: The previous cult striker makes FCA a subject of dialog past town limits. And that is no small feat within the sleepy Bavarian a part of Swabia. In brief: Wagner reliably makes headlines.
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It is only a disgrace that the desk counts factors, not headlines. And that may shortly change into uncomfortable.
From Freiburg luck to Mainz debacle
The stunning 3:1 opening victory towards SC Freiburg deceived many Bundesliga observers and was a freak end result that most likely wouldn’t have occurred once more with a tenfold repetition of the sport’s course. In case you take the Anticipated-Objectives worth, for instance, the sports activities membership ought to have truly gained this match. The Augsburg group merely benefited from hair-raising errors by the opponent and admittedly very environment friendly use of their very own probabilities.
Per week later, they managed to attain two objectives towards FC Bayern, however the 2:3 shouldn’t disguise the truth that FCA generally appeared like a coaching accomplice for the document champions.
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Greater than the end result, nonetheless, a sentence that Wagner made after the match caught. “I do not see that we now have much less high quality than Bayern,” he boldly acknowledged.
This assertion might have been well-intentioned, however the subsequent disillusionment adopted at St. Pauli (1:2), earlier than Mainz actually rammed the frustration deep into the Augsburg soul: The Fugger metropolis misplaced 1:4 and needed to swallow the whistles of their very own followers along with two objectives towards within the majority. Aside from goalkeeper Finn Dahmen, he might have substituted all gamers early, Wagner defined later.
The dismal interim end result: Ten objectives conceded after 4 video games. Solely Union conceded extra. Desk place 16. No signal of euphoria.
Knowledgeable with picture drawback
Optimistic: The Augsburg distress can under no circumstances be attributed to the shortage {of professional} information of the younger coach. Ex-pro, Bayern previous, esteemed TV analyst, third division promotion with Unterhaching, assistant coach of the nationwide group – Wagner’s CV reads impressively.
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However presently it appears a bit as if he has overloaded the squad together with his vitality. Emotionally, tactically and media-wise, the Fugger metropolis has not often acquired extra enter. The truth that Wagner typically behaves on the bench like an indignant Rumpelstiltskin who’s about to get a purple card, most likely does not assist a lot.
The end result: In a really brief time, the coach, who is definitely extremely esteemed, misplaced many sympathies. When the sporting outcomes are lacking, minor unsportsmanlike conduct and snappy statements not often go down properly.
📸 Alexander Hassenstein – 2025 Getty Photos
Basler alarm and the coach query
And when somebody like Mario Basler raises his finger on ‘Sport1’ in Doppelpass, it sticks. Regardless of how you could really feel in regards to the assessments of “Tremendous Mario”.
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His verdict: Wagner seems “smug” and “overbearing”. Much more: Basler publicly doubts whether or not Augsburg will keep on with the 37-year-old for the entire season. His advice: first, they need to bake bread rolls which are as small because the puppets of the well-known Augsburg Puppet Field.
Additionally, teaching legend Friedhelm Funkel wrote in ‘kicker’ that it “turns into extra harmful the extra boastful one seems.” He additional suggested the younger colleague: “Spreading optimism is a part of it. However one ought to all the time combine in a great dose of humility.”
These are precisely the discussions the membership needed to keep away from with the signing of Wagner. As a substitute of sinking into the relegation battle, they dreamed of a sporting and tabular step ahead. However presently, the motto have to be to get one thing countable once more.
A slender line
The away sport on the pointless backside of the desk from Heidenheim comes on the excellent time. The Swabian adversary is taken into account by many specialists because the weakest group within the Bundesliga and virtually sure relegation. In case you MUST rating factors, then towards Heidenheim.
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But when Wagner and Augsburg have been to lose once more towards the blatant outsider from the Ostalb, not solely the purple lantern but additionally the primary actual disaster of this season threatens.
In fact, the membership management won’t (but) sack Wagner in such a case. 5 matchdays make as little a relegation candidate as a Europa League aspirant. However the combine of huge phrases and lacking outcomes is very harmful. And the followers already proved final weekend that their endurance has limits.
Wagner is thus dealing with his first actual check within the high flight. He can speak, no query. Now he has to ship. In a manner, Germany’s former soccer darling is taking part in for his future towards Heidenheim!
This text was translated into English by Synthetic Intelligence.
📸 Christian Kaspar-Bartke – 2025 Getty Photos