03.07.2009

News from Der Club over the past month

Club news English July 2009

With the new season approaching, the celebrations following promotion gave way to the hard work of pre-season training and preparing the 1. FCN squad for their return to the Bundesliga. Jon Goulding reports the news from Valznerweiher, including a string of impressive ‘friendly’ fixture results, from the month of July.

Aussie duo extend contracts

Defensive player Matthew Spiranovic and attacking compatriot Dario Vidosic have both extended their contracts at Der Club until 2011. The deal also includes an option for a further year.

Sporting director Martin Bader stated that the players have shown their reliability and that the club now wants to help them to take the next steps and build on what they already have. Both players have represented their country and hope that they will have the opportunity to perform well in the Bundesliga and receive a place in the Australia squad for the 2010 World Cup.

Following a knee injury that kept him out of action for the majority of last season, 21 year-old Spiranovic is keen to re-ignite his career and add to the positive press he received for his impressive so far which include replacing Marek Nikl in the 2007 Cup Final. Vidosic (22) scored three crucial goals in the final 11 games of last season and went on to make his international debut against Japan in June, and is ready to repay the faith placed in him by Micheal Oenning and play his part in helping Der Club to stay in the Bundesliga.

Record season ticket sales and increased capacity

28,000 fans have purchased season tickets for next season, breaking the previous record of 27,500 for 2007/08. It has also been announced that the capacity of the easyCredit Stadium will be increased to 48,500 for the second half of the season.

The additional 2,800 places are set to be available as a seating area in the upper-tier of the Nordkurve is replaced with terracing. Block 8 will become a standing area once the necessary planning consents and safety tests have been completed. Season ticket holders for Block 8 have been informed and they will be offered new seats for free elsewhere in the stadium if they wish in the new year.

Reinhardt to Augsburg

Defender Dominik Reinhardt has joined Augsburg on a season long loan.

Reinhardt joined the club via the youth ranks in 1999 and has 93 Bundesliga and 28 2. Bundesliga games to his name for Der Club. In May 2007 he supplied the telling cross for Marek Mintal’s equalizer in the Cup Final against Stuttgart.

: Havard Nordtveit

Plenty of goals in pre-season fixtures

Played 12, won 8, drawn 2, lost 2, goals for 40, goals against 15 – not a bad record by any team’s standards.

1. FCN have performed well in a pre-season fixture list which began with a 10-0 canter against DJK Weingarts. A narrow loss against Borussia Dortmund brought to an end an impressive run which also saw victories over Aue (3-1) and Erfurt (5-1).

A credible 3-3 draw against Fenerbahce of Istanbul and a 2-0 defeat to Scottish Champions Glasgow Rangers provided sterner tests for Der Club in a series of ‘friendly’ fixtures which have allowed Michael Oenning to discover more about his squad and the abilities of his players.

The return of Andy Wolf, Dominic Maroh and Mike Frantz to fitness have provided a big boost to the squad which has been added to by the acquisition of midfielder Thomas Broich from Cologne and the year-long loan of defender Havard Nordtveit from Arsenal.

Among the goalscorers have been Angeleos Charisteas, returning from his loan spell at Leverkusen, the ever-impressive Marek Mintal, young forward Güngör Kaya and young midfielder Ilkay Gündogan.

Everyone associated with the club will be hoping that the goals keep flowing for 1. FCN when the Bundesliga kicks off with the home game against Schalke 04 on Saturday 8^th August.