FC Erzgebirge Aue ahead of the new season: Many questions, few answers

Unsteady performance, many new signings, plus injured players - even after seven test matches, there are more questions than answers at FC Erzgebirge Aue. The start was bumpy, but the club management is still optimistic ahead of the start in the 3rd soccer league. "We hope that we can once again put out a good team that inspires the spectators and plays successfully," said sporting director Matthias Heidrich on the "Auepodcast". "It would also be nice if we could extend our home advantage."

With nine new signings, the personnel changes are greater than expected. "We did have to lose a few players," explained Heidrich, "but I think we laid a good foundation last year that we can build on." Jonah Fabisch (1. FC Magdeburg) and Ricky Bornschein (SpVgg Greuther Fürth II) in particular are expected to bolster the offense in the future, while the departures of key players Marco Schikora and Tim Danhof must also be compensated for.

The first setbacks have already occurred. Regular central defender Niko Vukancic suffered a collateral ligament injury in his left knee, had to undergo surgery and will be out for weeks. Aue's new midfielder Can Özkan (Arminia Bielefeld) also missed a large part of the preparation due to injury. His participation in the first games of the season is questionable. Sean Seitz had to take a break in the meantime due to a stretched ankle ligament.

"We want to get better"

The test match results were also inconsistent. Although Aue managed to draw against Champions League finalists Borussia Dortmund (1:1), this contrasts with defeats against regional league teams ZFC Meuselwitz (0:4) and Carl Zeiss Jena (1:3).

The goals are nevertheless clear. After finishing sixth in the table last season, Aue are looking further up the table. They are also flirting with promotion to the second division. "It's clear that we're not saying we want to finish tenth," said coach Pavel Dotchev. "We want to get better."

Aue face Hannover 96 II next Saturday (MagentaSport/14.00 hrs) in their league opener. After that, two special home games await the Violets in August: the DFB Cup clash against Bundesliga side Borussia Mönchengladbach on August 17 (13:00) and the Saxony derby against Dynamo Dresden on August 23 (19:00).