Kiel. The first hurdle in the DFB Cup has been overcome with the 3:2 victory in Aachen, and now the great Bundesliga adventure begins for Holstein Kiel. With an away game on Saturday at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim (3:30 p.m., Holstein Kiel live ticker), the Storks will be competing in the top flight of football for the first time in the club’s history.
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Even before the season starts, it is clear that KSV is going into the season as an underdog. The bookmakers give coach Marcel Rapp’s team the least chance of staying in the league. But there are five good reasons why the Storks can still celebrate staying in the first division at the end of the season.
1. Heidenheim as a good example for Holstein Kiel
Last season, 1. FC Heidenheim impressively demonstrated that newly promoted teams can also pull off surprises in the first division. Coach Frank Schmidt’s team rose to the top flight with an exciting final spurt and took this euphoria with them into the season. The result at the end of the season: 42 points, eighth place and even participation in the qualification for the UEFA Conference League.
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The Swabians’ start was anything but rosy. In the first 13 games, Heidenheim only managed three wins and lost eight. After that, the promoted team found themselves in 14th place in the relegation zone – but then the turnaround came. With wins against SV Darmstadt 98 (3:2), Mainz 05 (0:1) and SC Freiburg (3:2), Schmidt and his team started a series of eight games without defeat and from the 15th matchday onwards they never slipped below eleventh place in the table. Heidenheim’s last season is also a sign to Holstein Kiel that staying in the first division is not hopeless.
2. Team spirit at Holstein Kiel
The Storks’ biggest asset last season was the collective spirit that Marcel Rapp, his coaching team and the players built up before the season at the training camp in Oetz (Austria). The 45-year-old paid particular attention to the integration of the newcomers and thus created a special atmosphere for the players.
The training camp in Seefeld in Tyrol (Austria) this summer was similar. The atmosphere within the team is very good, and attempts are made to nip any potential disruptive noises in the bud. An atmosphere that, if it can be maintained in the first league, can make all the difference.
Added to this is the resilience that is almost characteristic of the Störche team, not letting setbacks discourage them and fighting back with tactical tricks. This resilience, coupled with the functioning morale, already ensured plenty of points in the final phase of the previous season and was the deciding factor in the cup victory in Aachen.
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3. The success in the DFB Cup against Alemannia Aachen
After a rocky preparation with five friendly defeats from six games, the Storks’ late 3-2 victory in the first round of the DFB Cup against third division newcomers Alemannia Aachen was worth its weight in gold for motivation and self-confidence.
Because: Apart from Marko Ivezic’s goal in the friendly against French first division club Saint-Etienne, Holstein had not scored a single goal from open play in the previous four games. Shuto Machino’s header and Lasse Rosenboom’s brace in Aachen signal to the Storks that they can continue to rely on their own strength to score goals. Momentum and trend are therefore on the Storks’ side just in time for the start of the season.
4. Low expectations due to difficult start to the season
It sounds strange at first, but it is a factor that should not be underestimated when it comes to the euphoria and the start of the season for KSV. With the first three games against Hoffenheim (24.8.), Wolfsburg (31.8.) and Bayern Munich (14.9.), the Storks have a tough opening schedule. But that is precisely where Rapp’s team has a great opportunity.
If the team actually manages to win one or more of the first three games, not only will their confidence increase massively within a few weeks, but the support from the upcoming hype in the city and the region will reach a new level. Heidenheim is a good example of this too, as they didn’t lose eight games in a row after a difficult start and went on a real run that lasted until the end of the season.
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5. The quiet environment and low pressure in Kiel
One location advantage that helped Holstein get through the games in the last promotion season is the quiet environment around the club and the region. Even in the first year of coach Marcel Rapp, it became clear that, despite a long dry spell (four games without a win, editor’s note.) there was no unrest surrounding the head coach, even though the first critical voices were heard externally.
Both Rapp and the then sports director Uwe Stöver kept an eye on the plan they had developed themselves and formed a game plan and team according to their taste. The calm way of working continued even after Stöver left and Carsten Wehlmann took over. In addition, young players can develop well in this calm atmosphere on the fjord and thus also exceed their own expectations. A location advantage that has also spread to other clubs in recent months and that could also carry Holstein through the season.
KN
