BerlinThe long-awaited victory against FC Bayern Munich II had hardly been wrapped up when the relegation-threatened third division club 1. FC Magdeburg announced an important change. Otmar Schork, 63, is the new sports director, with a contract until June 2022. For many years, Schork was the sporting director of SV Sandhausen and in his first of two terms he was also a claims adjuster at an insurance company. The new strong man, Mario Kallnik’s successor in this position, witnessed the 2-1 victory of 1. FCM against Bayern Reserve as an eyewitness on Saturday. Ironically, two players, both of whom have a past at FC Bayern, met the Magdeburg success they deserved: Maximilian Franzke and Raphael Obermair.
Coach Thomas Hoßmang, who would most likely have been sacked in the event of another defeat, can now take a deep breath. But the balance remains meager: seven points in nine games. The situation remains threatening.
Maik Franz does not understand the criticism of himself
In the past few days, the once proud European Cup winner of the 1974 Cup winners looked like a madhouse and called many critics on the scene. In a public statement, the influential Block U of the big fan scene demanded the resignation of the coach and the managing director Mario Kallnik, who had given up his second function as sports director.
The former sports director, the former Bundesliga professional Maik Franz, broke his silence. After four and a half years in the sporting management of the FCM, the ex-Herthan was ousted as sporting director in June and his contract was terminated. “Magdeburg drives against the wall at 180 km / h,” the 39-year-old told the Bild newspaper. Those responsible around supervisory board chairman Lutz Petermann had linked Franz with the current sporting misery, which hurt him badly. “Two years ago I put together the squad that brought promotion to the second division,” Franz told the Berliner Zeitung, “they brought 15 new players to the club in the summer, but I’ve been away for four months.” Franz is proud to have a large share in the most important transfer of the last few years, as Marius Bülter was brought to Magdeburg and later sold to 1. FC Union Berlin for the club record sum of 1.9 million euros.
Shortly before the duel against FC Bayern Munich II, club legend Achim Streich had also spoken in the “Volksstimme”. The 69-year-old former goalscorer particularly criticized the team’s defense, lack of communication on the pitch and certified that coach Hoßmang had no courage and “did something crazy”. In the game against the Bayern amateurs, however, Hoßmang had done a lot right.
In a survey by the MDR, who should become the new sports director, Schork was shortly before his enthronement with only 6 percent of the vote far behind the two-time promotion captain of the 1st FCM, Marius Sowislo (25 percent), and Marc Arnold, the long-time Sports director of Eintracht Braunschweig (21 percent). Schork, who comes from a quiet environment in Sandhausen, is now part of a permanently excited club that is still in crisis mode.
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