Football Season Guide

Although the tenth place finish was disappointing for Dusseldorf last season, their strong end to the campaign was encouraging. The club thrived after the arrival of coach Daniel Thioune, losing just 1 of the final 13 games. The side struggled to adapt to previous boss Christian Preusser’s defensive style but seem to enjoy their football again under Thioune. Whether they can continue their success into the new season, remains to be seen. Dusseldorf has managed to keep the bulk of their squad for the new campaign but the loss of experienced heads Bodzek and Prib could be a factor in the dressing room. If they can stave off interest from Bundesliga clubs for key winger Narey, then that will be a big plus. The only problem could be the lack of new signings so far. Only Ao Tanaka and Jordi de Wijs have been purchased permanently after loans, while young left-back Benjamin Bockle is more for the future. Attackers Dawid Kownacki and Nana Ampomah, however, could feature after returning from loan spells. Fortuna is likely to be pleasing to the eye this season and the Merkur Spiel Arena could be a tough place to visit for opposition sides. They could be slightly vulnerable on their travels and will need to be more ruthless when leading in matches.