Football Season Guide

Bundesliga

Germany

Bundesliga

2015/2016

SV Darmstadt 98

In

Peter Niemeyer(mid) (Hertha Berlin), Junior Diaz(def) (Free), Fabian Holland(def) (Hertha Berlin - Loan Made Permanent), Luca Caldirola(def) (Werder Bremen - Loan), Konstantin Rausch(def) (Stuttgart), Mario Vrancic(mid) (SC Paderborn), Jan Rosenthal(att) (Eintracht Frankfurt - Loan Made Permanent)

Out

Leon Balogun(r)(def) (FSV Mainz), Ronny Konig(sp)(att) (Chemnitzer FC), Marius Sauss(gk) ( Lupo-Martini), Hanno Behrens(r)(mid) (FC Nurnberg), Romain Bregerie(r)(def) (FC Ingolstadt 04), Maurice Exslager(sp)(mid) (FC Köln - End of Loan)

SV Darmstadt will take a bow in the Bundesliga for the first time in 33 years and fans will be hopeful that their stay in the top flight of German football will not be a brief one. Darmstadt have enjoyed a remarkable turnaround in recent years, overcoming the threat of insolvency just five years before to secure back to back promotions from 3. Liga to the Bundesliga. Coach Dirk Schuster has been one constant factor for Darmstadt over the last couple of seasons and helped his side finish second in 2.Bundesliga last season. Fans will be hoping that their side will be able to hold their ground against superior opponents but Schuster will be aware that Darmstadt kick off the season as overwhelming favorites for the drop. Schuster though is not willing to give up without a fight and will be looking to build on their brilliant run from the last season which saw them secure unexpected promotion bonus. The Darmstadt coach has been busy trying to boost his squad with Bundesliga experience but they have neither spent big nor made wholesale changes to the squad. Darmstadt's biggest signing of the summer has been Mario Vrancic with the 26-year old providing the newly promoted side with some much needed top flight experience after having played in the Bundesliga with Paderborn last season. Vrancic will be key for Darmstadt's prospects this season and while they have also brought in Jan Rosenthal from Eintracht Frankfurt, Schuster will be relying on Dominik Stroh-Engel to continue providing key goals upfront. However it is at the back where problems lie for Schuster with key defender Romain Bregerie moving to fellow promoted side FC Ingolstadt at the end of last season while Leon Balogun and Hanno Behrens have also left the club. Schuster has tried to address the problems by bringing in Konstantin Rausch from Stuttgart while Fabian Holland's loan from Hertha Berlin has been made permanent. Luca Caldirola, Junior Diaz and Peter Niemeyer have also arrived at the club but there is still some work to do before the transfer window shuts down if Darmstadt are to have a fighting chance of surviving in the league.

Target

Will fight hard against relegation but are likely to find it difficult against superior opponents