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1. FC Magdeburg: A Rising In The East

Once the fleeting jewel in the crown of East German football, political change and the reorganisation of German football left this once triumphant club languishing in the depths of German football. Now they are on their way back!

Started on 23 October 2017 by mgriffin2012
Latest Reply on 13 February 2018 by Plumps

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Justice

7 years

Steegmann

mgriffin2012

7 years • Edited

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Sowislo: “We Need To Start Winning Games We Dominate”

12 February 2018

- Skipper calls for team mates to end poor run of form
- FCM now only won one of last five games
- Says forwards need to start finishing chances

Club captain Marius Sowislo today gave his thoughts on FCM’s current poor run of form as the fall out from Saturday’s defeat to Paderborn continues. FCM are currently in a vein of form that means that the 3. Liga leaders have only won one of their last five games stretching back to before the winter break, and Sowislo says that the team now need to do everything they can to rediscover their winning form and set themselves back on track for the 3. Liga title and a place in next season’s 2. Bundesliga. The 35 year old club captain also gave his thoughts on the rumours that he was about to be offered a new two year deal by FCM with his contract having less than 18 months to run.

The 35 year old played the full 90 minutes on Saturday as FCM slipped to a 1-0 defeat at the MDCC Arena against Paderborn thanks to Koen van der Biezen. It was a defeat that meant FCM’s last win at the MDCC Arena was against Bremen II back at the beginning of December, and Sowislo went on to say that it simply wasn’t good enough from the team at the minute.

10.02.18, 18:00, Marius Sowislo: “I’m not exempting myself from this criticism because I haven’t performed as well as I can do, but we have to accept that we’ve not been good enough for a while, especially at home where we’ve slipped up a couple of times recently. We are frustrated at the minute and of course we need to channel that frustration and put it into a performance where we go on to win games of football again. The frustrating thing is that we have dominated games and created an awful lot of chances that on another day the forwards would take but we now need to win the games we are dominating especially as Unterhaching are breathing down our necks now. It’s not just down to the forwards because we all share the burden of scoring goals but when you create a lot of chances you would hope that the forwards with the quality we have here would take those chances.

The skipper would then go on to talk about the rumours that he was about to be offered a new contract that would last until June 2020 and further extend his stay at the MDCC Arena.

10.02.18, 18:10, Marius Sowislo: “It is great to hear things like this about yourself because it means that the work you are doing is valued. I have been here quite a long time now and to still be playing regular football shows that the hard work I’m putting in is paying off. It would be brilliant to be able to captain this club into a 2. Bundesliga campaign and who knows what else if it is another two years and hopefully the rumours are true and that deal really is incoming.”

Comments

Justice: What a man!

Last Update: #27 Steegmann: “SpVgg Unterhaching Are Going To Push All The Way”
Next Update: #29 February Catch Up

mgriffin2012

7 years • Edited

Magdeburg headed into an important month in February on the back of a frustrating 1-0 defeat to Wehen Wiesbaden, before stuttering to a 1-1 draw with Preussen Munster thanks to Richard Weil’s 65th minute equaliser before a late goal for Oliver Neuville’s Paderborn saw the visitors come away from the MDCC Arena with all three points in a 1-0 win for Paderborn. A huge game against bitter rivals Hallescher was up next for Magdeburg, as FCM recovered from conceding an early goal to beat their rivals 2-1 thanks to goals from Christian Beck and a stunning strike from Andreas Ludwig. Then in the final game of the month, two goals from Christian Beck and a stunning free kick from Nico Hammann saw Magdeburg beat Hansa Rostock 3-1 in their first home win since December as Magdeburg ended February with a 6 point lead at the top of the 3. Liga with only 11 games left to play.

Comments

Last Update: #28 Sowislo: “We Need To Start Winning Games We Dominate”
Next Update: #30 Marius Sowislo Signs New Deal At MDCC Arena

mgriffin2012

7 years • Edited

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Marius Sowislo Signs New Deal At MDCC Arena

14 March 2018

- Club captain signs two year contract extension until June 2020
- Sowislo arrived at MDCC Arena in 2012/13 season with club still in Regionalliga
- Has made 28 league appearances as FCM stand on verge of promotion to 2. Bundesliga

FCM club captain Marius Sowislo has today put pen to paper on a new contract, which will see the 35 year extend his stay at the MDCC Arena until June 2020. Sowislo, who has played 28 times this season in Magdeburg’s 29 league games, has proved to be a pivotal cog in Christopher Steegmann’s midfield this season, fulfilling his duties as a ball winning midfielder excellently, and despite his advancing years looking as good as he ever has. Having joined from Siegen in 2012, Sowislo has gone on to make 177 appearances for FCM in the league, scoring 30 goals from a central midfield position in the process and it looks as if the veteran skipper will now get the opportunity to boost both his totals. With FCM looking likely to secure their promotion to the 2. Bundesliga too come the end of the current 3. Liga campaign, the new contract extension will also give Sowislo the chance to experience football in the 2. Bundesliga for the first time in his long club career which began at Wuppertal back in the 2004/05 season.

Having made 370 career league appearances over the course of his long career, Sowislo’s stay at the MDCC Arena is the longest spell at one specific club in his career and the 35 year old who was born in Bytom in Poland says that he didn’t have to think twice about signing a new deal for Christopher Steegmann’s side.

14.03.18, 15:00 Marius Sowislo: “Having joined this club a while back it was clear then how important this club is to the fans and for me playing for this club to this day is still a huge honour and an amazing experience. To have been through the last couple of campaigns where we have nearly earned promotion and for us to finally look like we’re going to do it is fantastic and I am honoured that the club have considered me to continue playing for this team. In two years obviously I will be that bit older which is important in football but hopefully I’ll still be able to use my experience and skill set and technique to help this team and continue impressing this manager.”

Sowislo was also asked during his interview on his thoughts on Magdeburg’s current campaign and how excited he was at the prospect of playing in the second tier of German football and one thing that was clear was how much respect the club captain has for manager Christopher Steegmann.

14.03.18, 15:20 Marius Sowislo: “To have been so involved in the campaign this year where we’re so close to securing promotion has been overwhelming and there is a really good team spirit and feel around the club at the minute because we’re so close to achieving a goal that we’ve been working towards for so long. Playing in the 2. Bundesliga next year, at 35 will be a huge honour for me and obviously it’ll be my first campaign at that level but I am more excited about it than I think I would ever have been had I reached that level when I was younger. This team is going in exciting places at the moment under Christopher Steegmann and the board need to ensure that he stays here for a long time because with him in charge the club is going in one direction and that is up.”

Last Update: #29 February Catch Up
Next Update: #31 Magdeburg Close In On 2. Bundesliga Place

mgriffin2012

6 years • Edited

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Magdeburg Close In On 2. Bundesliga Place

28 March 2018

- League leaders 8 points clear at top of 3. Liga table
- Third placed Wehen Wiesbaden are 14 points behind
- Three more wins will ensure Magdeburg are promoted to 2. Bundesliga

Fans of 1. FC Magdeburg have every right to be excited right now. With Friday’s game against Chemnitzer representing the clubs final game in March, FCM as the club are commonly known will head into the final two months of the season knowing that they will be top of the table and at least 5 points clear with 6 games remaining in what has been a long but so far worthwhile campaign for the club. With the club having collected 67 points in their 31 games so far this season, Magdeburg are now in a position where 3 more victories will guarantee them a place in next season’s 2. Bundesliga, which would represent FCM’s first season in the 2. Bundesliga ever after only ever having played in the 3. Liga and the Regionalliga in the DFB’s league system since German reunification in 1990.

The fact that the club only needs three more wins will fill Magdeburg fans with plenty of hope especially when you consider that their next three games come against 11th placed Chemnitzer on Friday night, 19th placed Fortuna Koln on April 7th, and against 17th placed Rot-Weiss Erfurt on April 13th. With the games representing the chance to pick up those much needed wins against teams occupying spots at the bottom end of the table, Magdeburg will be hoping that they have promotion wrapped up as fast as possible and with promotion secure the club would then be able to concentrate solely on wrapping up the 3. Liga table.

Promotion for FCM would also represent another step forwards for clubs in the former East Germany with the former European Cup Winners’ Cup Champions set to become the fourth side from the former DDR-Oberliga system to be playing in the 2. Bundesliga and the fifth in the top two tiers of German football. RB Leipzig are currently 7th in the Bundesliga after last season’s surprise 2nd placed finish and have reached the Semi Finals of the DFB-Pokal this year, whilst Erzgebirge Aue, FC Union Berlin and Dynamo Dresden currently occupy 15th, 12th and 14th in the 2. Bundesliga and will be hoping to secure another season of 2. Bundesliga football next season by avoiding relegation. Meanwhile in the 3. Liga, Hallescher could potentially join Magdeburg in the 2. Bundesliga as they are seriously competing for a place in the Promotion Play Off this season.

Meanwhile for Magdeburg, the hope for Magdeburg fans will also excite fans especially when you consider that Christopher Steegmann has come in and set Magdeburg on course for promotion in little under a season with an exciting attacking brand of football that should win plenty of fans in what is likely to be a second tier campaign next season. Promotion would also bring massive financial benefits for the club, incredibly important when you consider that the club nearly went out of business little over half a decade ago. The club that finishes bottom of the 2. Bundesliga this season will receive just short of £7 million compared to the £600,000 that Magdeburg would receive if they were to win the 3. Liga this season.

Whatever happens in the final 7 games of the season, Magdeburg fans are in for an exciting ride, but one they will be hoping will be nearly wrapped up within the next few weeks.

Last Update: #30 Marius Sowislo Signs New Deal At MDCC Arena
Next Update: #32 March Catch Up

mgriffin2012

6 years • Edited

With the end of the 3. Liga campaign in sight and Magdeburg closing in on promotion to the 2. Bundesliga, goals from Philip Turpitz and Christian Beck handed Magdeburg a 2-1 victory over Meppen, with Beck’s 75th minute winner going down a real treat with the visiting fans. Two successive clean sheets in an important 1-0 win over Wurzburg and a 3-0 victory over Jena which included two goals in the first 4 games, saw Magdeburg take a huge step towards promotion as they extended their unbeaten run to 5 games. Jena then held FCM to a frustrating 2-2 draw with Steegmann’s side denied the three points by a double from Matthias Morys who also scored an own goal for FCM. However with the side knowing that three more victories would guarantee them promotion to the 2. Bundesliga, FCM were able to beat Chemnitzer 1-0 thanks to Tobias Schwede’s 43rd minute goal which saw Magdeburg tick off one of the three wins they needed to secure promotion.

Last Update: #31 Magdeburg Close In On 2. Bundesliga Place
Next Update: #33 Magdeburg Seal Promotion To 2. Bundesliga

Justice

6 years

The title is effectively yours! A few more wins, and it will be!

mgriffin2012

6 years • Edited

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Magdeburg Seal Promotion To 2. Bundesliga

07 April 2018

- Felix Lohkemper’s late goal seals Magdeburg victory that ensures promotion
- Club will compete in 2. Bundesliga for the first time in their history
- FCM now 17 points clear of Wehen Wiesbaden with 5 games left

Julius Duker. Felix Lohkemper. These are the names that will go down in 1. FC Magdeburg’s history after they scored the two goals in a huge game for FCM that when the final whistle was blown saw the 1974 European Cup Winners’ Cup Champions promoted to the 2. Bundesliga for the first time in their history and ensured that Christopher Steegmann delivered on his promise to take FCM to the next level and earn promotion within his first season as manager. For the fans though, they now have a summer of speculation and anticipation to come as the club will prepare for it’s first ever campaign in the second tier in a unified Germany and will hope that this is the first step of many back towards the glory days of the 1970s.

Perhaps even more pleasing for Steegmann will be that the two goals for Magdeburg were goals that we have become used to seeing from this side over the course of this 3. Liga season as two quick counter attacks led to FCM’s two goals which sealed the win. The fact that the goals came from youngsters Julius Duker and Felix Lohkemper will also please the FCM fanbase more as the two strikers deputised for Christian Beck who is out injured for the next few weeks, and Magdeburg’s fans will be delighted that his replacements were able to come up with the goods in one of the biggest matches in Magdeburg’s recent history. So much was billed pre-game on whether Magdeburg could score the goals to seal the win without Beck on the pitch but Duker who took his goal incredibly well, rounding the goalkeeper and Lohkemper, who was composed enough to score the winning goal in the 83rd minute after a brilliant through ball from Nico Hammann proved that they are capable finishers and both will be desperate for more opportunities in the first team when the 2. Bundesliga season kick starts in August.

For the defining game of Magdeburg’s season to come at the MDCC Arena was a fortunate stroke of luck after the chasing pack slipped up last weekend but the final whistle sparked mass celebrations amongst the 17,000 fans who attended the game, and a big celebration from the players on the pitch. The celebrations lasted a few hours after the final whistle as players and the coaching staff cheered with the fans, performing the thunder clap routine made famous by Iceland at Euro 2016, before Christopher Steegmann addressed the crowd:

07.04.18, 17:00 Christopher Steegmann: “We want to thank you all for being with us along the way on this brilliant journey. For us to have finally achieved what we were so desperate to achieve at the start of the season is a great way to cap it all off and we hope you have enjoyed the journey with us. As a club we’ve all put in 110% to get us to this moment and now we can enjoy the rest of the season knowing that next year we will be playing in more huge games like this one. We are going up! Come on Magdeburg!”

Comments

Justice: It was never about winning the title at the beginning of the season but it’s well within our reach now!

Last Update: #32 March Update
Next Update: #34 Dirk Heyne Backs Magdeburg To Thrive In 2. Bundesliga

mgriffin2012

6 years

Magdeburg’s title win sparked mass celebrations in the town centre
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Dirk Heyne Backs Magdeburg To Thrive In 2. Bundesliga

15 April 2018

- Magdeburg fan favourite backs club to enjoy 2. Bundesliga campaign next season
- Club will make their debut in the 2. Bundesliga next season
- Heyne managed Magdeburg between 2003 and 2007

Former 1. FC Magdeburg goalkeeper and manager Dirk Heyne has today spoken to Bundesliga.de after his former side secured the 3. Liga title last night after SpVgg Unterhaching’s defeat to Karlsruhe ensured that Magdeburg couldn’t be caught after they moved 15 points clear with 4 games remaining. Magdeburg themselves were 3-1 winners over Rot-Weiss Erfurt on Friday night as Christopher Steegmann’s side came from behind at half time to seal another victory and extend their current unbeaten run to 9 games and seal a first 3. Liga title for the club and the first piece of silverware under Christopher Steegmann, and according to Heyne it is this winning mentality and great start to his career at the MDCC Arena which means Magdeburg will thrive and enjoy their debut campaign in the 2. Bundesliga next season.

15.04.18, 13:00 Dirk Heyne: “They’ve gotten off to a fantastic start under Christopher because they’ve played such a direct and attacking style of football that has up till now yielded some brilliant results. Next season they’re going to go into the 2. Bundesliga and enjoy themselves because I imagine they’ll continue trying to play that exact style of football and it should win them lots of fans. Personally I think that style of football will see them thrive and will get them a lot of good results because they are very solid at the back and that ability to counter with pace will see some of the sides that think they will be an easy three points come unscrewed against them. As a fan of this team I honestly can’t wait and next season is going to be one hell of an adventure.”

For many Bundesliga fans though Magdeburg will be an unknown quantity having spent a large portion of their history playing in the former East German league system and after East German sides were integrated into the Bundesliga system, have spent their more recent years languishing in the Regionalliga and 3. Liga divisions. A former European Cup Winners’ Cup Champion though, Magdeburg will be hoping that they can establish themselves as a 2. Bundesliga side quickly and will hope that the prospect of playing at a higher level will see Steegmann able to boost his squad come the summer transfer window. Dirk Heyne believes that for FCM fans, the summer is going to be very exciting.

15.04.18, 13:15 Dirk Heyne: “I think it is going to be a very long summer for Magdeburg fans but I do think it is going to be a very exciting one for them. That excitement will start as soon as the 3. Liga finishes and they applaud their fans for the final time this season at the MDCC Arena, right through to the announcement of the fixtures for next season and then comes all the transfer speculation and potential deals. Once that first ball is kicked in August too the rest of Germany will pay attention to this club because, trust me, they are going to need to.”

Last Update: #33 Magdeburg Seal Promotion To 2. Bundesliga
Next Update: Coming Soon…