Arminia Bielefeld went from battling relegation last season to 4th spot in the league this season, in one of the most impressive turnarounds of recent second division editions.
This was Jeff Sabiene’s first full season in charge of the team, and he certainly made it count, with the Luxembourgian managing to guide his team to a stunning finish.
Last season the team survived based entirely on their home form, whereas this season they picked up just 6 fewer points on the road than in front of their home fans. The masters of consistency they got on with their work without ever looking like promotion contenders.
Bielefeld started the season with the goal of staying clear of the relegation fight, but it became clear very quickly that the side were much better than that. The lowest position Sabiene’s side occupied in the table was 10th for a single round.
Although the team generally struggled against the other members of the top five, they did beat Nürnberg twice ,showing what they could have achieved this term. At the same time they also threw away points against sides they should have easily beaten.
Sabiene started the season by adding a handful of players to the first team, and many of them turned out to be inspired signings. Goalkeeper Stefan Ortega returned to the club and started every match, while Patrick Weihrauch scored 3 and assisted 6 in his first season with the club.
Austrian central midfielder Konstantin Kerschbaumer who scored 8 and assisted 6, also hit the ground running, though he is set to leave the club. Most impressive of all was Andreas Voglsammer who is entering the prime of his career and found the net 13 times to top score for the club.
After their successes this year, the toughest challenge will be keeping the squad together, though if Sabiene manages to do so, they may have a real shot at promotion next year.
