Chasing the Big Leagues – Fortuna Dusseldorf (Bundesliga II)

Tales from Tier Two is a new series on Just Football in partnership with @tiertwofooty, in which we assess the promotion chances of the clubs in tier two of Europe’s major leagues at the halfway point of 2011/12. Previously we assessed France and Ligue 2 – time to head East. To Germany and the Bundesliga II:

Fortuna Dusseldorf

The top 5 in Germany’s 2.Bundesliga have established a comfort zone from the rest of the league but try as they might, they cannot seem to shake each other off as only 3 points separate leaders Fortuna Dusseldorf from 5th placed surprise package SC Paderborn.

Fortuna Dusseldorf are a club that his been through the mill recently, relegated from the Bundesliga in the 1996/97 season 7 points adrift of Hansa Rostock, little did Fortuna’s supporters realise the only way was down from there. From Bundesliga regulars of the 70’s & 80’s they became a yo-yo club in the 90’s & facing financial ruin slipped as low as the Oberliga Nordrhein in the new millennium. Back to back promotions saw Fortuna climb out of the Regionlliga Nord & straight through the newly formed 3.Liga into Germany’s 2nd tier.

Fortuna have amassed 42 points from 19 games up to the winter break 2 points ahead of Greuther Furth and 3 in front of Eintracht Frankfurt, St Pauli & Paderborn. The battle for the two automatic promotion spots & one playoff berth looks set to rumble on to the very last day.

Under the leadership of Norbert Meier since 2008 Fortuna have finished runners up in the 3.Liga & gained respectable finishes of 4th & 7th in their 2 seasons back in the 2nd tier. Meier, a competitive midfielder who spent most of his career at Werder Bremen before finishing at Borussia Monchengladbach, then took charge at Borussia Park in 1997. Spells at Duisburg & Dresden following but Meier is universally famed for taking a dive following an altercation with Koln’s Albert Streit whilst in charge at Duisburg. Replays showed Meier head butt Streit then feign injury as the Koln man was sent off. Meier was suspended by MSV & banned from managerial activities for three months by the German FA.

Fortuna’s success so far can be put down to their no nonsense attacking formation which has yielded 43 goals in 19 games & just 1 defeat (in the last game before the winter break to fellow high flyers Paderborn). They have hit 4 goals 4 times, including 3 games in a row & also hit FSV Frankfurt for 5.

The loan signing of Max Beister from Hamburg at the start of last season on a 2 year loan has proved to be a masterstroke. Beister is sure to be one Germany’s top players and is already being courted by Dortmund. Beister can play upfront, midfield or out wide and the Under 21 star has weighed in with 8 goals in 19 starts. Other summer signings were mainly cover as Meier clearly believed he had a squad capable of promotion.

With a solid centre back partnership of Jens Langeneke and Assani Lukimya and a midfield consisting of captain Andreas Lambertz and Adam Bodzek that allows Beister & Oliver Fink to supply 34 year old top scorer Sascha Rosler and Thomas Broeker, Fortuna seem to have found the perfect blend. With no outgoings planned things are looking healthy at the ESPIRT Arena. Timo Furuholm, a Finnish International has joined from Inter Turku having scored 22 in 33 games to add yet more firepower to the side.

Position: 1st

Points clear of chasing pack: 3

Will last the pace or tire in the race?: Last the pace. Comfortably. Should win the League with points to spare

Predicted Final Position: 1st

Key Man: Andreas Lambertz – Captain marvel, a behind the scenes hero who adds untold balance to the team.

Bundesliga II, Fortuna Dusseldorf, German Bundesliga, German Football, Germany, Tier Two Football