A new Bundesliga season begins and a new team enters the ranks to compete with the elite. Ingolstadt are that side and will be hoping to make it more than a fleeting memory by securing safety this upcoming campaign.
Factfile
Name - FC Ingolstadt 04
Nickname - die Schanzer
Founded - 2004
Ground - Audi Sportpark
Manager - Ralph Hasenhüttl
Captain - Marvin Matip
League Position last season - 1st (2. Bundesliga)
DFB Pokal finish last campaign - 1st round
To say FC Ingolstadt 04’s meteoric rise to the heights of the Bundesliga was unexpected would be an understatement. The Northern Bavarian club in their short 11 year history had been little more than a drop in the ocean of German football, a 10th place finish in the 2013-14 2. Bundesliga season their greatest honour to that date.
Yet, as has been the growing trend in recent years of romantic promotions in German football, die Schanzer followed the path of Greuther Fürth, Eintracht Braunschweig and SC Paderborn before them to shock everyone and gain promotion to the Bundesliga ahead of more established household names.
Ralph Hasenhüttl who joined die Schanzer in October 2013 transformed a mediocre squad of journeyman into a side bursting with talent and youth that took the second league by storm. FCI were defeated only four times in the whole campaign and it took up until the 23rd of November for the first of these to come, at the hands of 1. FC Nürnberg.
The Austrian, who played for SV Austria Salzburg and SpVgg Unterhaching amongst others in his playing career, pioneered the rise of one of Germanys youngest professional football outfits and there is a sense of optimism around the Audi Sportpark ahead of the debut bow in the top flight.
However there can be no denying that the sole aim for die Schanzer will be remaining in the Bundesliga come what May, and if you follow the paths of those aforementioned clubs before them there can perhaps only be one ominous outcome.
The Squad
The majority of Hasenhüttl’s squad have been at FCI for a number of years now, and it is that quality that served them in good stead in last seasons promotion challenge and will continue to serve them over the coming season. Furthermore, the squad showed the willingness to lay their bodies on the line for each other and it is that trait that has typified Hasenhüttl's time as of yet at the Audi Sportpark. Ingolstadt's strength lies in their team collective.
There is no doubt die Schanzers enjoyed their greatest success in forward lying positions, FCI were the joint highest scorers in the 2. Bundesliga along with VfL Bochum last season. Ingolstadt usually line up in a inverted 4-3-3 formation, and it was from the two wide positions that the majority of goals came from last term, with Stefan Lex and Matthew Leckie scoring 16 between them. This will only be strengthened by the arrival of Elias Kachunga from SC Paderborn.
At times FCI brushed teams aside, as shown in the demolitions of VfR Aalen, VfL Bochum and SV Sandhausen; however there will be concerns for Ralph Hasehüttl in his sides defence. At times, it was evident that the defensive third was die Schanzers weakness and with the Bundesliga being even more unforgiving than the 2. Bundesliga, it will definitely be an area FCI will have to improve upon if they wish to stay in the top flight.
Despite a relative lack of superstars in the Ingolstadt squad, there is no doubt that Pascal Groß is their stand out player. The former Karlsruher SC man stood out not only for FCI, but in the 2. Bundesliga on a whole and has reportedly turned down offers from larger clubs to remain with his current side. Groß rivaled Kevin De Bruyne last season in terms of goals and assists, racking up a total of 7 goals and 16 assists.
Transfer Business
FC Ingolstadt's transfer business as to date as largely been based around strengthening the weaker areas of the squad. As aforementioned the largest area of weakness has to be that of defence and Ralph Hasenhüttl has been in no haste to strengthen, with three defensive players brought to the Audi Sportpark. The other signing, to complete the four new faces, has bolstered the center forward options providing some much needed Bundesliga experience.
Ørjan Nyland - Molde - £700,000 - The Norwegian stopper has been brought in to provide competition to Ramazan Özcan in the short term, as well as to present the long term future to the Austrian who has recently turned 31.
Markus Suttner - Austria Vienna - £490,000 - The former Austria Vienna man was most likely bought for two reasons. Firstly, die Schanzer had to endure last season without recognised backup in the left back position and having played at a high level previously, Suttner will prove to be a smart acquisition by Hasenhüttl. Secondly, normal leftback Danilo Soares recently suffered a metatarsal injury and will miss the start of the season and therefore a high level signing was needed.
Romain Bregerie - SV Darmstadt 98 - Free transfer - Bregerie endured a great campaign with SV Darmstadt 98 last season, who ultimately also joined FCI in the Bundesliga last campaign. The French central defender will bolster arguably the weakest area of the FC Ingolstadt team ahead of a season that will prove to be more arduous than those behind them, with duels with the likes of Robert Lewandowski and Marco Reus ahead.
Elias Kachunga - SC Paderborn - £1,005,000 - After recieving personal plaudits following a somewhat succesfull campaign in the bundesliga last season, it was widely tipped that the SC Paderborn man would remain in the Bundesliga and this proved to be the case when the newly promoted FCI shelled out little over one million pounds for Kachunga. The Borussia Mönchengladbach youth player will provide pace and power to a bunch of center forwards that otherwise lack these attributes.
Fixture Schedule
Whilst it would be true to say that all fixtures in the Bundesliga will be a challenge for a newly promoted side, there are patches that look in respect look easier and harder for die Schanzer.
The start and end to the Hinrunde and Rückrunde both look difficult for Ralph Hasenhüttl's men. Their first five games sees the nouveau Borussia Dortmund and established VfL Wolfsburg travel to the Audi Sportpark, whilst a tough away trip to the Weserstadion and Werder Bremen also awaits. If die Schanzer can come out of the first five games with more than six points, it should be classed as a succesful start.
The final games are no less forgiving either, with a trip to Pep Guardiola's Bayern Munich followed by the visit Bayer Leverkusen. The tough start and end to the season just adds even more importance to the middle phases of either half of the season, as FCI will have to pick up the majority of their points during this time.
Verdict
Although there will be a sense of excitement and optimism around the Audi Sportpark there can be no kidding that what stands ahead of die Schanzer will be the greatest challeneg in the clubs history to date. However with the team ethic that Ralph Hasenhüttl has enstilled within his team, matched with the obvious talent it contains, survival is a realistic aim. If this can be obtained there will be no reason with die Schanzer cannot establish themselves as a Bundesliga team.