Crisis in Fürth: Managing Director Schwiewagner shifts responsibility away!

Crisis in Fürth: Managing Director Schwiewagner shifts responsibility away!

In the most turbulent phase in the club's history to date, SpVgg Greuther Fürth is faced with enormous challenges. Managing director Holger Schwiewagner describes the situation as “extremely challenging”, while the team sits in 16th place in the table after 11 match days with only 10 points and a goal difference of -13. This is a bitter setback, especially compared to last year's balance, which after 9 match days had 10 points and a better goal difference of -1. The statistics speak for themselves: 30 goals conceded in this first half of the season prove that the Fürth defense is one of the weakest in the 2nd league.

Schwiewagner has taken a reserved stance in public towards sports director Stephan Fürstner. While decisions in the club are usually made by the team, Schwiewagner emphasizes that ultimately responsibility for sporting matters remains with the sports director. Last season, the sporting realignment seemed more tangible, as Schwiewagner had a more active role in the dismissal of previous coaches. The arrival of Stephan Fürstner as sports director after an interim period initially brought a breath of fresh air, but so far the hoped-for turnaround has not materialized.

Critical numbers and challenges

The upcoming annual general meeting on November 17th will probably not present any encouraging figures. The club is not only suffering sportingly, but also financially. The transfer of Armindo Sieb, which cost 1.5 million euros, had to be booked into the past season. Over the last few years, the club has barely recorded any significant transfer revenue. High costs due to continued wage payments and severance payments place an additional burden on the “sporting realignment”.

According to Schwiewagner, the desired vision of the realignment is more evident in the organizational chart than on the playing field. The critical questions that arose at the heated general meeting in autumn 2024 have not been forgotten. Those responsible must prepare for further pressure, especially when it comes to curbing the sporting misery.

A possible change of coach?

The team not only has the weakest defense this season, but also runs the fewest kilometers in the league. Coach Thomas Kleine and sports director Fürstner seem to believe in a turnaround, but time is running out. A win against Preußen Münster is essential to prevent possible coaching changes, which have already been hinted at.

By the next match day at the latest it will become clear whether the Fürth team can get out of their downward spiral. The pressure is increasing as the fans hope for positive news so that the sporting realignment can also be felt on the pitch. The coming weeks will be crucial for the club's future and potentially set the course for next season.