By Oliver Trust
BERLIN, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The German Bundesliga will serve up a thrilling relegation showdown on the final day of the season on Saturday.
While Darmstadt 98 and FC Ingolstadt are already relegated, four teams are in danger of finishing third last and have to play two nerve-racking games in a playoff against the third-placed team in the second division.
While Hamburg SV, currently 16th with 35 points, and VfL Wolfsburg (15th/37) cross swords in a direct duel, FC Augsburg (14th/37) have a tough match on their hands against TSG Hoffenheim. FSV Mainz (13th/37) will try to survive against 1. FC Cologne. Both Hoffenheim and Cologne desperately need points to qualify directly for either the Champions League or the Europa League respectively.
Hamburg SV is in the most precarious position of the quartet and fans have nothing but scorn and derision for the club. While the northern German city is one of the wealthiest cities in the country, the team's reputation is on the wane. The three-time league champions and three-time cup winners is the only German first division club to never have been relegated since the Bundesliga was founded in 1963.
The golden years are long gone. For the last five years, Hamburg has been in constant danger of being relegated. 1983 was the most successful season for Hamburg as the club won the German Championship and the European Cup, the forerunner of the Champions League. Should Hamburg not beat Wolfsburg, the team will have to go endure the two-legged relegation play-off for the third time in four years.
In the opinion of most of Germany's football fans, Hamburg deserves to be relegated. In 2014, the side narrowly escaped against Spielvereinigung Fuerth after two disappointing draws and only survived due to the away goal rule.
In 2015, a free kick mistakenly awarded by the referee in extra time prevented Hamburg from dropping down to the second division. A lucky 1-1 home draw against Karlsruhe Sport Club followed a last gasp goal giving them a fortunate 2-1 victory in Karlsruhe.
Fans hoped the club had learned its lesson after years of mismanagement but were disappointed again after eight first team coaches have come and gone in the last eight years. A poor transfer policy, has increased the problems as well. Financially, the club depends on the millions given by a Hamburg investor, which has exacerbated the situation as decisions have been influenced from the outside.
Should they be relegated, many in the club fear the investor could lose interest as CEO Heribert Bruchhagen estimates dropping down to the second division will cost the club up to 40 million euro. This comes on top of it having to manage debt totaling 90 million euro. "Financially, it would be more than just a problem for the club," Bruchhagen said.
He does not think German football fans actually want his club to be relegated. Several surveys indicate the opposite, as most fans have lost interest in a club that, in their eyes, stands more for incompetent bungling than top level football.
A new start in the second division would be far from being a piece of cake, and would not be the appropriate recipe to cure the club's problems, said Bruchhagen ahead of the showdown that is eagerly awaited by the fans.
There are many similarities with Hamburg's opponent VfL Wolfsburg. Mismanagement and the troubled times that the club owner, the car manufacturer Volkswagen, is going through after the emissions scandal have led to a crisis at the club. The club, whose management is dependent on the car company, seems to be in free fall after their first league title in 2009 and first cup win in 2015.
After the recent Volkswagen scandal, club and team are searching for an identity and a new plan as the dream of becoming one of the Germany's and Europe's top clubs is over. Team and club urgently need restructuring, but the club owner is too busy with its own problems. Many pundits predict that the current Wolfsburg team will not be able to withstand the pressure, especially should they have to face bitter local rivals Eintracht Braunschweig in the relegation playoff.
Wolfsburg's striker and German international Mario Gomez said the crucial game will be an encounter that 99 percent of the country's football fans would have dreamed of. But for either Hamburg or Wolfsburg, it could well turn out to be a nightmare.
