– Werder Bremen’s Maximilian Eggestein (left) and Michael “Megabit” Bittner are among the favorites of the “Bundesliga Home Challenge”.
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Football in times of Corona and with Werder Bremen as a favorite – yes, you can: At the “Bundesliga Home Challenge” online tournament that started this weekend, which was launched by the German Football League (DFL). 26 teams from the first and second league are there, the teams each consist of two players: a soccer professional and another person from the club. This is a clear advantage for Bundesliga clubs with their own eSports department, such as Werder.
Five north teams at the start
In addition to Maximilian Eggestein, the German individual eFootball champion Michael “MegaBit” Bittner will compete at the Hanseatic League. Bittner also recently celebrated the title defense with Werder eSPORTS in the team championship of the “Virtual Bundesliga”
The northern teams of the Bundesliga Home Challenge
* Werder Bremen: Michael “Megabit” Bittner (eSportler) and Maximilian Eggestein (licensed player) * HSV: Umut “HSV_Umut” Gültekin (eSportler) and Sonny Kittel (licensed player) *Holstein Kiel: Bennett “rohwaedder” Rohwedder (eSportler) and Dominik Schmidt (licensed player) * Hannover 96: Marcel “H96_DonChap28” German (eSportler) and Jannes Horn (license player) * FC St. Pauli: Luca Zander and Marvin Knoll (both licensed players)
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“Of course I want to win. It’s like being on the right lawn. There is also a bit of ambition,” said Eggestein, making it clear that it should not just be a fun event for him.
The 23-year-old, who is actually located in the Werder midfield, regularly uses the controller three to four times a week and is therefore well prepared for the start of the green-whites on Sunday (3:30 p.m.) against 1. FC Nürnberg. “It’s an interesting change – for us, but also for the fans. Let’s see what the other professionals in FIFA can do,” said Eggestein.
Other participating teams from the north are Hannover 96, Hamburger SV, Holstein Kiel and FC St. Pauli. The Kiezkicker even compete with only two “real” footballers: Luca Zander and Marvin Knoll gamble on the console.
All virtual players equally strong
The game is played in the 85 mode of the soccer simulation FIFA 20 on “Playstation 4”. This presetting ensures equal opportunities, since each controlled virtual player has a total strength of 85. It is also played in the Virtual Bundesliga. After the start weekend, it is expected to continue on a weekly basis on Saturdays and Sundays.
The first matchday of the Bundesliga Home Challenge
28th March: SpVgg Greuther Fürth – TSG Hoffenheim (3:30 p.m.) Hertha BSC – SC Paderborn (4:20 p.m.) FSV Mainz 05 – Borussia Dortmund (5:10 p.m.) FC St. Pauli – Schalke 04 (6 p.m.) 1. FC Köln – VfB Stuttgart (6.50 p.m.) Dynamo Dresden – Eintracht Frankfurt (7.40 p.m.) FC Augsburg – Hannover 96 (8.30 p.m.) March 29: Werder Bremen – 1. FC Nürnberg (3.30 p.m.) RB Leipzig – Hamburger SV (4.20 p.m.) Union Berlin – Jahn Regensburg (5.10 p.m.) Arminia Bielefeld – Holstein Kiel (6 p.m.) SC Freiburg – SV Wehen Wiesbaden (6.50 p.m.) Darmstadt 98 – Bayer Leverkusen (7.40 p.m.). All games of the Bundesliga Home Challenge are live on Twitch and the website esports.com.
