The Red Devils are back in the Bundesliga with Eduard Popp

January 15, 2021, 12:59 p.m.

Update: January 15, 2021, 1:00 p.m.

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The ring The search for athletes and sponsors is in full swing, but after the corona-related interruption, the wrestlers are planning a significantly reduced budget. The seasonal goals are also adjusted accordingly.

After the department management of the Red Devils Heilbronn announced their return to the wrestling Bundesliga for the 2021/22 season at the beginning of the week, those responsible for the SV Heilbronn am Leinbach division are planning the new squad. Eduard Popp was the first important building block in the middle of the week. The Olympic and World Cup fifth has given his home club the promise of the start of the Bundesliga round, which is expected in September. On the other hand, the professional retirement of the wrestler boss Jens Petzold is approaching.

A lot of work is ahead

“We now have to fill our project with life,” says Petzold, making it clear that there is a lot of work waiting for the Red Devils responsible. Popp’s acceptance is a trend-setting sign. “Eddi will go the way with us,” said Petzold, pleased about the Greco specialist’s commitment to his home club. “With what we have done for him in the past few years, Eddi honors our support on his way.”

For Petzold, the Möckmühler’s signature is “very important and will open many doors for us. His acceptance will certainly make a conversation or two easier for us.” And that applies to the squad planning as well as the acquisition of sponsors from the regional economy. “Now we are working on building a powerful team for him.”

After Heilbronn decided not to start due to the coronavirus pandemic in July 2020, Popp joined KSV Witten to gain competition practice. But shortly before the start of the Bundesliga, Witten also withdrew. The corona development led to the end of the season a few weeks later.

Popp sees a long-term perspective for the club

“Actually, I haven’t been away at all, it wasn’t a classic change and so I don’t feel like a returnee either,” says Eduard Popp about his incomplete guest performance in Witten. The heavyweight (up to 130 kilos) also had offers from other Bundesliga clubs, but gave preference to his home club on Wednesday. Also because “there is a long-term perspective”.

Popp sees “that now a lot of stones are rolling and new structures are growing”, but also knows that the Red Devils’ way back to the Bundesliga is difficult. “I know that Heilbronn is facing an incredibly difficult year.”

It was also clear to the only athlete from the region who had already qualified for the 2021 Olympics, “If I don’t sign, the Red Devils’ plan would probably be a tad more difficult to implement. It would be a fatal sign if someone of their own would switch to another club would hardly have been credible to the outside world to convey. “

Eduard Popp is convinced that “the Devils will be able to fight for the German team championship again in a few years”. The multiple national individual champion therefore also accepts lower sporting ambitions for the Bundesliga season. “The objectives are different,” says Popp. Placements like in previous years – the Heilbronn runners-up in 2018/19 – are hardly possible this time. “Even getting into the playoffs would definitely be a success.”

Devils plan to be a bridging year in 2021/22

“We are currently in our planning at a level of 50 percent,” says Jens Petzold. If the budget in the first three Bundesliga years was between EUR 270,000 and EUR 300,000, it is now planned with significantly less money. “We are late in terms of commitments and will not bring a team to the start that is fighting for the final. We are facing a bridging year.” 120,000 euros are currently secured, everything else should be clarified in the next eight weeks.

Petzold takes off responsibility at the next department meeting in spring at the latest. The owner of a painting company is too challenged professionally. The tasks are already being distributed. Follow-up talks for the office of department head are ongoing, as are negotiations with a full-time head of the Ringer office.

Kader will change fundamentally

After the Red Devils Heilbronn voluntarily decided not to start for the 2020/21 Bundesliga season, the top performers of the Neckargartach mat fighters had joined other clubs in order to have more fighting practice. But in the end nothing came of it, because the round was canceled after a few weeks due to the corona pandemic. In addition to Eduard Popp (to KSV Witten), the following wrestlers left the Red Devils: Levan Metreveli (ASV Mainz 88), Dustin Scherf (AV G. Markneukirchen), Christopher Kraemer (SC Kleinostheim), Christian Fetzer (AV G. Markneukirchen), Julian Meyer (Trainer KSV Aalen), Saba Bolaghi (SC Kleinostheim), Frank Stäbler (ASV Schorndorf), Fabian Fritz (RKG Reilingen / Hockenheim), Pascal Eisele (SC Kleinostheim), Patryk Dublinowski (AV G. Markneukirchen), Bogdan Eismont (AV G . Markneukirchen), Stefan Kehrer (Wrestling Tigers Rhein / Nahe), Jan Zirn (SC Kleinostheim).

After Eduard Popp’s signature for the next season, those responsible for the Red Devils are strengthening their squad planning. From the other former Heilbronners you will probably see only a few in the dress of the Devils again. “The new squad will have a completely new face,” says Jens Petzold, head of the department. In Pascal Eisele, one of the most ardent point collectors will definitely no longer be there. “Pascal signed for two years in Kleinostheim last season.”

Confirmation is doubtful

It is rather doubtful whether the three-time world champion Frank Stäbler will suit the Heilbronn team. “Franky has not yet signed with any club, he said we first have to say in which direction the Red Devils should go,” explains Jens Petzold. “We should have bad cards if we have a squad that doesn’t have a chance to push into the front.”

Frank Stäbler ends his international career after the Olympic Games in Tokyo this summer and plans to wrestle in the Bundesliga for another year. For his farewell season, Stäbler will therefore rather join a club with title ambitions.

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