Erzgebirge Aue is teetering toward relegation in the 3. Liga. New coach Christoph Dabrowski is tasked with preventing that—and he’s starting with a crucial match.

Christoph Dabrowski is the coach tasked with saving Erzgebirge Aue from relegation from the 3rd League. “I’m happy to be in Aue and to work for this proud, historic club. I really like the stadium. I never enjoyed traveling to Aue as an opponent. It was always unpleasant to play here. We should bring that attitude onto the field. Then I’m optimistic that we’ll be able to turn things around,” he said, immediately offering a glimpse into his work so far.

“They’ve been intense, long days. I’ve gained my first impressions through one-on-one conversations. But of course, we’ve also been on the field. The team has shown a willingness to put things into practice. The atmosphere was energetic, and the guys worked very hard. As a result, we’re heading into the game feeling good.

The Aue players will need that, too. Because on Saturday, February 7, at 2 p.m., 1. FC Saarbrücken is coming to the Schacht. 17th place versus 16th place—a direct showdown between two struggling clubs: Erzgebirge Aue versus 1. FC Saarbrücken.

“They started the season with high ambitions and, I believe, have the highest budget in the league. Saarbrücken has a lot of individual talent on their roster, but you can see they’re struggling. They’ve gone a long stretch without a win. They’re certainly unsettled, and we want to take advantage of that,” said Dabrowski.

He’s prepared his team accordingly. “In our first practice on Tuesday, we did a lot of small-sided games. That was a high-intensity day. On Wednesday and Thursday, we focused on tactical drills. We worked on playing with and without the ball and have a few ideas we want to implement in the game. I’m very satisfied with how the guys have worked so far.”

Dabrowski knows what it’s like to be at the bottom of the third division and understands what matters. “A season in the 3rd League consists of 38 games. We need staying power, have to stay positive, and be able to bounce back from setbacks. We need unity and, above all, a team that believes we can do this together. I’ve managed that well with my teams so far,” he said. In Aue, they’ll be praying that he’ll soon be able to say the same about the Schachter team.