Fortuna Düsseldorf II are 12th in the Regionalliga West. The U23s of the second division club will kick off the season after the winter break against Alemannia Aachen.

The preparation for the second team of Fortuna Düsseldorf did not go particularly well. First, coach Nico Michaty’s regional league team drew 2:2 with Verbandsliga team Bonner SC, then Fortuna lost to Oberliga team VfB Hilden (2:4) and most recently suffered a defeat against league rivals SC Fortuna Köln (0:2).

Michaty told RS about the preparation: “Sure, it was mixed, but that’s nothing unusual for an U23. The squad in preparation was characterised by a lack of personnel, which of course made it difficult to record victories.”

Already in the first half of the season, the second squad from Düsseldorf had to struggle with personnel shortages. As the U23 coach explained, it had become even more difficult in terms of personnel during the preparation period because a few players were injured and also trained with the second-division professionals.

Nevertheless, Fortuna has not been active in the transfer market this winter break. Michaty can nevertheless imagine new players, explaining that the break is not over yet: “We’ll keep our eyes and ears open and if something comes up, we’ll deal with it when the time comes.”

Whether the team is ready for the rest of the season in the Regionalliga, despite the tough preparation and personnel difficulties, will be shown this Friday (27 January, 7.30pm) in the opening match against Alemannia Aachen.

It’s certainly a great experience for our many very young players and simply a highlight.

Nico Michaty

A difficult game, as coach Michaty and his team head to the Tivoli in Aachen. On average, around 9200 spectators come to the stadium here, making their team the strongest home club in the Regionalliga not only in terms of attendance, but also in terms of home wins.

Michaty expects an interesting opening match: “Certainly a really good opponent against whom we hope to have an interesting game. We know exactly how difficult it will be to take points back to Düsseldorf from Aachen. Nevertheless, we will put everything into it.”

The anticipation for the encounter is great: “It’s always fun in Aachen. A beautiful stadium and lots of spectators, we’re just looking forward to it. Especially for our many very young players, it’s certainly a great experience and simply a highlight. “