Wuppertaler SV is on a rollercoaster this season. At the beginning of the series, many people thought: This WSV is unstoppable. Currently, Red-Blue is twelve points behind first place.
What a start to the season it was for Wuppertaler SV: in the opening game, the WSV won against almost 30,000 fans at the Tivoli in Aachen – with two goals in stoppage time.
This was followed by late victories against Borussia Mönchengladbach (3:2), FC Schalke 04 II (3:1) and SV Rödinghausen (1:0). It was only 1. FC Köln II (2:2) that was able to stop the flow of Wuppertal SV. After that, the Red and Blues immediately responded by beating Wegberg-Beeck (2-0). 16 points from six games! Top of the table!
But after that, the WSV was unrecognizable: first five games without a win, then three wins in a row again, and finally just one point from the last four games.
And yet: WSV sporting director Gaetano Manno is still fighting, despite the current twelve-point gap to league leaders 1. FC Bocholt. The goal was and is clear: after finishing third and second, the aim this season is to finish first and get promoted.
Gaetano Manno, how much does the 4-3 defeat against Alemannia Aachen still hurt for you three days later?
Very! The disappointment is huge because we saw what is possible, what we are capable of. We were ahead in all statistics, but not in the most important one – the result. I can’t blame the team much because, like a week earlier in Düren, they played well. What I can blame them for is that we were simply undisciplined before the 3-4 situation. We saw that Anton Heinz was having a great day. You just can’t let him score from a free kick from 28 meters. That upsets me and we have to learn from it.
Aachen were already ten points behind us this season, but now they are seven points ahead of us. Why shouldn’t we turn that around again? I firmly believe in us and in a good season – we’re not giving up!
Gaetano Manno
Has the change of coaches from Hüzeyfe Dogan to Christian Britscho already backfired, with just one point from two games?
I don’t see it that way. We’ve improved our play. We should have won against Aachen and in Düren, but the referee spoiled that with a crucial decision just before the end. He fell for the theatrics of the Düren goalkeeper. We don’t get a penalty. On the other side, Aachen gets a penalty against Düren in injury time, which they shouldn’t get. I want to use this example to show that the momentum that was on our side at the beginning of the season is no longer there. Now teams like Bocholt or even Aachen have it. But this momentum and also a bit of luck in the game has to be worked hard for. We have to do that again.
Why do you still believe in a successful season for Wuppertal SV despite being twelve points behind in first place?
We are experiencing a very, very wild season. Everyone except Bocholt has already had a weak phase. Bocholt will get it too. But for us, it’s about looking at ourselves. Anything else makes no sense. But I know what is possible. Aachen was already ten points behind us this season, now they are seven points ahead of us. Why shouldn’t we turn that around again? I firmly believe in us and a good season – we won’t give up!
I don’t usually comment on names, but I don’t want to lie either. Yes, Dario is one of many candidates. Dario is a candidate who fits our profile. He is a football coach, a meticulous worker and an emotional guy. He has done a good job at VfB Oldenburg. But again: he is one of many candidates, including Christian Britscho.
Gaetano Manno
Will Christian Britscho be the coach of WSV in the first game of 2024 against Schalke II?
We will analyze everything and then make a decision on what is best for Wuppertaler SV after what we hope will be a successful weekend in Mönchengladbach.