There’s a final-like atmosphere ahead of FC Erzgebirge Aue’s match against TSV 1860 Munich. When it comes to the coaches, you’d think this game was all about winning or flying.
When FC Erzgebirge Aue welcomes TSV 1860 Munich on Saturday, the motto of the game will be: crisis duel!
Both coaches – Jens Härtel and Patrick Glöckner – are under enormous pressure. Härtel was officially given the vote of confidence by the Erzgebirge board this week. The same applies to FCE sporting director Matthias Heidrich. But one thing is clear: a win is needed. Another defeat would likely see Härtel’s confidence quickly withdrawn again. The situation seems even more serious for Glöckner in Munich. According to the Abendzeitung newspaper, sporting director Christian Werner said in the Oktoberfest marquee regarding the recent 1-5 defeat to TSG Hoffenheim’s second team: “Of course, after a game like that, you can’t just carry on as if nothing had happened. That’s clear to everyone involved. The way we performed was not Löwen-like. That shouldn’t happen to us even once.“ And, above all, this sentence leaves a lot of room for speculation: ”As things stand, we’re going to Aue with him.” Now, as of Thursday evening, September 25, it’s certain that Glöckner will be sitting on the Lions’ bench in Aue. But: he is actually already doomed to win. Otherwise, the last days of September 2025 are likely to begin without Glöckner at Grünwalder Straße. 1860 president Gernot Mang was even clearer than Werner: “I haven’t digested the game against Rostock yet either. I haven’t gotten over the second half against Havelse either. I expect a completely different performance on Saturday in Aue.“
And what does Mang say about Glöckner? He called him out! Mang: ”I’ll say it straight: we’re keeping all our options open.”
He added: “I don’t like to shoot from the hip, but rather do things calmly and deliberately. We simply want to compete for promotion. We want maximum success. That wasn’t there. That’s not acceptable.”
The duel between Aue and 1860 is going to be a hot one on Saturday…
