German lower‑division football clubs gear up for new season

1. FC Magdeburg entered preseason unbeaten, highlighted by a 2‑0 win over Bundesliga‑promoted SC Paderborn and a 1‑1 draw with West Ham United. The club retained goalkeeper Dominik Reimann and extended contracts for key players Baris Atik and Mateusz Zukowski as it prepares for the 2. Liga campaign.

Promoted side Borussia Derschlag, now in the Kreisliga A, appointed coach Dimitri Wirschke after a split with Wolfgang Müller. The team topped the Kreisliga B earlier, scoring 126 goals while conceding only 29, and added nine new signings to replace top scorer Salih Tatar, who moved to TuS Weiershagen.

PSV Bork’s Mathias Scherner praised recent signings and expressed confidence that the squad can compete with any league opponent. The club aims to build on a difficult previous season.

The Austrian Regionalliga Süd will debut a new format for 2026/27, splitting the season into intra‑state autumn rounds for Styria and Carinthia followed by combined promotion and qualification playoffs.

FC Schaffhausen celebrated its 130th anniversary by inviting former players to a home match against FC Kreuzlingen.

Energie Cottbus returned to Germany’s 2. Bundesliga after a 12‑year absence, with president Sebastian Lemke and coach Claus‑Dieter Wollitz vowing to stay and continue an attacking style.

In Augsburg, the women’s football scene faced setbacks as TSV Schwaben and FC Augsburg both dropped to lower leagues, highlighting player shortages and structural challenges.