# German football preseason & early season > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/european-football-clubs-preseason-preparations > Updated: 2026-09-10T15:40:01.000Z. Sources: 204. Developments: 17. The 2026/27 German football season has officially commenced across the 3. Liga, 2. Bundesliga, and Bundesliga. Early action saw 1. FC Heidenheim suffer a 1-4 defeat against Hertha BSC, prompting coach Frank Schmidt to criticize his team’s performance as “desolat.” In the 2. Bundesliga, Dynamo Dresden is attempting to recover from a significant 0:3 defeat against Nürnberg. In the Bundesliga, Borussia Dortmund began their campaign with a 2-0 victory against Hamburger SV at Signal Iduna Park. While 18-year-old Konstantinos Karetsas earned Player of the Match honors after assisting Serhou Guirassy’s 9th-minute opener, the win was overshadowed by a serious injury to new signing Giannis Konstantelias. The 23-year-old Greek midfielder, who joined from PAOK Saloniki this summer and scored the second goal during his debut, has been confirmed to have suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee. Coach Niko Kovac described the injury as a “shock” for everyone involved. Konstantelias has since successfully undergone knee surgery in Munich, performed by specialist surgeon Dr. Thore Zantop. Following the procedure, the player appeared in optimistic photos shared by the surgeon, signaling the start of his recovery process. He is expected to remain in Germany for approximately two to three weeks under the supervision of the Borussia Dortmund medical team before moving to Thessaloniki, Greece, in late September to continue his rehabilitation. If recovery proceeds without complications, he is projected to return to competitive action in five to six months, potentially around February or March. To address his absence, Dortmund has loaned Ethan Nwaneri from Arsenal to support the squad. Other early results include a 3-2 debut victory for SV Elversberg against Bayer Leverkusen and 1. FC Köln’s 3-2 victory over Hoffenheim. ## Claims - Dortmund is exploring the possibility of acquiring Nwaneri on loan. (disputed by 3 sources) - Borussia Dortmund loaned Ethan Nwaneri from Arsenal London for one year to cover Konstantelias's absence. (disputed) - SV Waldhof Mannheim hosted a test match against Eintracht Frankfurt on 1 August 2026 at Carl‑Benz‑Stadion. (corroborated by 3 sources) - Kickoff time was 17:00 local time. (corroborated by 3 sources) - Giannis Konstantelias suffered an anterior cruciate ligament rupture in his left knee during his Bundesliga debut against Hamburg. (corroborated by 3 sources) - The injury will keep the 23-year-old midfielder out of action for several months. (corroborated by 3 sources) - Borussia Dortmund is searching for a replacement for Konstantelias. (corroborated by 3 sources) - The match was streamed free on Waldhof's YouTube channel and via paid subscription on EintrachtTV. (corroborated by 2 sources) - Approximately 10 000 tickets had been sold for the match. (corroborated by 2 sources) - Eintracht Frankfurt's coach Adi Hütter used the match as a test after wins over FC Gießen and Trabzonspor. (corroborated by 2 sources) - Waldhof's 3. Liga season begins on 7 August 2026 against Fortuna Düsseldorf. (corroborated by 2 sources) - No free‑to‑air television broadcast was planned for the match. (corroborated by 2 sources) ## Timeline ### 2026-09-10: Giannis Konstantelias undergoes successful knee surgery Borussia Dortmund's Giannis Konstantelias has successfully undergone surgery for an ACL injury sustained during his Bundesliga debut. He begins a multi-month rehabilitation process. 10 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/ioannis-konstantelias-undergoes-successful-knee-surgery ### 2026-08-29: Borussia Dortmund player Giannis Konstantelias suffers ACL injury Borussia Dortmund's 2-0 win over Hamburger SV was marred by a season-threatening ACL injury to new signing Giannis Konstantelias, forcing the club to seek urgent transfer replacements. 59 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/bundesliga-season-begins-with-dortmund-vs-hsv-top-match ### 2026-08-27: Bundesliga season features key leadership and transfer shifts The new Bundesliga season highlights key shifts at major clubs, including Ole Book's transfer strategy at Borussia Dortmund and Carles Martinez's coaching tenure at Bayer Leverkusen. 4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/bundesliga-season-features-key-leadership-and-transfer-shifts ### 2026-08-18: Bundesliga 2026/27 season approaches with major player transfers The 2026/27 Bundesliga season sees major activity, highlighted by Niclas Füllkrug's loan return to Werder Bremen and several key player transfers across German clubs. 12 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/bundesliga-transfer-updates-ngoumou-batshuayi-and-fllkrug ### 2026-08-11: German football clubs manage transfers and coaching changes German football clubs face early-season shifts, including SpVgg SV Weiden signing Friedrich Lieder to address injuries and Dynamo Dresden preparing to bounce back from a heavy defeat. 15 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/german-regional-football-magdeburg-ii-and-salzhemmendorf-secure-victories ### 2026-08-10: Bundesliga 2026/27 season preparations and club updates Preparations for the 2026/27 Bundesliga season involve Schalke 04's return to the top flight, tactical shifts for Union Berlin, and strategic planning for fantasy football managers. 8 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/1-fc-union-berlin-faces-tactical-and-roster-uncertainty-for-202627-season ### 2026-08-04: German football season opens with 3. Liga, 2. Bundesliga and Champions League matches German football kicks off with 3. Liga (Mannheim vs Düsseldorf), 2. Bundesliga (Wolfsburg vs Kaiserslautern, St. Pauli vs Fürth) and women's Champions‑League qualifiers, while Heidenheim coach Frank Schmidt may 27 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/german-clubs-launch-2026-preseason-with-home-test-matches ### 2026-07-31: Eintracht Frankfurt defeats Waldhof Mannheim 1-0 in pre‑season friendly Eintracht Frankfurt beat Waldhof Mannheim 1‑0 in a pre‑season friendly on 1 Aug 2026, with Burkardt scoring after Baum’s assist; the match was streamed online and Baum confirmed to stay at Frankfurt. 24 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/german-clubs-outline-202627-preseason-programmes ### 2026-07-26: German regional clubs kick off 2026/27 preseason across football and hockey German regional football and hockey clubs start 2026/27 preseason with squad announcements, test matches and early cup ties. 67 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/ssv-ulm-1846-opens-wfv-pokal-tie-as-1-fc-schwarzenfeld-resumes-postponed-derby ### 2026-07-26: German regional football clubs report multiple test match results SV Südkirchen, PSV Bork, SuS Olfen and other clubs posted test‑match results, while Luca Sirch signed for SV Elversberg. 12 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/sebastian-kramzik-scores-twice-for-sg-selm-in-aurubis-cup ### 2026-07-25: French clubs begin pre‑season friendlies ahead of 2026‑27 league French clubs UNFP FC and DFCO held pre‑season friendlies on July 25, 2026, with UNFP FC debuting new coach Damien Ott against Valenciennes and DFCO drawing with Sochaux in Saint‑Vit. 6 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/french-clubs-begin-preseason-friendlies-ahead-of-202627-league ### 2026-07-17: RC Lens and FC Metz kick off French preseason friendlies RC Lens and FC Metz began French preseason with friendlies; Lens drew 1‑1 with Boulogne, Thauvin scored, and Agbonifo secured a loan to Poland. Metz faced Seraing, unveiled a new kit and listed squad changes. 5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/rc-lens-and-fc-metz-kick-off-french-preseason-friendlies ### 2026-07-10: European football clubs hold preseason test matches Several European clubs played preseason test matches, with USV Eschen‑Mauren losing 2‑1, Rot‑Weiß Erfurt 0‑3, Mainz 05 winning 10‑0, AS Eupen 1‑0 and others preparing for the new season. 7 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/fc-schaffhausen-and-fc-heidenheim-schedule-july-preseason-test-matches ### 2026-07-08: Moritz Polte joins SV Waldhof Mannheim Moritz Polte signs for SV Waldhof Mannheim; Werder Bremen women unveil new squad; Waldhof releases 2026/27 schedule; VfB Stuttgart holds community events; Hansa Rostock’s 3. Liga fixtures announced. 5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/sv-waldhof-mannheim-to-host-fortuna-dsseldorf-in-3-liga-season-opener ### 2026-07-06: German Lower-League Football Test Matches Set for July BW Dingden vs RW Ahlen (9 July) and VfR Mannheim vs SV Waldhof Mannheim (10 July) are scheduled as German lower‑league preseason test matches. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/german-lower-league-football-test-matches-set-for-july ### 2026-07-04: French Ligue 2 clubs assess preseason training ahead of England and domestic friendlies UNFP FC coaches review two weeks of preseason work ahead of an England friendly, while Dijon FCO beats a Côte‑d’Or selection 4‑1 in its own preparatory match, both focusing on player assessment and cohesion. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/french-ligue-2-clubs-assess-preseason-training-ahead-of-england-and-domestic-friendlies ### 2026-07-03: German lower-division clubs announce July preseason test matches German lower‑division clubs detail July preseason test matches, while 1 FC Frankfurt appeals its Oberliga Süd placement over travel costs. 7 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/german-clubs-ksc-and-fsv-frankfurt-set-july-2026-preseason-test-matches --- Cite as: German football preseason & early season. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/european-football-clubs-preseason-preparations