Berlin – The second half of the season hasn’t even started yet, the first game has already been cancelled. Of course, the increasing corona numbers do not stop at the third division and are forcing the game between FSV Zwickau and Viktoria Köln to be postponed. Viktoria from Berlin was also caught this week. Seven players tested positive and are in quarantine at home, the promoted announced on Tuesday.
All players in the Viktoria squad have been vaccinated, the affected players are mostly symptom-free. The fact that the training planned for Tuesday and the test match agreed for Wednesday with regional league team Tennis Borussia Berlin were cancelled, were anything but optimal conditions for the start of the second half of the season on Sunday (2 p.m.) against Eintracht Braunschweig. “It is now important for us to deal with the situation responsibly in all sporting competition. We hope that there will be no further positive cases in the coming days and will continue to test closely,” said Managing Director Peer Jaekel. In view of the many failures, it is still not clear whether the game will take place at all. “We are in daily talks with the DFB,” said Viktoria’s sporting director Rocco Teichmann.
As if this negative news wasn’t enough, Viktoria also announced the departure of Tolcay Cigerci. The 26-year-old is moving to the Turkish second division team Samsunspor, as the third division football club announced. “After intensive talks, we agreed to Tolli’s request to move to Turkey. In addition, if certain commercial offers are made that we, as an up-and-coming third division club, cannot refuse, we do not stand in the way of a transfer,” said Teichmann.
Cigerci switched to Viktoria Berlin in 2021. In 14 third division games he scored seven goals and provided seven assists – more than any other Berliner. The move to Turkey is “a dream come true for him,” said the offensive player. His departure and the Corona worries do not make the task easy for Viktoria coach Benedetto Muzzicato. Especially at the beginning of the second half of the season he will not have much choice but to fill up the already young squad with more youth players.
The situation at 1. FC Magdeburg is completely different. After a great first half of the season and strong preparations in Turkey, there can only be one goal for 1. FC Magdeburg: promotion to the 2nd Bundesliga. Under coach Christian Titz, Magdeburg is one of the favourites.