Before his first competitive match with FC Augsburg in the DFB Cup in Halle, Sandro Wagner raved about soccer in eastern Germany. "I really like East German soccer, I have to say," said the former assistant to national coach Julian Nagelsmann. He and Bundesliga side Augsburg will host regional league side Hallescher FC in the first round on Sunday (18:00).
He likes the stadium atmosphere in East Germany, said Wagner. "It's awesome." As coach of SpVgg Unterhaching, he played in two 3rd division play-off matches against Energie Cottbus in 2023, "that was incredibly cool". Back then, Wagner's Hachinger team prevented Cottbus from making it into the third division.
The 37-year-old still remembers games against Leipzig and Erfurt from his time as a player. "It's a cool atmosphere, it's a poisonous atmosphere." He expects something similar in Halle, he said. "I'm really looking forward to it. I've heard it's sold out and it's going to be hot. That's mega. It doesn't get any better than that. I'm really looking forward to it," said Wagner.
Wagner: A good regional league team is like a third division team
In principle, Wagner said that the Regionalliga Nordost is "simply extremely well positioned" in terms of soccer. Halle have made the best possible start to the championship with three wins in three games so far and should not be underestimated. Wagner also believes that there is no difference between the top teams in the Regionalliga and the third division teams from tenth place upwards. "That means that this is actually a third-division team for me," he said of Halle.
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