Challenges for 1. FC Sonthofen: The club’s future is in danger!

Challenges for 1. FC Sonthofen: The club’s future is in danger!

The annual general meeting of 1. FC Sonthofen clearly demonstrated the club's challenges in modern football. President Matthias Schmidle described the association as a medium-sized company that is faced with major tasks. An increasingly tense economic situation is making planning and financial conditions more difficult. In total, the club recorded income of 663,000 euros, but is struggling with a small loss of 3,000 euros. This is mainly due to high expenditure on the youth sector, which amounts to 128,000 euros annually.

The termination of the cooperation with six social partners in 2024 is particularly problematic, which has put additional strain on the association's financial base. Schmidle also sharply criticized the association. High taxes and inadequate support for amateur clubs are a big problem. As an example, he cited the referee costs, which can be up to 260 euros for a preparation game.

Problems in the youth sector

There are great concerns about the club's youth teams, especially after the B youth team was relegated from the district league. It is becoming increasingly difficult to attract young people to 1. FC Sonthofen as other clubs in the region are also competing for talent. Player departures following relegation are another sign of the challenges, as parents often have high expectations.

The first team also had a difficult season and was relegated from the Bayernliga. Nevertheless, the aim is to attack the national league with a rejuvenated team. According to Schmidle, the separation from coach Benjamin Müller would have been necessary earlier; Nevertheless, he emphasized the trust that had been placed in the coach. A syndicate with TSV Fischen was seen as a necessary step after massive upheavals in the squad.

Successes of the women's team and the youth sector

Despite the challenges, there are also positive developments to report. The FC Sonthofen women's team has developed strongly and finished the season second in the district league behind FC Augsburg. In the youth sector, the B-Juniors are showing a positive upswing with 40 players in the district league. This gives reason to hope that these positive trends could have a long-term impact on the entire club.

For detailed information, visit the club's official website at fcsonthofen.de.

The current challenges and developments at 1. FC Sonthofen illustrate how important cooperation and support in the community are in order to make this traditional club successful in the future. Allgäu newspaper continues to report on the club's ongoing developments and upcoming plans.