Energie Cottbus President: 'Missed 12 years of development'

FC Energie Cottbus President Sebastian Lemke stated that the club missed out on 12 years of development by not competing in the second division of German football.

Lemke highlighted that the club has much to catch up on, both in terms of sporting performance and infrastructure. "We were not in this league for twelve years and thus missed twelve years of development," Lemke told rbb ahead of the season opener against Hannover 96.

He pointed to the Stadion der Lausitz as an example, noting that while funding allowed for upgrades to meet second-division requirements, the facility is not suited for modern football. Deficiencies include the VIP area and the lack of executive boxes. Training conditions also lag behind, according to Lemke.

The club received a significant portion of its promised funding, with 1.67 million euros from the state of Brandenburg. Despite acknowledging that many competitors have larger budgets, with Wolfsburg reportedly spending around 20 million euros on transfers alone, Lemke remains focused on the team's own strategy.

"We know that our budget will be by far the smallest," Lemke said. "Nevertheless, we will try to bring our courageous offensive football onto the pitch." The return to the 2. Bundesliga after more than a decade has generated considerable excitement in the Lausitz region, with visible signs of support throughout Cottbus and surrounding towns.