August: “Roman kit” release and return to competitive action
2024 Year in Review, part 8
First Team
01.01.2025, 09:07
Another year is coming to an end: 12 eventful months of both highs and lows, along with plenty of memorable moments for FC Augsburg. It's time to once more reflect on the past 365 days. In part eight of FCA's Year in Review, we look back on August.
DFB-Pokal: FCA played their first competitive match of the new season against fourth-tier side FC Viktoria 1889 Berlin in the DFB-Pokal. FC Augsburg turned the game on its head after initially trailing in the capital, before eventually emerging 4-1 victors to advance to the second round of the competition, as had been the bare minimum objective. Elvis Rexhbecaj, Samuel Essende, Niklas Dorsch and Phillip Tietz bagged the goals to secure progression.
Transfer news: Before the transfer window slammed shut, there were still a number of in- and outgoings for FC Augsburg. While Lukas Petkov returned to the second tier with SV Elversberg following his successful loan spell at SpVgg Greuther Fürth, Felix Uduokhai made the move to Türkiye after five years in red, green and white, joining traditional Turkish club Besiktas. Patric Pfeiffer also moved to reigning Swiss champions BSC Young Boys on loan for the impending season. To fill his place in the squad, the club signed right-back Marius Wolf from Borussia Dortmund on a free transfer.
On deadline day, FCA then made late moves to secure the services of three new signings, those being Frank Onyeka (loan from Brentford), Alexis Claude-Maurice (OGC Nice) and Chrislain Matsima (loan with option to buy from AS Monaco). Niklas Dorsch also joined league rivals 1. FC Heidenheim with immediate effect on the last day of the transfer window.
The coaching staff were bolstered by the arrival of former FCA player Imre Szabics. The club also announced the newly appointed team council, with Jeffrey Gouweleeuw reinstated as club captain for the coming season. Kristijan Jakić and Fredrik Jensen were named as vice captains, while Phillip Tietz, Mads Pedersen and Arne Maier complete the six-man leadership team
League action: Before returning to Bundesliga football, FC Augsburg faced French first-division team Olympique Marseille in a friendly as part of Family Day at the WWK ARENA. However, that dress rehearsal in front of over 15,000 fans ended in a 3-1 defeat.
FC Augsburg began the new 2024/25 Bundesliga season with a 2-2 draw against SV Werder Bremen. The 30,660 spectators in the sold-out WWK ARENA experienced a thrilling match containing many twists and turns. Elvis Rehxbecaj unleashed a thunderbolt from over 25 yards out to level things up at 1-1 before Samuel Essende temporarily handed his side a 2-1 lead.
Off the pitch: For the first time since the WWK ARENA opened in 2009, the 2024/25 season saw FC Augsburg able to welcome fans to the club’s own catering facilities at its home ground, with a focus on regional dishes encompassing both variety and quality. On 8th August, the day of the Hohe Friedensfest, FCA and kit supplier Mizuno unveiled the club’s third kit, christened under the name “Roman kit,” which broke all sale records.
Under the motto “Augsburg united,” the first joint fundraiser between top-flight teams FC Augsburg and the Augsburger Panthers (ice hockey) took place in August in collaboration with Schwabenhilfe Augsburg. Around 300 guests spent an unforgettable evening at the Westhouse Augsburg, at the end of which a total of 150,000 euros had been raised. The second “Red-Green-and-White Night” in the Festzelt Schaller in Augsburg was also a great success.
