Press conference from Saarbrücken attended by FZD
Fan happy to join the team. They have practiced together and are preparing for the first match this Sunday. Franziska and the others want to make sure that he feels comfortable and they have as much fun as possible (including eating schnitzel lol). Winning titles hopefully will come to fruition. Fan is supposed to play six or seven times in the first half of the season. That includes league, German Cup and Champions League. He will play the first two league matches, one at home this Sunday and the other next week in Bad Königshofen, followed by two more matches in September on September 14 (league) and September 19 (German Cup, both at home. He is also expected to play in the top matches against Ochsenhausen and Düsseldorf in December. They managed to get a bigger venue for the match against the latter. Champions League draws aren't out yet.
He is honored to play in the 1. Bundesliga and wants to contribute to the club's goals. Adjusting to life here outside of matches will be a challenge, but everyone is kind and helping him with his new life. Hopes to grow as a person making such a big change.
More information from interviews with the club's manager I hadn't shared yet from a while back.
Tickets for the first two matches sold out in two days iirc, but 90% were bought by Asians with the majority flying in from China (they can the track the ticket billings). Some from Europe too. They don't know how they are going to fit in the local longtime fans. This is worrisome imo.
Ticket sales are up by 400%. They are trying to get a bigger venue which they managed at least for one match so far.
They hired a security firm for Fan.
They are planning to have Fan play more matches in the second half of the season.