TSV 1860: Jacobacci's clear demand on Ismaik, otherwise the relegation battle threatens – "As of today, yes"

Looking into an uncertain future: 1860 coach Maurizio Jacobacci. © Imago

Before he started his (press) work, it was Maurizio Jacobacci's turn to have fun on Thursday afternoon.

Munich – A few fans intercepted the coach of TSV 1860 on the way to the parlor and got their selfie request fulfilled. "I've been kidnapped," joked Jacobacci when he had made the supporters happy and then made it to the press room – albeit with a slight delay.

So they still exist, the beautiful moments in the everyday life of a coach at TSV - despite a permanent visa for the "no man's land" in the table of the 3rd league and the dreariness associated with it.

TSV 1860: Jacobacci "actually great optimist", but ...

Once seated, however, Jacobacci was immediately confronted by the reporters with a more serious topic that is currently occupying the lion cosmos - and thus also Jacobacci himself - the squad planning for the coming season. Nine and a half players will leave in 1860. Half a half because the departure of top performer Marius Wörl is not yet official, but the 19-year-old top talent will move to Hannover 96 in the 2nd league, according to media reports. At the same time, not a single new addition has yet been determined. So is the coach worried? "I'm actually a great optimist," Jacobacci said, "from the ground up. And I know that certain situations don't look so rosy at the beginning, but something very positive emerges at the end."

The word "actually" in this statement suggested that there was also a "but" lurking. This was not explicit, but Jacobacci spoke of relegation elsewhere. Excuse me? Next season, TSV could only play against relegation? "So if I have to answer today, I'll say yes," the coach replied when asked by our newspaper. "Today. But I know that we will do our job in such a way that it shouldn't just be that goal."

TSV 1860: Jacobacci demands Ismaik

The suspicion is that Jacobacci is deliberately ringing the alarm bells in order to persuade the shareholders to pump more money into the association. Sechzig can currently only plan with a budget of 4.5 million euros for the new season – in the best case. That would be almost two million less than this year. Far from the demands of the coach. "We will use the budget made available to us to try to sign the best possible players for Sechzig München." But: "They can't be average players. I'm not satisfied with average players." That's why he recalled: "If we want a nominally good squad, then it will need the investor. It's as simple as that."

Some of the fans, especially from the west corner, are unlikely to like to hear that. Although a few of them seem to be busy with other things at the moment anyway. On Wednesday evening, for example, there were again brawls between the Reds and Blues on the sidelines of the Regionalliga match between the Bayern amateurs and Pipinsried. According to the police, 50 chaots from the 1860 environment attacked 20 to 30 FCB fans at Wettersteinplatz. After the arrival of the police, some of the thugs are said to have moved into the subway. It is at least not excluded that the dispute is a revenge action by the Lion fans. Almost two weeks ago, there had already been a brawl between the two camps when masked FCB supporters attacked a convoy of lion ultras. (jals)