New 2. Bundesliga Season Kicks Off: Brekalo Leads Hertha to Victory as Captain
The 2. Bundesliga season opened with Hertha's away win in Bochum, with Josip Brekalo playing a key role as the new captain of the Berlin club.
The 2. Bundesliga season opened with Hertha's away win in Bochum, with Josip Brekalo playing a key role as the new captain of the Berlin club.
The new season of Germany's second division, popularly known as the "2. Bundesliga," kicked off on Friday, August 7, 2026, with Hertha Berlin celebrating a 0:1 away victory over Bochum. The match was also marked by the appearance of former Croatian international Josip Brekalo, who wore the captain's armband and led his team to an important opening-day win.
The only goal of the match came in the 39th minute when Gronning found the back of the net for the visitors, assisted by Gouram. Brekalo, who has previously played for Hajduk and Dinamo in his career, played until the 86th minute and put in a solid performance in the season's first match. Bochum had more of the play in the second half and created several chances but failed to beat the visiting goalkeeper.
After their shocking relegation from the Bundesliga in May 2026, ending a run of 29 consecutive seasons in the top flight, Wolfsburg has immediately been installed as the heavy favorite for an immediate return. Sporting director Dieter Hecking, who took over the role in June 2026, is aware of the pressure. "We are aware that everyone sees us as favorites, but first we have to roll up our sleeves and get down to work," Hecking said.
The club underwent significant squad changes during the summer. Key players such as Konstantinos Koulierakis, Patrick Wimmer, and Jonas Wind departed, as did Croatian midfielder Lovre Majer, who continued his career at AEK Athens. To compensate for the lost quality, the "Wolves" brought in Hauke Wahl, Robert Glatzel, Elvis Rexhbecaj, and young Muhammed Damar. Coach Tobias Strobl, after a convincing pre-season win against Telstar (3:1), does not hide his optimism: "We feel we are fully ready for the start of the league campaign."
Hannover 96 narrowly missed out on promotion last season, finishing fourth, just two points behind second-placed Elversberg. Their main attacking threat will be Benjamin Källman, who scored 14 league goals in the 2025/26 season. The club has strengthened with goalkeeper Pascal Loretz from Luzern, Jean Hugonet from Magdeburg, and Taycan Etçibaşı from Borussia Dortmund's second team. The departure of captain Enzo Leopold to Borussia Mönchengladbach is a setback, but under coach Christian Titz, they hope to end a seven-year absence from the Bundesliga.
St. Pauli returns to the second tier with new coach Marcel Rapp, who previously guided Holstein Kiel to the top flight. Although captain Jackson Irvine, midfielder Daniel Sinani, and goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj have left, Rapp has managed to keep Swedish international Eric Smith and proven striker Martijn Kaars. Kaars scored 19 goals for Magdeburg in the 2024/25 season and has already netted twice in three appearances for St. Pauli at the start of last season.
Heidenheim is the other team relegated from the Bundesliga, and they are still led by legendary coach Frank Schmidt, who is entering his 19th season at the helm, including a milestone tenth in the second division. "No one has any reason to fear. We have already shown that we are capable of quickly analyzing the situation and making a complete reset. The support and reaction of our fans give us inexhaustible strength and confidence," said the 52-year-old Schmidt. The Heidenheim squad also includes young Croatian midfielder Marko Zrilić (18), and the team has been reinforced by Paul Hennrich from Hoffenheim and Marcel Costly from Ingolstadt, who scored 18 goals and provided 10 assists in last season's 3. Liga.
Kaiserslautern finished last season in sixth place, and this season, under coach Torsten Lieberknecht, who has been in charge since April 2025, they are aiming for the top. The advantage of playing at the iconic Fritz-Walter-Stadion, with a capacity of 49,000, will be a significant asset. For Croatian fans, Ivan Prtajin, a former Hajduk striker who enters the season as the focal point of the attack, and U-19 international Ivan Knežević are particularly interesting.
Darmstadt 98 also has ambitions for a top-three finish, although they lost their main attacking duo of Isac Lidberg and Fraser Hornby during the summer. Croatian center-back Matej Maglica (27) has made 48 appearances and scored six goals in two seasons for the club. Coach Florian Kohfeldt, who has led the team since September 2024, emphasizes the strength of the collective: "We have built an authentic and strong sense of togetherness. I am extremely proud of the atmosphere in the dressing room-it's something you can't create overnight or buy with money." Although they finished ten points behind the promotion spots last season, Darmstadt, at their best, is capable of beating anyone in the league.
