Brackelmann: “I have to earn my place”
From considering retirement to the Bundesliga
First Team
01.08.2026, 19:15
New signing Calvin Brackelmann won promotion to the Bundesliga with SC Paderborn but still decided to join FC Augsburg. He is now part of his first training camp with FCA and, following the opening training session in Achenkirch, spoke about…
…his first few weeks in Augsburg: “I’m delighted to be at FCA. There’s still a lot for me to take in, particularly with so many new faces around. I’m pleased that this training camp is giving me the chance to get to know everyone better.”
…his move to FC Augsburg: “For a long time, it was far from certain that we would win promotion to the Bundesliga with Paderborn, so naturally you start thinking about a possible move. I’m delighted that Paderborn made it to the Bundesliga, but also that the transfer went through.”
…the difficult periods in his career: “When I was at Rödinghausen, I considered retiring after tearing my ACL. I even had a trial with FCA’s U23s, but ultimately decided that I wanted to remain closer to my family. I went from Lübeck to FC Ingolstadt and then moved on to Paderborn. It was a difficult road, but ultimately a successful one.”
…his talks with the club: “I already knew Benni from Paderborn, so he didn’t need long to convince me. My conversations with Manuel Baum and Michael Ströll also gave me a good feeling that I was making the right decision.”
…his role in the team: “As a new signing, I first have to earn my place. All I can do is give my best, and then it’s up to the coach to decide whether I’ve done enough. My personal goal is to make the first Bundesliga appearance of my career, ideally in our first home game against FC Schalke 04. There’s a lot of competition, though, so I’ll have to prove myself first.”
