​2020 was a year shaped by the coronavirus pandemic, although FCA still managed to have a successful year, securing their Bundesliga status for a tenth successive year. We're taking a look back at everything that's happened over the last 12 months in our Year in Review. FCA had to make do without Heiko Herrlich in October, but picked up an important home win on Halloween. 

After starting with two wins, the excitement for the away game against VfL Wolfsburg was slightly dampened by the news that head coach Heiko Herrlich had been hospitalized for a pneumothorax (accumulation of air between the lungs and rib cage) and would be unable to take charge of the game. Herrlich watched from the hospital as his team earned a 0-0 draw in order to head into the international break in second place. 

The club were satisfied with the current squad, but were still able to make a couple deals happen on the final day of the transfer window. Eduard Löwen had his loan spell at Hertha BSC cut short at his request, while academy player Simon Asta - the youngest player to feature in the Bundesliga for FCA - joined SpVgg Greuther Fürth. FCA also signed defensive talent Frederik Winther, before loaning him back to his former club Lyngby until the end of the season. 

Vargas’ bicycle kick, Hahn’s late brace 

After the international break, league leaders RB Leipzig came to Augsburg for a battle of first versus second. The match had to take place behind closed doors due to the rise in new coronavirus infections. FCA fell to a 2-0 defeat, their first of the season. They then lost to Bayer Leverkusen the following weekend, and are still yet to win a league game against the Werkself. Daniel Caligiuri scored an equaliser after the break, but it wasn’t enough to prevent Leverkusen from winning. Despite covering a club-record 128 km in that game, FCA fell to a 3-1 defeat. 

With coronavirus cases continuing to rise everywhere, a decision is made whereby all Bundesliga games must take place behind closed doors until further notice, while play is suspended for all youth teams. The decision is especially tough for the U17s, who were sitting in first place after winning four of their five games (D1).  

On Halloween, FCA hosted a winless 1. FSV Mainz, who had yet to pick up a point this season. Ruben Vargas opened the scoring with a sensational bicycle kick, before Mainz were able to equalise. But, a late brace from André Hahn saw FCA retake the lead and all three points. “We showed a reaction after conceding the equaliser, and took the pressure up a notch,” said Herrlich afterwards. 

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