DW-World.de
Deutsche Welle

Arminia Bielefeld are one of those yo-yo teams that go up and down between the first and second divisions. They've been in the top flight since 2004 -- a long run by Bielefeld's standards.

But they haven't done much in the off-season to extend that streak. Bielefeld's most notable signing is South African keeper Rowen Fernandez. And they've lost two regular members of their starting eleven in past years, Heiko Westermann and Vatmir Vata.

Bielefeld are hoping that veterans like Jörg Böhme and Artur Wichniarek  -- plus a destructive style of play -- will save their skins.

But the yo-yo could be on its way back down.

Coach: Ernst Middendorp

Acquisitions: Matthias Langkamp (Wolfsburg), Siyabonga Nkosi, Rowen Fernandez (both Kaizer Chiefs), Stefan Aigner (Wacker Burghausen), Finn Holsing (Eintracht Braunschweig, returns from loan), Dennis Eilhoff (Koblenz, returns from loan), Leonidas Kampantais (AEK Athens), Oliver Kirch (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Andrej Mijatovic (Greuther Fürth)

Departures: Kamil Vacek (Sigma Olmütz), Marc Ziegler (Borussia Dortmund), Fatmir Vata (Koblenz), Tim Danneberg (on loan to Eintracht Braunschweig), Heiko Westermann (Schalke 04)

Bildunterschrift: Arminia Bielefeld 2007-08 team photo taken on July 2. Back row (left to right): Abdelaziz Ahanfouf, Jonas Kamper, Markus Bollmann, Matthias Langkamp, Petr Gabriel, André Mijatovic, Maik Rodenberg, Radim Kucera, Artur Wichniarek and Christian Eigler. Third row (left to right): Team doctor Dr.Günter Neundorf, Team assistant Michael Schweika, Team assistant Thomas Horstkötter, Robert Tesche, Jörg Böhme, Tobias Rau, Team assistant Asim Obercanin, Team assistant Rainer Schonz, Team assistant Dirk Westerhold, Team assistant Udo Geßler. Second row (left to right): Coach Ernst Middendorp, Assistant coach Geideck, Marcel Ndjenk, Sibusiso Zuma, Markus Schuler, Stefan Aigner, Oliver Kirch, Team assistant Jörg Weber, Team assistant Frank Eulberg and Team assistant Thomas Schlieck. Front row (left to right): Rüdiger Kauf, Nils Fischer, Ionnis Masmanidis, Leonidas Kampantais, Rowen Fernandez, Mathias Hain, Daniel Riemer, Bernd Korzynietz, David Kobylik, Umut Kocin and Thorben Marx.