The chapter of Emil Berggreen at SpVgg Greuther Fürth ended on New Year’s Day.
The last-placed team in the Bundesliga and the Danish-Croatian striker are going their separate ways with immediate effect, the Fürth side announced at the start of the year. Berggreen’s contract with the Mittelfranken side would have run until 30 June 2022, but the 28-year-old’s contract has now been terminated by mutual agreement six months early.
No Bundesliga games and only four times in the lower house
The bulky centre-forward (1.93 metres tall, 89 kilos) didn’t get into the swing of things at the promoted club this season either, due to various injuries he didn’t play a single Bundesliga game. Instead, he last trained with the SpVgg’s U 23 and made nine appearances and scored four goals in the regional league team. However, the Fürth youth team has been on break since 24 November due to Corona, and Berggreen played his last competitive match for the Mittelfranken side on 6 November, when he was substituted after just under an hour in the 0-4 defeat at Bayreuth.
Berggreen came to Fürth in mid-September 2020, the then second-division season had just begun because of Corona, and the SpVgg officials were hoping for more penetrating power in the offensive with the signing of Twente Enschede. But even Fürth’s promotion year was without highlights from Berggreen, who was only substituted four times last season by coach Stefan Leitl.
Bitter Joker role in the defeat against Darmstadt
His performance against Darmstadt was particularly bitter at the time, when Fürth suffered a whopping 4-0 home defeat to Darmstadt on matchday 12. Berggreen was substituted at the break with the score at 0:2, missed a great chance to score from one metre and was replaced in the 74th minute due to an adductor injury.
Many injuries also in Mainz
Even in his first Bundesliga stop – 2017/18 at Mainz – injuries prevented a better performance record. He scored four times in 14 league games for the Rheinhessen side, and once in two DFB Cup games – but time and again muscular problems, a concussion and tonsillitis set him back.
As is customary in press releases when contracts are terminated, Fürth wished Berggreen “all the best for his future”, the striker probably wishing above all for more health and thus more playing time.
