by FOXSports.com

The odds were stacked even higher against them, staving off relegation after losing five of their first six matches to start their initial season in the top flight. But they rallied for a competitive 12 wins, including victories over the champs Bayern Munich, Schalke and Bayer Leverkusen. They finished 14th, beating the odds again.

Cottbus left their mark in league history last April when they became the first German Bundesliga team to start a match with 11 foreigners in the lineup.

Their band of discarded Eastern European players suits coach Eduard Geyer, the last head coach of the DDR (East Germany), just fine. "Many German players fall short on technique. This is not the case for Eastern Europeans, and that's why I like them so much. They are also cheaper than Germans too!" It doesn't help that luring players to Cottbus is difficult because the depressed town is on the opposite end of the spectrum of contemporary metropolitan life.

This season began well for Cottbus, third place after four rounds and fifth after six. But five consecutive losses have sunk the club all the way to 15th spot with five matches left before the winter break. On the field, they've suffered a power shortage managing just two goals in their last six outings while allowing a whopping 18. However, their woeful play is only part of the 'Energie' crisis.

It wasn't a cruel trick when Cottbus' offices were raided on Halloween as part of an investigation into 'criminal activities' at the club. The homes of club president Dieter Krein and manager Klaus Staubach also were searched. Cottbus state prosecutor, Petra Hertwig, told Bild newspaper that the investigation into the East German outfit was linked to player transfers, but she declined to give details. Club spokesman, Ronny Gersch rebuffed the charges and remained baffled by the raids. "We are completely in the dark and we can't give any reaction because we don't know what we've been accused of," Gersch said. It seems the sale of Kevin McKenna to Scottish club Hearts in March raised suspicions among Cottbus prosecutors.

Two days later, the war of words between Krein and Hertwig escalated. "This is an embarrassing action by the state prosecutors which accuses innocent citizens. Our reputation is ruined even though we're innocent," said club president Krein. Hertwig responded confidently as the story began captivating tiny Cottbus. "Mr. Krein should let us get on with our job. There were 15 court rulings and the judge was of the same opinion as we are."

The good news is coach Geyer and the players are removed from any possible legal wrongdoing. But they have been found guilty of blowing a promising start on the field.

Seven matches without a win has doomed them to fighting relegation the rest of the season. Currently, there isn't an investigation into their porous defense which has surrendered a league-high 25 goals, but there should be. The attack is just as guilty, scoring an anemic 13 goals.

All of this is making even the staunchest Cottbus supporters thinking hard about life back in the second division. With 21 well-traveled foreigners on their roster, relegation could decimate Cottbus and eventually hurl them back to the regional leagues from which they came.

Whether they pull out of their tailspin and remain one of East Germany's last links to the Bundesliga remains to be seen. It's definitely clear the entire club has lost its focus and one of the league's best stories -- an underdog everyone loves -- could be an after-thought come this time next year.

You can watch Allen Hopkins live every Saturday and Sunday as he covers the 2001-02 Bundesliga season y on Fox Sports World.