TM time travel
May 16, 1993 went down in the history books in Breisgau: Two days after a 2-2 draw at Fortuna Köln, SC Freiburg benefited from the defeats of pursuers Waldhof Mannheim and VfB Leipzig – the South Baden team’s first promotion to the Bundesliga was perfect.
But first things first. On the 42nd matchday of the mammoth 1992/93 season in the 2nd Bundesliga with a total of 24 teams on Friday, May 14th, there was a top game between fifth-placed Fortuna Cologne and the leaders from Freiburg. In front of around 2,500 spectators, the Domstädter took an early lead of 2-0 thanks to goals from Andreas Brandts and Dirk Lottner. In the middle of the first half, Maximilian Heidenreich scored the goal for the Breisgau team, before Joker Christian Simon equalized late in the 81st minute, which was ultimately enough for promotion. But nobody knew anything about it that day.
2nd division 1992/93
The SC Freiburg season at a glanceTo the games
“Achim, there are 24 piccolos in the bus, enjoy them,” coach Volker Finke – then in his second of later impressive 16 years at the sports club – is said to have said to his assistant Achim Sarstedt after the draw in Cologne. But there was no promotion celebration.
On the following Saturday, Mannheim first traveled to Hertha BSC in fourth place and lost in the capital. A day later, third-placed VfB Leipzig played Chemnitzer FC in front of their home crowd and also suffered a defeat, because the hosts won the Saxon derby 4-3 – six goals were scored in the first 13 minutes alone. With four games to go before the end of the season, the Sport-Club was eight points ahead of their pursuers in third and fourth place. With the two-point rule that applied at the time, three direct promotion places and the still pending duel between the teams from Mannheim and Leipzig, this meant promotion to the top flight of German football for the first time.
Volker Finke (centre) celebrates promotion to the Bundesliga for the first time with SC Freiburg in 1993.
Friborg 1992/93
The complete squad at a glanceTo Rraklli, Todt & Co.
Led by the then 25-year-old captain Uwe Spies, who played 41 games and scored eleven goals, the team from Breisgau achieved an impressive 65 points at the end of the season and overcame opposing defenses a total of 102 times. The Albanian attacker Altin Rraklli (16 goals) and midfielder Martin Braun (15 goals) were particularly accurate at the time. Also part of the promotion team were the later national player and European champion Jens Todt, Andreas Zeyer and the current Fürth coach Damir Buric.
30 years after promotion to the Bundesliga: SCF hopes for Champions League premiere
In the following 30 years, the South Baden team had to cope with four relegations, but managed to return to the Bundesliga just as often – three of them as champions. There are also five appearances in the European Cup, including this season, which only ended in the Europa League round of 16 against Juventus Turin. It is currently already clear two days before the end of the season that the SCF will at least take part in the group phase of the Europa League in 2023.
remaining program
Match days 33 and 34To overview
This is an “incredible success for us,” said sports director Jochen Saier to the “kicker”. Qualifying for the Champions League for the first time, which Chief Financial Officer Oliver Leki described as a “special goal” in “Bild”, is also within the realm of possibility.
Click here for the TM interview with Volker Finke!
Years #Bundesliga– Ascension!
05/14/1993: The #SCF plays 2:2 at Fortuna Cologne.
May 16, 1993: The results of the competition mean that promotion is certain!
05/22/1993: There will be celebrations at the home game in the Dreisam Stadium! pic.twitter.com/HbTkN4YtaE
— SC Freiburg (@scfreiburg) May 16, 2023
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