The 1. FC Heidenheim has secured the last free space in the Bundesliga with a very late goal.
When the last Elversberger sailed over the goal, the Heidenheim Last minute heroes tore their arms up and sprinted onto their fan curve. With a very late goal to the 2: 1 (1: 1) in the second leg of the “Dwarf Relegation”, the FCH has secured the last free space in the Bundesliga. The first leg had run out 2-2.
Mathias Honsak (9th) and Leo Scienza (90.+5) met for the Bundesliga-16. in the second division third, for which Robin Fellhauer (31st) had compensated. This remains the clear advantage of the first division clubs: Since the reintroduction of the relegation in 2009, only three out of 17 duels of the second division has prevailed.
“We were the much better team, but Heidenheim decided with one of the very few attacks,” said SVE sports director Nils-Ole Book. “We will notice in the coming days how close we were at the climb. We were the ones who deserved it. Nevertheless: Congratulations.”
The Elversberger could not crown their fairytale rise of the past few years. It was not until 2023 that the club from the 13,000-inhabitant community of Spiesen-Elversberg, under the direction of coach Horst Steffen, had succeeded in the 2nd league from the regional league. Most recently, the Saarland was represented in the 1992/93 season by 1st FC Saarbrücken in the elite class.
“It doesn’t matter how I rate the first leg. Actually, it is good that we are not in front so that we do not believe that we have to defend anything. We start again – so free,” said Steffen shortly before kick -off at Sky. His counterpart Schmidt was certain that “a lot in the head” was decided: “The team is ready and confident. Everyone has to work right away.”
In front of 9,200 spectators in the sold -out stadium on the Kaiserlinde, the hosts were the better team in the initial phase. The first good chance of the two longest -serving coaches in German professional football had the Heidenheim Marvin Pieringer (5th). Honsak did better shortly afterwards after a strong preparatory work by Scienza.
ASLLANI gate
In the 18th minute, the Elversberger had to cope with the next setback. The injured Semih Sahin did not go on, he was replaced by Carlo Sickinger. Heidenheim also met five minutes later: Budu Siwsiwadse came for the battered Pieringer.
After just under half an hour, the hosts increased the number of stroke. Captain Fellhauer refined Tom Zimmerschied’s preparatory work, which had quality similar to that of Scienza. Until the break, fight on both sides was a trump card.
At the beginning of the second round, Heidenheim was lucky that a goal from Fisnik Asllani did not count due to a wafer -thin offside position (47.). Nevertheless, the Elversberger leadership was in the air, the Saarlanders pushed the guests on the defensive.
Even after an hour, the SVE was the better team, but the village association could no longer generate the great pressure. On the other hand, hardly anything came from Heidenheim on the offensive. That changed in the 67th minute – but Luca Kerber could not take the good chance. After that, not much happened, everything indicated an extension – until Scienza struck.