Eintracht Braunschweig dramatically holds the class. This is a merit of the entire team. Without a man, it would certainly not have worked.
It was a scene that left the whole of Braunschweig head: In the last minute of extra time in the relegation, Eintracht goalkeeper Ron-Thorben Hoffmann beats the ball forward, instead of playing the clock at a time and thus letting the clock run down on shaky legs. Striker Rayan Philippe gives the discount and completed to the 2-2 final score. The BTSV holds the class – and Hoffmann is the hero.
“Don’t do it, don’t do it!” Shouted his teammates when he took the ball. This is how Hoffmann describes it in the Sky interview after his first goal in the BTSV jersey. But he thought: “What did I have to lose?” And with that he was spot on: the 2-2 put the lid on a game that had stood on knife cutting edges. Match winner Hoffmann.
The fact that he became a hero for Eintracht is not only due to this one action by the goalkeeper. No, it is just one of many scenes that underlines the value of the goalkeeper for Eintracht so impressively.
The 26-year-old once more performed a strong appearance in his sky-blue jersey on Tuesday evening against the 1st FC Saarbrücken. Parades, quick drops, safe passing game – all of this gave the Braunschweig game at least a little calm even in hectic phases.
Last season, the keeper of Eintracht, who was trained at Bayern, had helped out of trouble at Bayern. The non -relegation also achieved thanks to Hoffmann’s strong performance. When he turned his back on the Eintracht in summer and switched to FC Schalke 04, the frustration with the fans was great.
But Hoffmann was not wanted at Schalke. With a declaration of love to Eintracht, he confessed a big mistake after only half a year. He made such on the lawn all the less, saved Braunschweig from the goalkeeper crisis and stuffed the huge gap he had left.
On the square it seemed as if it had never been gone. Not only parades, but also rest, sovereignty and charisma gave the team the security of a strong soreness and let observers shake their heads about the inexplicable way of dealing with him on Schalke.
The resentment of the fans was quickly forgotten when they realized: it works just like before. The tenor: No one can be angry with the lost son. If Hoffmann was missing, the mood in the ranks of the Eintracht stadium also dropped. Significant: Even after the relegation thriller, the keeper was celebrated loudly by the BTSV supporters.
There is reason to be happy for both fans and Hoffmann himself. The 26-year-old also laid the foundation for his own future with his considerable appearances. With the relegation in the 2nd Bundesliga, a purchase obligation anchored in Hoffmann’s loan contract applies to the BTSV. It is clear: Eintracht goes into the new season with its rescuer.