The last match day of a season in the Bundesliga is often one for the big dramas. Sometimes it is precisely the teams that are decisively involved for whom prestige is all that matters. An overview.
In the history of the Bundesliga, there have already been some strange last matchdays. It was not uncommon for teams to be involved that were no longer concerned with the championship or against relegation on the last day of a season, sometimes it was only a matter of prestige for them. That can also be motivation enough, just one example: Matchday 34 of the 1999/2000 season, two clubs that were still hoping for the championship. And a Munich suburban club that played big that afternoon.
Table leaders Bayer Leverkusen had a three-point lead over FC Bayern, just a reminder. And then that: Own goal by Michael Ballack, then a strategist in midfield at Leverkusen. The opponent was SpVgg Unterhaching, who had already been saved and scored a second goal shortly before the end. Leverkusen lost a game that afternoon and they lost the championship too. Because at the same time Bayern won in Bremen, they still finished first.
It wasn’t always that dramatic on the last day of the game, and it wasn’t always a team that played such a decisive role that was supposedly about nothing. But often enough. An overview of the past fifteen seasons in the Bundesliga.
Season 2019/20: Cologne goes down against Bremen and Düsseldorf goes down
1. FC Köln had already secured relegation in the 2019/20 season before the last matchday. The coach Markus Gisdol had said in the days before the away game at Werder Bremen that his team would of course not give away the last game of the season. Only his players obviously hadn’t listened to him that well. FC lost 1: 6 – and thus indirectly contributed to the relegation of rival Fortuna Düsseldorf.
Before the 34th match day, Fortuna was in relegation rank 16 with 30 points, two points ahead of Werder Bremen in 17th place. Then Bremen won against Cologne and Düsseldorf lost to 1. FC Union Berlin, so Fortuna had to go down. Bremen was allowed into the relegation, drew twice against 1. FC Heidenheim – and stayed in, the away goals rule, it still existed.
Season 2018/19: Augsburg and a journey to forget
When FC Augsburg traveled to VfL Wolfsburg on matchday 34 of the 2018/19 season, they did so knowing that they would be playing in the Bundesliga again next season. The 15th in the table had a five-point lead over VfB Stuttgart in 16th place. But it was a journey that she would have gladly forgotten at FCA. Augsburg lost 8-1, and coach Martin Schmidt apologised, somewhat contritely.
Schmidt listed a number of injured people, but he didn’t want to look for an excuse in them. He said: “I also have to apologize to the league.” FCA remained in 15th place in the table, now only four points ahead of Stuttgart. Wolfsburg moved straight into the Europa League in sixth place because pursuer Eintracht Frankfurt lost in Munich.
Season 2012/13: When Hoffenheim annoyed BVB, they were allowed to relegate and cheered
It was already clear before the last day of the 2012/13 season that BVB would end the season in second place. In the home game against TSG Hoffenheim, coach Jürgen Klopp still sent his strongest team onto the field, and he will not have liked the result. Because Hoffenheim’s Sejad Salihovic converted two penalties in the final quarter of an hour, BVB lost 1: 2 (1: 0).
Hoffenheim, on the other hand, left the direct relegation zone 17 and climbed to relegation rank 16 because competitor Fortuna Düsseldorf lost at Hannover 96 at the same time. In the relegation, Hoffenheim prevailed in two games against 1. FC Kaiserslautern.
Season 2011/12: When Hertha celebrated on matchday 34, but mourned at the end
Before matchday 34, 1. FC Köln was in 16th place with 30 points, followed by Hertha BSC with 28 points. The schedule was stupid for Cologne: their last opponents were Bayern, FC lost 4-1. That wasn’t a surprise. At the same time, Hertha won against TSG Hoffenheim, which was more of a surprise. In Sinsheim they could probably get over it, they stayed eleventh.
Hertha climbed to relegation rank 16 – and still got down. In the relegation, the Berliners failed at Fortuna Düsseldorf.
Season 2008/09: Leverkusen’s crash culminates in a defeat in Cottbus
When Bruno Labbadia was not yet an experienced trainer with a penchant for special tasks, but was an aspiring trainer, he used to work in Leverkusen. That was in the 2008/09 season and things started pretty well with Labbadia and Bayer Leverkusen: after thirteen matchdays the club were first in the table and third at Christmas, it could have been a successful season. But it wasn’t.
Labbadia’s time in Leverkusen ended after just one season. In the second half of the season, the team lost eight league games, before the 34th matchday the club was in a disappointing ninth place. And then Leverkusen also lost 0:3 at Energie Cottbus, who saved themselves with this win in the relegation. Labbadia was then on the bench again, the performance in the DFB Cup final against Werder Bremen was better, but Leverkusen still lost. Days later, Labbadia was a coach without a job.
Season 2007/08: Promoted KSC is saved and conceded seven goals
As a promoted team, Karlsruher SC was in a very respectable 10th place before the 34th match day, but with 43 points it had nothing to do with relegation for a long time. The performance in the last game was all the more surprising: KSC lost 7-0 at Hamburger SV, who improved from fifth to fourth place in the last game under coach Huub Stevens. Rafael van der Vaart scored one goal and set up three more for HSV, Paolo Guerreiro scored three times. times were those.