1. FC Heidenheim and the town on the Württemberg Ostalb celebrated their newly promoted Bundesliga team on Whit Monday.
“It goes beyond all limits that we could have imagined,” said successful coach Frank Schmidt to several thousand enthusiastic fans at the party in the Voith Arena on the Schlossberg. Below him in the stands was a banner that read: “Live your dream!”
Exactly this comes true for the second division champion, enthused Schmidt. “I played football here in front of 250 spectators,” recalled the native of Heidenheim in the red promoted shirt, “we’re super happy that we were allowed to be there.”
The “greatest gift” for him is that his team “sticks together like this,” he added, and exclaimed: “Welcome to the premier league!”
The secret star of the celebration, complete with fireworks and an entry in the Golden Book of the city of 50,000, was kit manager Manuel Henck. In his humorous appearance, the supervisor satirized the famous balcony speech of the former Bayern star coach Louis van Gaal, who once shouted at Marienplatz: “A big kiss to all moms!”