The fourth division football teams FSV Frankfurt and SV Elversberg defend themselves against the accusation of unsportsmanlike behavior after a remarkable final phase in the penultimate game of the season.
After the clear lead of SG Sonnenhof Großaspach in the parallel game against SSV Ulm, the two teams apparently agreed on a “non-aggression pact” in the last twelve minutes.
Elversberg only let the ball run in the back four, the Frankfurters did not attack – memories of the disgrace of Gijon at the 1982 World Cup were awakened.
“You can maybe compare that,” admitted SVE coach Horst Steffen on “Saarländische Rundfunk” and tried to justify himself: “We said that we were no longer taking any great risks. If Frankfurt had attacked us, we would have been forced to continue played forward. They didn’t do that. So it really looked like pushing the ball around and waiting for the final whistle.”
It was simply a matter of securing the season goal of promotion to the third division. The Saarlanders can no longer be ousted from SSV Ulm thanks to the significantly better goal difference with a three-point lead. Frankfurt handed the draw to almost certainly remain in the class, Großaspach is almost certain to be relegated because of the worse goal difference with three points behind the FSV.
“The draw was enough for us. Why should we attack?” Frankfurt coach Tim Görner explained his team’s reluctance. “The Elversbergers didn’t play forward and we didn’t want to win the ball,” added sporting director Thomas Brendel: “Two other teams would have done the same. Everyone would have been closest to themselves there.”