Heidenheim celebrates the rise | tagesschau.de

Status: 05/29/2023 3:38 p.m

After the spectacular promotion to the Bundesliga, 1. FC Heidenheim celebrated a party in their own stadium – with frenetic fans and an announcement from coach Frank Schmidt.

“Today the mosquitoes are flying backwards,” Frank Schmidt called into the microphone and was enthusiastically cheered by the thousands of fans who came to the Heidenheim stadium on Monday to celebrate their heroes. Unlike many of his players, the coach didn’t wear sunglasses and after returning from Regensburg on Saturday evening he made his way home to his wife. “We rested for today.”

Already on Saturday evening, the fans welcomed their team euphorically at the stadium – just before midnight with flares, red smoke pots and everything else that might have been kept in Heidenheim’s cellars since New Year’s Eve. “How it ended is indescribable. But in the end it was earned somewhere,” Schmidt had the madness of the last match day summarized.

gratitude and humility

The Heidenheimers had meanwhile slipped to the relegation rank and crowned themselves with that Winning goal by Tim Kleindienst in the ninth minute of added time in Regensburg to the winner and in the league to champion and promoted. Kleindienst, who not only shot FCH into the Bundesligabut also secured the top scorer cannon, all of which was difficult to grasp.

“I think we will need a few days – because what was going on was so crazy,” said Kleindienst on Sunday evening during a stopover at a rest stop. “You keep getting a little reminder and you think: What actually happened? It’s unbelievable. That’s the best thing that could have happened today.” In the red promotion shirt, coach Schmidt couldn’t stop beaming at that rest stop. “I’m very grateful to be promoted with this team.”

Captain Mainka: “It’s an absolute honor”

He always wondered about all those who couldn’t grasp great sporting moments directly. “Now I feel the same way,” Schmidt marveled. “I’m still far too sober for what we’ve achieved today.” Kleindienst also looked remarkably sorted hours after the final whistle. “It’s crazy, especially for this club’s history. This path that the club has taken – from the bottom to the top, he has worked his way into the upper house.” And that’s also why there was a state of emergency in Heidenheim. “Everyone is happy today. Fan, dog, cat – they are all happy.”

Schmidt and his team were still grateful and humble on Monday. “It goes beyond all limits that we could have imagined,” the coach called out to the fans and thanked them again for their support. He himself once played in front of 250 fans in the Heidenheim stadium and is now the FCH champion and promotion coach “But the greatest gift” is the cohesion in the team. Captain Patrick Mainka believes that too. “It’s an absolute honor,” he said. “Because they’re absolutely great guys.”

Kleindienst and the “perfect season”

But the night was short, revealed keeper Kevin Müller, who hid his eyes behind blue mirrored glasses. After all, the Heidenheimers were not only allowed to celebrate promotion, but also the championship title. “There’s nothing to say other than that it was the perfect season,” said striker Kleindienst. As in the last game of the season in Regensburg, the team always believed in themselves. “Now we’ll get the championship trophy,” said Captain Mainka happily. “Because nobody else believed in us either.”

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