34th matchday
“It was a shock” – VfB has to be relegated
After a 1-1 draw against Hoffenheim, Silas Katompa Mvumpa (r) has to go into relegation with VfB Stuttgart. photo
© Tom Weller/dpa
VfB has not used its favorable starting position and has to tremble in the relegation about relegation. The coach emphasizes that this must now be seen as another chance.
When it was certain that the horror scenario of relegation from the Bundesliga continued to threaten, the VfB Stuttgart players slumped onto the pitch.
They shook their heads in frustration, hanging their heads. The 1: 1 (0: 0) in the piquant national duel with the harmless and previously rescued TSG 1899 Hoffenheim on Saturday was not enough for the hoped-for happy ending and direct relegation.
Sosa: “It hurts a lot”
VfB slipped down to the relegation rank and must prevent the third fall into the second division since 2016 against the third-placed team from the 2nd division in a week on Thursday and Monday. “It hurts a lot. It was a shock,” said Borna Sosa.
After all, everything had been arranged for a successful season finale at the end of months of recurring disappointment. With a favorable starting position, the Swabians went into the last day of the game. With a redeeming victory, the next year in the first division would have been safe.
But the traditional club didn’t take advantage of its appealing goal chances. VfL Bochum overtook Leverkusen 3-0. VfB must continue to prove themselves in order to save a season with several managerial changes and the departure of sporting director Sven Mislintat. Whether Hamburger SV or 1. FC Heidenheim will be the relegation opponents will be decided on Sunday.
Hoeneß: “Of course there was great hope”
“Of course there was a lot of hope that we could do it,” said coach Sebastian Hoeneß. “Doomsday mood” did not prevail in the dressing room, he reported and immediately tried to spread optimism again. “It must be clear to us that we now have another real chance to stay up in the league, which was a long way off,” said the 41-year-old, the fourth VfB coach this season. “When I started here seven weeks ago, it was a very lucrative opportunity. We will now approach it with full conviction, with full optimism, although disappointment for today is completely okay, appropriate and human.”
In fact, this season it had looked like a direct descent for a long time. At the beginning of April, Hoeneß took over VfB as the fourth coach of the season, bottom of the table. Only under him was the trend right. Unlike his predecessor, the 41-year-old managed to stabilize VfB. Winning two Bundesliga games in a row for the first time since May 2021 was not successful even for the former Hoffenheim coach.
Offense too imprecise
In May 2022, the traditional Swabian club managed to achieve a dramatic rescue in injury time. The fact that Pellegrino Matarazzo freaked out as coach of VfB and now spoiled the long-awaited non-relegation party as coach of TSG was a spicy detail of the afternoon. Matarazzo had to leave VfB last October.
A scenario similar to that of a year ago would have been possible this time too. But the VfB offensive was too imprecise and not compelling enough. Josha Vagnoman (11th/18th) and Serhou Guirassy (40th) missed chances in the first half. After the change of sides, after the surprising deficit by Ihlas Bebou (75th), for previously harmless guests only enough for Tiago Tomás (80th) to equalize. The possibilities were there with Chris Führich (63rd) or Enzo Millot (77th), who shot the ball to the crossbar. “It just wasn’t supposed to be today. We have to accept that,” said Waldemar Anton.
Last relegation in spring 2019
Sports director Fabian Wohlgemuth nevertheless campaigned for the appearance to give hope. It was felt “that everyone knows what it’s about. The boys have shown that they want to. They will also want to in the next game,” said the 44-year-old. “It will be important for success in the relegation that we don’t see the additional games as a burden, but as a chance to stay up in the league.”
So far, VfB has played once in the relegation game. At that time, the 2018/19 season ended after the extra shifts against 1. FC Union Berlin with relegation. “Stay positive,” said CEO Alexander Wehrle.