1. FC Heidenheim refuse to give up. After being written off after 30 matchdays, Frank Schmidt’s side secured a 3-1 win at 1. FC Köln, setting up a decisive home clash against Mainz 05 on Saturday. “I said it: if we manage to win here at Köln, then we’re really pumped for the season finale. We have the chance to play in the Bundesliga next year,” the coach said. It would be a historic comeback.
Heading into matchday 31, Heidenheim had just 19 points after 30 games, seven points adrift of relegation rival FC St. Pauli. A defeat would have sealed their Bundesliga exit after three years. “It was a nearly hopeless situation. I even said it’s damn hard to believe, after so many winless games, that we could still stay up,” Schmidt explained.
In Bundesliga history, 18 teams had 19 points or fewer after 30 matchdays—all were relegated.
Heidenheim beat St. Pauli 2-0, then earned a dramatic 3-3 draw at German champions FC Bayern, with victory snatched away at the last second. After the 3-1 win over Köln, Heidenheim overtook St. Pauli. Over the past three weeks, they are the league’s most in-form team. On the final day, St. Pauli host VfL Wolfsburg—both sit on 26 points, same as Heidenheim. Wolfsburg currently hold the relegation playoff spot. Heidenheim must beat Mainz to claim it. If the match ends in a draw or St. Pauli wins with the same margin as Heidenheim, the playoff looms again.
Many experts, including Lothar Matthäus, gave Heidenheim little chance. “Lothar said yesterday: Wolfsburg 60 percent, Pauli 30 percent, we have a 10 percent chance. I’d never contradict Lothar, but 10 percent is 1000 percent more than a few weeks ago. We believe in it,” Schmidt said with a smile.
