Football – Union Berlin loses and complains about the “scandal game” verdict

20 minutes before kick-off, in the small but beautiful 1. FC Heidenheim stadium, “away win, away win” was heard from the guest block. The 1,850 supporters of 1. FC Union Berlin who traveled with us tried to encourage their team and themselves. The support from the supporters from the capital, which continued throughout the hard-fought 90 minutes, did not lead to the end of Köpenick’s negative series. Due to the deserved 2-0 defeat at the start of the short winter break, the Iron Men have now been without a triple point win for nine Bundesliga games.

Heidenheim, which unlike Union had traveled to a winter training camp in Spain, was able to celebrate another victory after ten winless attempts and most recently seven Bundesliga defeats in a row. »We played a very good first quarter of an hour. Then something happened, which can happen in football, that you get a counterattack goal,” analyzed Union’s new coach Steffen Baumgart after the game. »With the later red card the game changed completely. Then you’re not just running after that one man, but also a little bit of the situation at the time.”

Baumgart’s debut fails

The debut of the new Union coach was eagerly awaited, whose main aim is to remedy the offensive weakness under predecessor Bo Svensson. In contrast to his previous positions at Hamburger SV, 1. FC Köln and SC Paderborn, Baumgart did not wear a short T-shirt in winter temperatures. But even wearing a sweater and vest, the 53-year-old swept through the coaching zone as usual to encourage his team.

Baumgart was immediately back to working temperature seven weeks after leaving the second division club HSV. This initially also applied to his team, which, as he had announced, lined up in defense with a back four. Without the previous defense chief Kevin Vogt, who initially had to sit on the bench, the Iron Men got off to a very decent start. If striker Jordan Siebatcheu hadn’t just hit the crossbar in the early stages (8th), perhaps the game would have turned out differently. But in the relegation battle, the guests’ mistakes were punished coldly in the game-deciding situations.

Defender Frans Krätzig, who had just been loaned from FC Bayern Munich, crowned the first serious attack with his first Bundesliga goal to make it 1-0 after a counterattack in the 17th minute. Union handled that relatively well. But when Union defender Tom Rothe was shown the red card 20 minutes later after a stick error and subsequent emergency brake against Sirlord Conteh, it amounted to a practical preliminary decision. »It was a very unfortunate game. You can’t blame us for not trying everything to equalize. “But it was difficult with one man less,” said Union captain Christopher Trimmel.

Heidenheim’s new additions are convincing

Heidenheim’s long-term coach Frank Schmidt, who has been in office since 2007, complained that his team needed until the 83rd minute to actually put the lid on it. Only then did substitute Adrian Beck make the decision 2-0 with his goal. Previously, Union goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow, who again adequately represented regular goalkeeper Frederik Rönnow, who had an elbow injury, had fended off a shot from Heidenheim’s winter newcomer Budu Zivzivadze.

Even without scoring his own goal, second division top scorer Zivzivadze, who was brought in from Karlsruher SC in January, was able to impress straight away. Like Krätzig, he did not experience the previous Heidenheim downturn. “They provided the team with this positivity and energy,” said Schmidt, satisfied with the performance of his new players. There have been no new signings at Union so far, although they seem urgently needed, especially in attack. Including the loss of points suffered before the DFB sports court from the “scandal game” against VfL Bochum, the lead over relegation place 16 is now only three points.

No wonder that Union in Heidenheim also worked on the DFB’s announced appointment. President Dirk Zingler didn’t miss a TV camera to make his club’s arguments public. Zingler criticized the DFB, the DFB control committee chairman Anton Nachreiner and the Bochum club management. »We will of course go through all the instances. I believe that the DFB is violating its own legal system. If it was a mistake by the referee, there is only one decision left: then the game must be replayed,” explained Zingler.

Anger over the “scandal game” verdict

The encounter on matchday 14 was scored 2-0 for Bochum because, according to the sports court, VfL keeper Patrick Drewes was injured in the head by a lighter being thrown and was unable to continue playing. The game was still brought to an end. However, the DFB ruled that it should have been canceled. »We can’t allow the actions of individual idiots at the rank to cause us to interrupt or abandon our game. “What Mr. Nachreiner wants is the wrong instrument to counteract it,” complained the Union President.

Union also subtly accuses the Bochum people around Drewes of acting. “And please take Bochum’s nose into account, they didn’t play fairly,” said Zingler. Union could also improve the difficult situation on the pitch in the next few days if they score points in the consecutive home games on Wednesday evening against FC Augsburg and on Sunday against 1. FSV Mainz 05.