After an undignified season finale with fan riots, Hansa Rostock has to make the bitter journey to the third football league. On the final day of the second division, coach Mersad Selimbegovic’s team lost 1-2 (0-0) against SC Paderborn and missed the hoped-for jump to relegation place 16. A few minutes before the end, riots overshadowed the sporting aspect and the game was about to be abandoned .
Paderborn’s Felix Platte (72nd minute) and Adriano Grimaldi (87th) shot Hansa into the third division. Nils Fröling (48th) scored for Rostock, who were only promoted back to the second division in 2021 after a nine-year absence. Shortly before the end, Hansa fans lit firecrackers and shot pyrotechnics towards the field, referee Harm Osmers sent the teams into the dressing room and interrupted the game. After almost 30 minutes, the teams returned to the pitch and brought the game to an end in front of half-empty stands.
“Basically it’s a bad report card for us, for the club,” said interim board member Jürgen Wehlend on Sunday about the pictures shortly before the end of the game. “There’s nothing to apologize for. You can only explain it.” It was a reflection of the season. “People were incredibly frustrated, but they pulled themselves together again in the last week and showed incredible emotions,” said Wehlend. Emotions ran high again. “And then something erupts in the stadium.” By that he doesn’t mean “the firecrackers, rockets and all that shit that flew.” He has also experienced this in other “do-or-die” games. “But that is inexcusable. Zero tolerance.”
:Welcome, Schleswig-Holstein!
Everyone in the northernmost federal state used to be HSV fans – now Schleswig-Holstein has a first division football team for the first time. The rise of Holstein Kiel under coach Marcel Rapp is the result of serious work in which players like Lewis Holtby are finally blossoming again.
As sixteenth in the table, SV Wehen Wiesbaden now has the opportunity to save itself in the two relegation games against Jahn Regenburg, third in the third division, on May 24th and 28th. “We have to recognize the opportunity in these games. We have a good team, we have to prove that,” said Jahn coach Joe Enochs.
Meanwhile, FC St. Pauli ended its furious season as second division champions. Hamburg won their last game of the season on Sunday at Wiesbaden 2-1 (0-1) and defended their top position with 69 points ahead of fellow promoted team Holstein Kiel. The first Bundesliga team from Schleswig-Holstein also beat Hannover 96 2-1 (2-0) and collected 68 points. Kiel and St. Pauli had already been promoted before the match day, and Fortuna Düsseldorf could no longer be pushed out of the relegation place. The Rhinelanders won against 1. FC Magdeburg 3-2 (2-1) on Sunday – and will initially play away at VfL Bochum in the promotion relegation next Thursday (8.30 p.m.). The decisive second leg will kick off the following Monday (8.30 p.m.) in Düsseldorf.
Hamburger SV concluded what was once again a disappointing season with a 4-1 (3-1) win against 1. FC Nürnberg and remained fourth. VfL Osnabrück went into the last matchday with no chance as a relegated team and said goodbye with a 2-1 win against Hertha BSC.