astonishing: Heidenheim almost reaches the European Cup.
The brilliant team 1. FC Heidenheim dreams of reaching the European Cup. If Bayer Leverkusen wins the DFB Cup, this little-known club's fairytale will reach new heights. A surprise player will be instrumental in stopping this dream for his new team.
Eren Dinkci had a 'smiling and crying eye'. This was and is completely understandable. With his two goals against 1. FC Köln (4:1) on the last matchday, the Bremen-born player played a major role in 1. FC Heidenheim having a shot at the Conference League. The best-performing promoted team in six years is about to face reality if champions Bayer Leverkusen, who remain undefeated this season, win the DFB Cup against second-division side 1. FC Kaiserslautern. So far, so good.
However, the 22-year-old Dinkci won't be playing in Europe next season: He is moving to SC Freiburg, who missed out on eighth place due to their last-minute defeat at Union Berlin (1:2) and fell back to tenth place behind Heidenheim and Werder Bremen due to their inferior goal difference. "Oh well," said Dinkci, "it just didn't go our way." It wasn't just for him; it affected Freiburg and Bremen as well. He was on loan from Bremen at Heidenheim.
The first "celebrity" leaves the club
Dinkci's departure had long been expected, and the thunderous cheers that erupted when he was subbed off against 1. FC Köln showed how beloved he was in the Ostalb. He's the first 'celebrity' to depart, and CEO Holger Sanwald, along with coach Frank Schmidt - the architects of this incredible achievement - fear that others will follow suit. "I'm very worried," acknowledged Sanwald, "that others will also get the same idea".
Jan-Niklas Beste, scorer of the 4:1 goal on Saturday, is likely to attract interest from other clubs, as are Lennard Maloney (contract until 2025) and center forward Tim Kleindienst (contract until 2027). If the transfer fee is reasonable, the Heidenheim club might have to downgrade their team. Since January, Sanwald has vigorously sought an extension to the expiring contract of Kevin Sessa, goalscorer against Freiburg (1:1) and Cologne.
Heidenheim refuse to deviate from their sports strategy and their financially stable path. They trust in Schmidt's tried-and-tested methods to make the relatively unknown players perform, but they also want to invest in infrastructure: Sanwald hopes that, by 2026, the club's own stadium on the Schlossberg will have a capacity of 10,000 more seats, making it 25,000 in total. For now, though, Beste stressed that the Heidenheimers are bound for Berlin on Saturday.
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- The calm before the upheaval: Nagelsmann's European Championship plans
- Despite Dinkci's unbelievable performance in helping Heidenheim nearly reach the European Cup, his move to SC Freiburg means he won't be participating in Europe's elite competition next season.
- The departure of Eren Dinkci, the celebrity player who scored crucial goals for Heidenheim, has CEO Holger Sanwald and coach Frank Schmidt worried, fearing that other talented players might follow suit.
- The only major setback for Heidenheim's European Cup dream is the potential departure of star players like Jan-Niklas Beste and Lennard Maloney, whose contracts could attract interest from high-profile European clubs.
Source: www.ntv.de
