After penalty drama: ex-HSV man takes aim at Frank Schmidt! | OneFootball

The HSV's progress in the DFB-Pokal has sparked plenty of discussion in recent days. Especially Heidenheim coach Frank Schmidt chose strong words.

HSV celebrated, Heidenheim fumed, and at the center is a familiar face from Hamburg: Sonny Kittel. After HSV's 1-0 cup victory in Heidenheim, the midfielder, who played at Volkspark between 2019 and 2023, caused a stir with a sarcastic comment, likely hitting a sensitive nerve with FCH coach Frank Schmidt.

The discussion originated from the penalty that Robert Glatzel converted in the 83rd minute to secure the decisive 1-0. Prior to this, HSV playmaker Fabio Vieira went down in a duel with Julian Niehues, and referee Benjamin Brand pointed to the spot. However, Schmidt, like many involved, saw the scene completely differently. "For me, no contact, he lets himself fall," the 51-year-old ranted afterwards on Sky. "When you get eliminated like that, the team doesn't deserve it." Considering zero big chances and 0.13 xG, a rather bold thesis.

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Penalty History between HSV and Heidenheim

Schmidt, who had already seen the yellow-red card during the game, made his frustration more than clear after the final whistle. The counter from afar, however, followed promptly. Ex-HSV star Sonny Kittel commented sharply under an Instagram video of Schmidt's interview: "In the 14 minutes of injury time back then in Regensburg, it was luckily a clear penalty." He added an eye emoji and received numerous positive reactions from HSV fans.

Kittel was referring to the promotion drama in early summer 2023, when Heidenheim, during the fourteen-minute injury time in Regensburg, first scored the 2-2 with a controversial penalty and shortly after made the promotion perfect with the 3-2 winning goal. HSV, already celebrating on the field in Sandhausen, had to go into the playoffs and lost there against VfB Stuttgart. The result was two more years in the lower division.

Kittel's comment went viral: the post gathered over 3000 likes in a short time. While Frank Schmidt continues to struggle with the cup exit, Kittel, who is currently without a club, enjoys a small social media success.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.