Heidenheim reflect on ‘catastrophic Bundesliga embarrassment’ that ‘could have been more lopsided’ | OneFootball

All those associated with FC Heidenheim could only hang their heads following Saturday’s 6-0 away thrashing at the hands of Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday. The Ostalbenschwaben may not have a particularly long Bundesliga history, but it still didn’t feel pleasant to suffer what was by far the club’s heaviest Bundesliga defeat. 

Heidenheim midfielder Niklas Dorsh – courtesy of his three seasons with Augsburg – happens to have more Bundesliga experience than most of his teammates. The 27-year-old, a veteran of 95 German top flight fixtures, still found himself at a loss when attempting to describe what just transpired. 

Dorsch – in rather suspect form since the beginning of the season – recently dropped out of head coach Frank Schmidt’s starting XI in the last three matches. For the former Germany U21 international, it wasn’t a fun assignment to be brought on in the 33rd minute with his side already trailing 4-0. 

“We were lucky that it didn’t end 8-0 or 9-0,” Dorsch reflected when speaking to Sky Germany afterwards. “I’ve never experienced anything like this. Catastrophic from the first to the last minute. An embarrassment. A complete meltdown of all levels. There are better assignments [than the subbing on today]. I need a full night’s rest to comprehend it.”

Schmidt himself (serving the club as a player since 2003 and the head coach since 2007) certainly didn’t wish to mince words. Neither did squad captain Patrick Mainka, who has been a regular fixture in the FCH since 2018. Of all the 270 competitive matches Mainka has contested for Heidenheim, the skipper simply hadn’t seen a worse day at the office. 

“Overall, it was a black day for the club and the darkest day of my career,” Mainka remarked in his Sky interview. “Last-place in the table. There’s no way of putting a positive spin on that. We were aware, of course, that it would be difficult this season. But we have to fight back much more, because if we perform like this, then we deserve to be where we are and things won’t get any better.”

“We’re down and out,” Schmidt told Sky. “It’s difficult, probably impossible, to find the right words right now. The fact is, we were blown apart today. There’s no other way to explain conceding six goals and being lucky in the second half that it didn’t end up even more lop-sided.”

GGFN | Peter Weis