SpVgg Greuther Fürth is the first to be relegated from the Bundesliga. Bayer Leverkusen took third place in the table.
It had been apparent for months, but when it happened they still seemed unprepared at SpVgg Greuther Fürth. Coach Stefan Leitl looked petrified, manager Rachid Azzouzi was in tears. “It’s not that I’m surprised that we’re relegated, but when it happens it hurts,” said Azzouzi sky – and had to blow his nose first.
Since Saturday afternoon, the promoted team has been the first to be relegated from the Bundesliga, 16th place and thus the relegation can no longer be achieved after the 1: 4 (1: 2) against Bayer Leverkusen. “It doesn’t feel good. I always believed to the end that we could pull off this miracle, that’s why my emotional state is just shit today,” said Leitl.
“It hurts us a lot,” said unsurprisingly captain Branimir Hrgota. While the spectators celebrated him and his teammates as if the second direct relegation after the first Bundesliga season 2012/13 had just been prevented, Azzouzi also looked ahead despite all the melancholy and disappointment: “We tried to get the maximum out of it – but sometimes the maximum is not enough. But it will continue. We will attack again.” And yes, he emphasized, the planning was already underway.
Fürth helps with Leverkusen goals
Fürth wants to end the season with decency – Leverkusen still has plans, actually one: to secure participation in the Champions League. “That was a very important step in the direction of our goals,” emphasized team captain Lukas Hradecky. The fact that this step was successful was due to inadequacies in Fürth – and to the good Sardar Azmoun, who scored a goal himself and hung up one.
Fürth took the lead early on through Jetro Willems (5th), but then sealed his fate himself: the hosts unplanned helped Patrik Schick (8th/after video evidence) and Azmoun (18th) scored. Hrgota canceled his offside with his “submission” to Schick. Shortly thereafter, goalkeeper Andreas Linde played the ball into the feet of the approaching Azmoun after a back pass. Later, Paulinho (58′) and Exequiel Palacios (84′) made everything clear.
“I’m very happy,” said the strong Azmoun after his first goal in the Bundesliga, but emphasized: “It’s important that we won. We still have difficult games ahead of us.” And there may even be a final for a place in the Champions League: Bayer will host SC Freiburg on the last day of the game.
Greuther Fürth – Bayer Leverkusen: The data for the game
