Frank Schmidt on hard-luck Heidenheim loss: “It doesn’t get any more bitter.” | OneFootball

As Heidenheim’s 2024/25 Bundesliga campaign continues to go to pot, head-coach Frank Schmidt continues to deliver the diatribes in his post-match comments. Saturday afternoon’s round 19 defeat to Augsburg erased much of the positive gains Schmidt’s side made since the turn of the calendar year.

After gaining four league points with a win over Union Berlin and a draw against Werder Bremen, Heidenheim have now lost two on-the-trot following league defeats to FCA and St. Pauli. On 14 points, the BaWü borderers occupy the relegation playoff place. Hoffenheim stand three points clear above them and can pull further away this weekend.

Schmidt has been steadily losing his cool over the course of the season. A 5-2 defeat against Bayer Leverkusen (after his team took a 2-0 lead) famously led to an epic post-match rant from Schmidt on match-day 11. That loss left Heidenheim winless in six straight league fixtures. Schmidt seemed to feel his grip slipping again when confronted with the latest losing streak.

“I’m really happy that we lost the game,” Schmidt said with a heavy dose of sarcasm on Saturday when speaking to the Sky microphones, adding “How should I feel? We were playing well away from home, then go down at half-time. We play a great second half, get a well deserved equaliser, then come within inches of winning and lose on the final attack. How should I feel?”

The momentum was certainly on Heidenheim’s side both in the lead up to and the immediate aftermath of captain Patrick Mainka’s equaliser. FCH subs Sirlord Conteh (82nd) and Leonardo Scienza (86th) had chances to give their side the lead. Defender Marnon Busch also saw a cross deflected off the crossbar in added time shortly before FCA defender Keven Schlotterbeck officially headed home the 2-1 for Augsburg off a corner in the second minute of stoppage time.

“We put in a solid performance and had so many opportunities,” Schmidt concluded. “It doesn’t get any more bitter than to lose like that. We absolutely had to score the 2-1.”

“We didn’t have luck on our side,” Mainka added in his own post-match interview. “We knew from the start that it would be a difficult season, but we’ve proven that we can compete. Every week counts as a new chance to turn things around.“

GGFN | Peter Weis