Drama in the relegation: Saarbrücken misses promotion again!

Drama in the relegation: Saarbrücken misses promotion again!

In a thrilling second leg of the relegation to the 2nd Bundesliga, Eintracht Braunschweig secured their place in the league, while 1. FC Saarbrücken had to miss out on promotion again. The decisive game took place in the Eintracht Stadium in front of 21,354 spectators and ended 2-2 after extra time. This is not enough to make up for the deficit from the first leg, which Braunschweig won 2-0. Saarbrücken lost 2:4 overall and missed promotion for the fifth time in a relegation, as saarbruecker-zeitung.de reports.

In the second leg, Saarbrücken initially took the lead. The goal scorers Florian Krüger (66th minute, hand penalty) and Kai Brünker (83rd minute) managed to turn the game around. But Braunschweig countered in extra time. Fabio Di Michele Sanchez made it 1-2 in the 105th minute, followed by Rayan Philippe, who equalized in the 120th minute after a great pass from the goalkeeper. This tested the nerves of both teams, and Braunschweig coach Benjamin Kessel described the game as a “rollercoaster ride of emotions,” as sportschau.de reported.

A game full of emotions

The first minutes of the game clearly belonged to Braunschweig. Despite several chances, especially from Sebastian Polter, the team was unable to score a goal in the first half. The turning point came later in the game when a penalty was given to Saarbrücken after a controversial VAR check. The decisive moment for Saarbrücken was the sending off of Calogero Rizzuto, who received a yellow-red card in stoppage time. This meant that Saarbrücken had to play outnumbered in extra time.

Saarbrücken's coach Alois Schwartz is deeply disappointed by the missed opportunity. He was critical of the referee's decision regarding added time. Kai Brünker, one of the goalscorers, also regretted the result and the possibility of returning to the 2nd Bundesliga. Braunschweig, on the other hand, is celebrating staying in the league, and captain Ermin Bicakcic emphasized that the season demanded a lot.

Historical perspective and outlook

This result makes it Saarbrücken's fifth attempt in recent years to achieve promotion to the 2nd Bundesliga. This fact leaves fans and players wondering as Braunschweig remains back in the second division after five years. Since relegation was reintroduced in the 2008/2009 season, only five second division teams have secured their stay in the league, while 12 third division teams have been successfully promoted. The pressure on Saarbrücken will certainly continue to increase in the coming season, while Braunschweig can take on the next challenge in the 2nd league.