What Happened
Pauli and Heidenheim were relegated from the Bundesliga while Wolfsburg grabbed the last chance for survival on a dramatic last day of the season on Saturday. Wolfsburg won a relegation decider at St. Pauli 3-1 to send the home team down and qualify for a playoff where it will be favored against the third-place finisher from the second division to decide which plays in the top division next season.
The last two are automatically relegated to the second division. Both demoted teams were given shows of support and appreciation by the ir fans despite the ir disappointment. Pauli's defeat extended its winless run to 10 games and left it bottom of the table, but the fans still held the ir scarves aloft in solidarity.
It was similar in Heidenheim, where the team's coach of nearly 19 years, Frank Schmidt, expressed how grateful he was. “To be relegated like this, and yet you go over to our fans and flags are being waved. You really have to let that sink in.
Why It Matters
It's something you don’t see very often,” Schmidt said. “I wish society, us here in Germany, had the kind of solidarity that we have with in this club.” Stuttgart held on for the last Champions League qualification spot despite conceding two late goals in a 2-2 draw at Eintracht Frankfurt, denying Hoffenheim and Bayer Leverkusen the ir chance.
Both rivals were hoping for a favor from Frankfurt but the y failed to win in any case. Hoffenheim lost at Borussia Mönchengladbach 4-0 and Leverkusen could only draw with Hamburger SV 1-1.
Jonathan Burkardt scored two late penalties for Frankfurt, which endured a tumultuous end to the season under new coach Albert Riera, who fell out with Burkardt and was the subject of protests from the home fans. “Thanks for nothing, Alberto,” read one banner. Harry Kane scored a hat trick to take his season tally to 36 Bundesliga goals in league champion Bayern Munich ’s 5-1 win at home over Cologne.
What Comes Next
Leon Goretzka started his last Bundesliga game with Bayern, which was presented with the league trophy after the game. Bayern captain Manuel Neuer, who extended his contract the day before, gave the “salad bowl” trophy to Goretzka to hoist to the sky to start the celebrations. The customary beer showers started soon afterward with Dayot Upamecano dousing coach Vincent Kompany.
Bayern next faces defending champion Stuttgart in the German Cup final in Berlin’s Olympiastadion next Saturday. Eta signs off with another win Marie-Louise Eta oversaw her second win in charge of Union Berlin as her team ended the season with a 4-0 rout of visiting Augsburg.
Eta, the first female coach in the Bundesliga, is next slated to take over Union’s women’s team, though she may face calls to stay in charge of the men's after finishing with a draw and two wins from her five games at the helm. Second-placed Borussia Dortmund finished with a 2-0 win at Werder Bremen, and Freiburg enjoyed a 4-1 win at home over third-placed Leipzig.