Jan Schöppner: “Nobody believed in us anymore”
| Lars Baron/Getty Images |
Jan Schöppner was the star performer in Heidenheim’s 3-1 victory in Köln with his first Bundesliga brace. Frank Schmidt’s men are now within a chance of finishing in the relegation/playoff spot as they sit level on points with Wolfsburg and St. Pauli, who will face each other in next week’s finale.
“I'm proud of the team,” said Schöppner in his post-match interview. "To put in a performance like that was really impressive. We played bravely. The three points were extremely important. I think the turning point was perhaps when everyone wrote us off.
“Nobody believed in us anymore, and maybe that's when we were able to play with a bit more freedom since we had nothing left to lose. Things have been going better since the defeat against Bremen.“
The central midfielder was the leading marksman on the day, but he praised Heidenheim’s strikers for their roles in the vastly improved attacking stats of the team. “A compliment to our strikers in the last few games! The way they work so hard and hold up the ball really takes the pressure off us." added the guy who only had one goal before today’s game.
Heidenheim will play at home against Mainz at the same time as the game between St. Pauli and Wolfsburg. One of the three teams will have a chance to survive via the relegation/promotion tie against the team that will finish third in 2. Bundesliga.
