Germany: Bundesliga
FT
1 - 1
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Bremen
FC Köln
R. Schmid (73)
S. Tigges (36)
By Peter Weis@PeterVicey

Bremen with controlled comments after class preservation: "Too exhausted to be relieved."

After officially sealing a second consecutive season of Bundesliga football, goal-scorer Romano Schmid and SV head-coach Ole Werner kept it pretty subdued in their post-match comments. 

It had, after all, been a trying and tiring season at times; one that featured many lows and winless streaks. 
Ole Werner.
Ole Werner.
Romano Schmid certainly picked an excellent time to score his first Bundesliga goal. The 23-year-old Austrian international - on in relief of Leonardo Bittencourt in a buttressing attack role at the half - finally secured his first top flight tally in Saturday's 1-1 draw with Köln. The result ensured another season of Bundesliga football for the Hanseatic city-state.

Schmid - who had been with Bremen as they fought off Heidenheim in the 2019/20 relegation playoffs, were ultimately relegated after the 2020/21 season and then quickly secured promotion back to the top flight last year - kept his post-match comments pretty formulaic.

"This is what you play football for," Schmid told the Sky mics, "Every single person who is on the pitch plays for these moments. One is happy to keep the class with such an important goal, but that was a complete team performance throughout the season."

The scenes before the Bremer FanKurve were indeed boisterous, yet not necessarily as ecstatic as one might expect. Fans and players alike seemed content that a season that featured many lows had still come to a positive conclusion. The fact that lead strikers Niclas Füllkrug and Marvin Ducksch may be picked up by other clubs in the offseason also visibly influenced the mood.

"I'm too exhausted for relief," head-coach Ole Werner said in a statement published on the club's website, "We have had our good moments, but also our difficulties. Together we have managed this as a club and as a team. Everyone on the staff and all the players deserve respect."

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