Schmidt speaks on new-look Heidenheim squad: "No regular formation up front."
With so many summer departures, German league watchers have kept a keen eye on the tactics of 1. FC Heidenheim trainer Frank Schmidt in his first two competitive fixtures of the new season. Schmidt's small-town Albogen club have already garnered a pair of victories ahead of the official opening of the 2024/25 Bundesliga campaign this weekend.
A convincing 4-0 win over fourth-tier-side FC 08 Villingen in the opening Pokal round last weekend saw Schmidt deploy a 4-1-4-1 spearheaded by old hand Marvin Pieringer at the lead striker position. Pieringer was supported in attack by new summer additions Leonardo Scienza, Maximilian Breunig, and Paul Wanner. All three of the newcomers got their name on the scoresheet. Breunig recorded a hat-trick.
Heidenheim face a unique situation in that - in just their second season in the German top flight - they are also expected to represent the Bundesrepublik internationally. The BaWü borderers face a grueling schedule in the opening weeks as they must also contest the 2024/25 UEFA Europa Conference League qualifying playoffs.
Schmidt's FCH, heavily rotated, defeated Sweden's BK Häken last night. Scienza and captain Patrick Mainka were the only holdovers from the Pokal XI. Again, Schmidt's new summer additions thrived. Scienza scored the game-winning-goal whilst Sirlord Conteh also registered a tally. A 4-2-3-1 led by Union loanee Mikkel Kaufmann held up well.
Questioning Schmidt at his Friday presser, reporters naturally wished to know if - with a second-leg match against Häcken still looming - Schmidt planned to rotate heavily in Sunday's league opener against one of this year's newly promoted sides, FC St. Pauli. The 50-year-old made absolute certain to keep tight-lipped about his plans.
"There probably won't be a regular formation up front," Schmidt said when asked to comment on his nine new players acquired over the summer, "We'll continue to shape up. To put it bluntly, the decisions made last night were made with full conviction that I could get something out of that match. We don't consist of just eleven players. [Squad rotation talk] amounts to nonsense."