Some screenplays are so bad that you’re glad when reality steps in. May 14 was to be Rudi Völler’s glorious afternoon, with football playing at most a supporting role when he left official positions at Bayer Leverkusen. It also got off to a promising start, with fans unfurling banners bearing eight of the former professional and national coach’s approximately 8,000 quotable one- to three-liners, such as: “Ultimately, rules are made to be broken.”
Then, however, followed the official part of the ceremony, and this could hardly be beaten in terms of crap, including the recording of the hit song “There is only one Rudi Völler”, which Völler himself did not particularly appreciate. At half-time, another strangely messed-up program item followed, something with a yellow boat and chocolate, Völler was even given a captain’s hat. After these elements to make others feel ashamed, one was glad that football took over the direction after all.
Suddenly Freiburg is only missing one goal for the Champions League
The punchline: In the 73rd minute – for a good quarter of an hour it was 1-0 for Leverkusen (Alario, 53rd) – the Bayer employee, who provided the (sparse) information on the intermediate results in the other places, kindled a Wave of emotions in the arena. Because when it became known that relegated Bielefeld was leading 1-0 against fourth-placed Leipzig, everyone in Freiburg realized that SC could still end up in the Champions League – with a win in Leverkusen. Freiburg got even more involved and made it 1-1 (Haberer, 88th); and Bayer, who had overslept the decision several times, wobbled alarmingly, the away block trembled – and even if it ended with a seemingly normal 2:1 (0:0) on the list, the game had delivered one of the wildest final phases of this season, which both fan groups celebrated unanimously.
But an appropriate farewell: Rudi Völler in the stands, among Leverkusen fans.
(Photo: Marius Becker/dpa)
“The boys threw everything in again,” praised guest coach Christian Streich in a hoarse voice, because he threw everything in his coaching zone himself. The interim result from Bielefeld “given energy again”, the changes also provided a breath of fresh air. “And then you equalize and you’re just one goal away from the Champions League…” Streich continued hoarsely and seemed to mourn a Lienhart header. Ultimately, however, reality overcame him: “And then you lose because the goalkeeper dares everything” – and Leverkusen’s Palacios scored from the halfway line over keeper Mark Flekken into the empty goal (90+7).
Under no circumstances did Streich want to let the season be badmouthed: “It annoys me that someone passed us, but I’m glad that we’re in the Europa League. If someone had said that before the season, I would have said that crazy. I see some big-name teams behind us.”
Freiburg still has the chance to crown the strong season: by winning the cup next Saturday
That’s true, but shortly after Easter, as is well known, the world in Freiburg looked even rosier. Since the SC had crawled back to a Champions League place for the first time since January, despite all Streichsche low stacking. However, the surprising 1: 4 at home against Union Berlin followed, and after conceding ten goals in three Bundesliga games for Freiburg – a week before the final cup duel with the new intimate enemy RB Leipzig – it was primarily about being better on the defensive to stand. That worked quite well in Leverkusen at the beginning.
Defense chief Nico Schlotterbeck was shot down in a duel by Moussa Diaby and saved his club from a dangerous counterattack with one of the clumsy yellow cards of the season. But apart from a Patrik Schick header just outside the goal, the Werkself had nothing to offer in the first 45 minutes – except maybe a pack formation, in which referee Sven Jablonski seemed to open a small discussion about who was on this wonderful early summer day would get the charcoal.
After a celebration, the Freiburgers shouldn’t have felt any longer after the futile efforts of the second half and Kübler’s defensive failure before the first goal conceded. In return, Rudi Völler’s day found a conciliatory final volt: a lap of honor with the players and a longer stay in the curve, where the celebrated climbed to the fans and acted as animator. Then the captain from Leverkusen disembarked. Luckily without a hat.
