Smart or unsportsmanlike? In the German fourth division, Elversberg and Frankfurt drew 1-1. In the end, both stopped their efforts.
Re-release of the “Shame of Gijon”! Germany defeated Austria 1-0 at the 1982 World Cup in Spain. Because the result was enough for both nations to rise, they stopped playing towards the end of the first half and concluded a “non-aggression pact”.
Teams celebrate together
Something similar happened at the weekend in the German regional league. In the duel between FSV Frankfurt and SV Elversberg, the score is 1-1 with twelve minutes to go. Because the parallel game is practically decided, it is almost certain that Elversberg fixes the promotion and Frankfurt the league. The result: Elversberg withdraws with the ball, pushes the ball in his own half for the rest of the game, the fans applaud. The FSV can live with that, never touching the playground equipment.
“The draw was enough for us. Why should we attack?” Frankfurt coach Tim Görner later defended the approach. His counterpart Horst Steffen: “It was clear that we were almost through. That’s legitimate.”
In the end, both teams celebrated their “success” together. Only fairness fell by the wayside. Because Großaspach, despite their 3-1 win against Ulm, has no chance of staying up.
