Bundesliga-Relegation: Why Marc Schnatterer for Heidenheim is so important

As he stood shirtless in the pouring rain, he wanted to lose no more time. But his Jersey was not there. Marc Schnatterer was looking for and shouted and gesticulated. And then, a few seconds later, he was ready to use, as a substitute its 1. FC Heidenheim in the play-off first leg, to help Werder Bremen. Normally he puts on his Jersey is already in the cabin.

Jan Ehrhardt

sports editor.

the pair of trousers, then the shoes, then head through the Dress with the club logo, at the end of the captain's armband. So it was in countless Games over the years. Absolute Custom. But now the man, so long as no other professional football at the current second League club from Baden-Württemberg is allowed, not-so-often and from the beginning ran. On Thursday in Bremen, he was only 69. Minute substitute. Absolutely unusual. So it can happen that you forget time and where actually the own Jersey is.

Marc Schnatterer is now 34 years old and thus in the upscale football age. Behind him a career that is marked by continuities is. Alone for 1. FC Heidenheim, where it has stood since 2008, until next year under contract, he was in respiratory-consuming 34.044 duty game-minutes on the field. The are together almost 24 days. As long as not many clubs and professionals provide it usually, to keep the Fidelity.

And yet Schnatterer had moments in this extraordinary and exceptionally long career, hardly any real Success. Clearly, because of the victory in the state was 16 years ago, the Cup with the A-youth of the SGV Freiberg, Schnatterers first real football station, after it had pulled him away from Heilbronn, where he was born, and from the TSV Bönningen in the Stuttgart surroundings. Then, after a brief spell in the second team of Karlsruher SC, he came to Heidenheim and 2014 the once League Champions Third.

success – this is perhaps one of the reasons for the intimate Liaison of Swabia, with the Association of the Swabian ALB – is measured for Schnatterer but in trophies. He is not one that makes a lot of the best values, or Compare. The success as a team is always in the foreground, he is not tired to emphasize. So, it has managed the 1.80 meters wide attacking players from the regional League to the top group of the second League.

Alone so that would be success for him enough. That it is this Monday (20.30 clock in the F. A. Z.-Liveticker of the German Bundesliga-Relegation, in DAZN, and Amazon Prime), after a very good season with Heidenheim and the 0:0 against Bremen now actually seriously remains with the possible promotion to the football League, for him, therefore, continues to be a Sensation: "we trust few. A Millimeter or a centimeter less, then it is already tight.“

As a Schnatterer in Heidenheim started, there was a tartan track around the lawn. Large parts of the stadium and, above all, the surrounding infrastructure, were not yet built. It has changed a lot in the past twelve years. But also the blonde boy, who was only a follower and later more and more to the impeller was changed. He has become older, it takes longer for Regeneration. Schnatterer is 1. FC Heidenheim aged.