Quotes

"A very humble victory"

After the 3-0 victory over MSV Duisburg in the final game of the season to ensure a fourth place finish, the Rothosen were full of mixed emotions. Here is the post-match reaction.

It was a season in which the club disappointed on the field, but Sunday’s 3-0 victory provided at least a little positivity on which to end the campaign. The players were of differing opinions after the game – on one hand there was relief to finally pick up a strong result, on the other hand disappointment because of the missed chance to achieve the season objective of returning to the top flight. Find out what the Rothosen thought of the game and how they look back on the season.

Tom Mickel: A victory is always nice, but today’s was a very humble one. We didn’t achieve our season objective and two coaches have come and gone. At the end of the day it is crazy when you look at the table and see that we only missed out by one win. We simply ruined our Rückrunde. It is painful to look back. For the future, we need a team with heart that will give everything for the club from start to finish.

After a lengthy goal drought, Fiete Arp scored his first 2. Bundesliga goal in his final game for the club.

Fiete Arp: For me, there is nothing nicer that being able to score and win to say goodbye. After my goal the floodgates opened. It had all been bottled up for so long. I feel like I’ve been waiting for this moment forever and I’d thought about what would happen if this moment didn’t come. Therefore, I’m so, so glad that I was able to experience it one more time. It is one of the nicest moments for me personally, even though the overall picture and missing out on promotion hurts. I have been in close discussions with the club and we came to the decision that I would leave at the end of this season. I think that a change of scenery will do me some good. I wasn’t ready for the magnitude of the club and as a 19 year old the past two seasons have been really tough. I will never forget the nine years at this club. I have played my whole career here. It hurts to change, but that’s life after all. I hope that we can integrate the same feeling I have for HSV into every player here. Every player has to live this club. If you have these emotions in a player, then the club is well positioned for the future. I am confident because the fans never give up and the quality is here.

Rick van Drongelen: At the end of the day, it is still a football match. When you arrive at the ground and know that you’re going to be playing in front of 50,000 people, it lifts your mood and motivates you, despite the disappointment of the past few days. It’s not easy to just bounce back. But these kinds of experiences make you stronger. In the end, you finish where you deserve to finish in the table. One more win was just the small thing that we needed.

Mats Köhlert: To play infront of such a crowd on the final game of the season was amazing. Of course, we had wished for different circumstances in which we would be playing the game. The fans were crazy – I got goose bumps. When I saw the attendance, I was amazed.

Hannes Wolf: Even with a really young lineup, we still wanted a good performance, and that's what we did. I am happy for everyone - they did well. Even though it doesn't make up for the past few weeks, today was a deserved send off for the fans.