"Pure ecstasy": VfB Stuttgart manages to stay up

2022-05-14T17:13:14.124Z

"Pure ecstasy": VfB Stuttgart manages to stay up Created: 05/14/2022Updated: 05/14/2022, 19:06 Cologne's Florian Kainz (l) in action against Stuttgart's Konstantinos Mavropanos (r). © Tom Weller/dpa VfB Stuttgart still intercepts Hertha BSC and remains first class. Captain Wataru Endo ensures direct relegation in the Bundesliga. For coach Pellegrino Matarazzo, the goal in stoppage time is a "gr

"Pure ecstasy": VfB Stuttgart manages to stay up

Created: 05/14/2022Updated: 05/14/2022, 19:06

Cologne's Florian Kainz (l) in action against Stuttgart's Konstantinos Mavropanos (r).

VfB Stuttgart still intercepts Hertha BSC and remains first class.

Captain Wataru Endo ensures direct relegation in the Bundesliga.

For coach Pellegrino Matarazzo, the goal in stoppage time is a "great conclusion" and "pure ecstasy".

Stuttgart – Coach Pellegrino Matarazzo was no longer to be seen among the jubilant VfB Stuttgart players.

A few minutes later, after staying up in the Bundesliga, the fans stormed onto the field as if unleashed and took numerous souvenirs home with them.

"It was pure ecstasy," said Coach Matarazzo after the 2-1 (1-0) win against 1. FC Köln on Saturday and a first champagne shower on the pay TV channel Sky.

"I don't even know what happened and who scored the goal.

It was a great finish and extremely exciting.”

It was Wataru Endo who scored in the second minute of added time and still averted the detour via relegation.

Due to the better goal difference and thanks to the 1:2 (1:0) defeat of Hertha BSC at Borussia Dortmund, VfB climbed to the saving 15th place in the table.

1. FC Köln will play in the Conference League next season.

Sasa Kalajdzic gave VfB hope for a 1-0 lead with his header (12') after missing a penalty seconds earlier.

Goalscorer Anthony Modeste equalized after an hour.

He benefited from the fact that keeper Müller did not hold on to a cross.

But then Endo was there.

"It was a tough season," said the goalscorer in English and then added in German.

"All's well that ends well."

Driven on by the majority of the 58,453 fans in the sold-out arena, the Stuttgarters started with a lot of pressure in the traditional jerseys of the 1992 championship team.

This forced them to win the ball quickly.

But they didn't get any chances at first.

The words of Matarazzo, who had hoped for a high level of intensity from the start the day before, were followed by action.

Borna Sosa shot from distance (8') and a minute later Tiago Tomás tested Cologne keeper Marvin Schwäbe, who let the ball rebound.

Matarazzo clapped contentedly and continued to whip his team forward.

The 44-year-old said she should tackle the task with "emotions and heart".

And so did the southern Germans, who were rewarded for their effort.

Tomás won a penalty which Kalajdzic missed.

The Austrian did better in the subsequent corner kick.

However, it was still 0-0 in Dortmund at this point.

A draw there would not have been enough for VfB.

A few minutes later it got even worse.