Freiburg misses the Champions League, Bayer wins

Created: 05/14/2022Updated: 05/14/2022 17:54

Leverkusen's Exequiel Palacios (l) and Freiburg's Lucas Höler fight for the ball. © Marius Becker/dpa

The dream of participating in the Champions League for the first time has finally burst for SC Freiburg.

A week before the first cup final in the club's history against RB Leipzig, the Breisgauers lost the long-distance duel with the Saxons for the last place in the premier class at the end of the league.

After the 1: 2 (0: 0) at Bayer Leverkusen, SC even slipped to sixth place behind Union Berlin.

Leverkusen - In the end it was still dramatic, in the meantime the SC was missing a goal.

Nevertheless, Freiburg will play in Europe for the first time in five years and for the fifth time in the club's history.

Bayer had already qualified for the Champions League again after two years and finally got the hoped-for victory to say goodbye to Rudi Völler.

The 1990 world champion is retiring after more than 23 years at the club - two as a player, 21 in sporting leadership positions - but will remain as a club ambassador and member of the shareholders' committee.

Meanwhile, goalscorer Patrick Schick failed to match the Leverkusen season record set by Stefan Kießling (25 goals) - also due to team spirit.

At the opening goal, the Czech and Lucas Alario ran alone towards the goal, Schick put it down (54th).

Freiburg managed to equalize through Jannik Haberer (88th), who switched to Union Berlin.

When goalkeeper Mark Flekken rushed in, Exequiel Palacios fired into the empty goal in the seventh minute of injury time and Bayer to victory.

Völler was honored with a huge choreography of sayings before kick-off.

Famous quotes from Völler were spread out on eight banners.

As always at the end of the season, the game day was held under the motto “Finally Red” for the Bayer fans.

The red shirts, which the supporters wore uniformly, this time bore the inscription "Thank you Rudi" and "There is only one Rudi Völler".

"Ein Rudi Völler" also ran from the stadium microphones during the official farewell - the song that the sung about, according to his own statement, can no longer hear.

Völler finally took over the microphone and thanked the fans - including Freiburg - to loud cheers.

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Fans say goodbye to "Ein Rudi Völler" with a choreo of sayings

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The guests from Freiburg, who were initially cautious after conceding ten goals in the last three games, had the first chance.

After a free kick by Vincenzo Grifo, national player Nico Schlotterbeck headed in from four meters in his last game before moving to Borussia Dortmund, but didn't get any pressure behind him (15').

The guests became more courageous, but Lucas Höler hit the outside of the post with a header (20'), Nicolas Höfler narrowly missed (44').

Shortly after the break, Freiburg fell behind.

And five minutes later, Flekken made a strong save against Paulinho, and Schick hit the crossbar on the follow-up shot.

Freiburg tried again vehemently.

The substitution of record joker Nils Petersen and the news that Leipzig were behind in Bielefeld acted as an encouragement - and shortly before the end after Haberer's goal the chance was within reach.

But then Leipzig equalized and Freiburg lost after taking full risks.

dpa