The Hachinger team stopped the negative run, but SpVgg is still in penultimate place.
Stephan Hain speaks in an interview about his comeback and the relegation battle.
Munich - It was perhaps the most emotional moment on this Sunday afternoon in the Hachinger Sportpark: Stephan Hain, 32, came on for Dominik Stroh-Engel in the 76th minute.
Nine months and five days after his last appearance in June 2020, the striker made his comeback for the game association.
And in the end they could look forward to a 3-0 win against Halleschen FC, with which the Unterhachinger team ended their epic dry spell of twelve games without a win.
The welcome back interview with our newspaper.
Stephan Hain, how did it feel when you were called on to come on by coach Arie van Lent shortly after half past two on Sunday?
A nervous delight I would say.
Or a joyful nervousness?
(laughs).
In any case, it was a very good feeling to be able to play again after such a long time.
On the way to the stadium I had to think about whether I had packed the shin guards as well.
Fortunately everything was there.
Stephan Hain: Three units with the team before the comeback for SpVgg Unterhaching
How did you feel after the final whistle?
To be honest: I had to pump a lot.
Training and play are just two different things.
And before that I only trained three full units with the team, so now I have to make sure that I build up my form little by little.
The win was of course a huge relief for all of us.
The feeling that you can still win cannot be replaced by anything.
How big were your fears that the comeback would be a mess? President Manfred Schwabl had said literally in January: "I don't know if he'll be able to do it again."
I was told that, yes, but it didn't bother me.
I knew how I was doing that it wasn't over yet.
Maybe the president just wanted to take the pressure off a bit because people kept asking about me.
Stephan Hain: The knee is "no longer perfect, it's just okay"
Have you never had serious concerns?
That it won't go on anymore?
No.
My previous injuries taught me to pull myself up on small strides.
The bad thing this time was that there wasn't an exact diagnosis.
With such a cartilage story in the knee, it's a constant up and down. The stabbing pain kept coming.
In January I had hyaluronic acid injected into my knee to build up cartilage, from then on it slowly stabilized.
It is crucial for the head that at some point you accept that it will no longer be perfect, but just okay.
Much is gained with that.
The team's results shouldn't have done much to improve the situation ...
It started last season.
When you see that everything is tried and yet there is always no gate to success in the end, then that is grueling.
But maybe this game against Halle was the moment we will be saying in a few months: We made a mess.
SpVgg Unterhaching: goal scorer Stephan Hain calls for a series
On Saturday it's off to Verl. There should also be a few moments from the first leg.
Oh my ... Back then I was in the stands in the stadium and couldn't believe it.
Shortly before the end, 3: 1 ahead, and then you lose 3: 4.
I'm not a psychologist, but that was probably on my mind for a while.
An additional motivation for Saturday?
Make amends or not, there are three points we want to get.
Anyone can read the table, everyone knows that we need 40 plus points to stay in it.
It's going to be extremely difficult, a series is needed.
But confidence is back, we mustn't let it be taken away from us right now.
(Interview: Ludwig Krammer)
