1. FC Heidenheim, with Patrick Mainka (left) and Paul Wanner (right), showed that they can compete with Chelsea FC, represented by Christopher Nkunku (center) in the Europa League.
For a long time, FC Chelsea and 1. FC Heidenheim played in entirely different worlds. Yet in the Europa League, the two clubs met for the first time, revealing that the gaps between them are not as vast as previously thought.
There has perhaps never been a more exciting moment for 1. FC Heidenheim than this. It’s been a year and a half since the club entered the Bundesliga in spectacular fashion for the first time.
At the time, many spoke of a fairy tale, doubting that this challenge would be up to the club. Fast forward to November 2024, and 1. FC Heidenheim are competing in European competition, facing Chelsea FC for the first time in an official match. How is the FCH experiencing what is undoubtedly the biggest match in its history?
A few kilometers from Heidenheim, a few hours before the match, there is little indication that the match of the year, or even the decade, is about to take place. A few people wearing Heidenheim scarves are seen on the train, alongside some opposing supporters. “The fact that Chelsea are coming to Heidenheim is sensational,” says one fan on the train, speaking as if discussing an impending visit from in-laws. Perhaps the Swabian dialect does not lend itself to great drama.
Pragmatism is required. “What should we be afraid of? Let’s see how far we can go, and if it doesn’t work, we will have to accept it,” said Heidenheim President Holger Sanwald in a May 2023 interview with our team editorial team, reflecting on their rise to the Bundesliga.
Sanwald has been a central figure in Heidenheim’s remarkable 29-year journey, guiding the club step by step from the local leagues to the Bundesliga. The watchword during each promotion has been to remain calm and assess whether the limits of the possible have been reached. To date, the club has not found those limits, and perhaps that mindset is its biggest secret.
And now, Chelsea. At the start of the evening, the city seems to embody a bit of the club’s pragmatism. A few Heidenheim scarves here, a few flags there—otherwise, the city center shows few signs that the Chelsea game is in any way special. Queues at mulled wine stands are short, and fans wait at a red light outside the mall. No reason to feel vain.
Opposing supporters officially gathered at the Heidenheim Congress Center. Unofficially, they have already taken over a pub in the city center. Chelsea fans can be heard chanting all the way to Hellenstein Castle, which overlooks the city of 50,000 inhabitants. Apart from chants about ‘German bombers’, which are popular among fans in England, the atmosphere remains light and friendly.
Chelsea and their fans traveled not only from another country to the Ostalb, but also seemingly from another dimension. Chelsea owner Todd Boehly has spent over €600 million on new signings in the 2022/23 season. In the end, the club finished 12th.
A year later, they at least qualified for Europe, but that still doesn’t live up to expectations. The two-time Champions League winner aims to compete with Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, not a freshly promoted outsider from the footballing provinces.
Despite the apparent differences between the clubs, in the stadium this distinction becomes less obvious—as does the friendly image generally associated with Heidenheim.
“Get Brexit done, send Chelsea home tonight,” the supporters declared as they danced. Loud cheers filled the air on this remarkable evening in Ostalb, louder than at many Bundesliga encounters where pride sometimes takes over.
On the pitch, it became clear that 1. FC Heidenheim and FC Chelsea were indeed playing at a similar level that evening. Although Heidenheim’s players appear to be taking the match—based on their lineup—much more seriously than their opponents, with familiar names like Christopher Nkunku and Jadon Sancho on the pitch. Portuguese superstar Joao Felix only came on after an hour.
Heidenheim also had its chances: Chelsea goalkeeper Filip Jörgensen had to make several saves against the home side’s daring attack. The dynamic trio of Paul Wanner, Mikkel Kaufmann and Leonardo Scienza missed several opportunities to take the lead in the first half. Just after the break, the evening turned when Nkunku opened the scoring for Chelsea, 1-0.
However, Heidenheim quickly found its feet—Scienza and Wanner had several chances to equalize, and substitute Breunig had two goals disallowed for offside. The hope of an achievement was palpable in the stadium—until Mikhaylo Mudryk, one of Boehly’s many new transfers, dashed all hopes for Heidenheim with a second goal that made the score 2-0 . A point against the Europa League giants would indeed have been too good to be true.
“In the end, one player cost 100 million euros, the other 80 million, and they scored the goals,” admitted coach Frank Schmidt after the match, although his team’s pride prevailed. For what they demonstrated that evening: FCH has reached the next level of football. London and Heidenheim are not as far apart in terms of football as you might think.
An hour after the final whistle, Heidenheim is already surprisingly calm. Bundesliga action resumes for FCH on Sunday with tough matches against Eintracht Frankfurt, FC Bayern Munich and VfB Stuttgart before Christmas, with just two points separating them from the relegation zone. But everyday life is something they can manage in Heidenheim. Just don’t get too confident now.
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