The own Statue of Frank Schmidt for sure. At least you say that if you listen in the club. All that you ask. The success of the 1. FC Heidenheim is inextricably linked with your Trainer, is it because, regardless of whether it works now with the rise in the Bundesliga in the play-off against Werder Bremen or not. That is why he earned this honor in any case. And officially in a position to know says, in front of the F. A. Z.: “Our success story would have been without Frank Schmidt never be possible.”

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Jan Ehrhardt

sports editor.

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These words come from Holger Sanwald. For 26 years, responsible for 1. FC Heidenheim, first as head of Department, meanwhile, as Chairman of the Board. Almost 13 years ago, he convinced the former captain of the Heidenheimer Sportbunds, the backheel at the time in the top League and five points behind Champions SV Sandhausen on the third place and promotion to the Regionalliga narrowly missed, to stay to the end of his career at the age of 33 years on the Ball. In the tracksuit and not just in Jersey, but still. At that time, as the 1. FC Heidenheim by a cleavage from the Heidenheimer SB in the first place was born, and his first coach Dieter Märkle a few weeks after the start of the season and a 1:4-defeat against the SSV Ulm dismissed, landed a man by the name of Frank Schmidt almost directly from the lawn on the bench – and there he sits until today.

Made in the Region, remains in the Region

Sanwald and Schmidt have written in Heidenheim together is actually a success story. One that lasts so long that there is no similar case in the German professional football. Twelve seasons and three climbs later became of the “Then” of the “Here and Now”. A presence that in the many years of Amateur club established athletic in the second division (with a total budget of about 35 million euros as well as economically), and now as the third-placed at the door to the highest German play class knocks. This Thursday (20.30 PM in the F. A. Z.-Liveticker of the German Bundesliga-Relegation, in DAZN, and Amazon Prime) to the first leg in Bremen. On the Eastern Swabian ALB many have not kept this long – and for equally many, it still feels a little strange, almost unreal.

From the back-slapping and self-congratulation but nothing in Heidenheim, Germany. There are many people have dedicated their lives to the work, you are “holding schaffig”, says Sanwald, hard-working, frugal, enjoy a more quiet. Therefore, not to be feared, that, in fact, a second, cast in Bronze, Frank Schmidt shows up somewhere on the heights above the River Brenz. “What’s the point? One is enough for us“, would you say that, then. And the appreciation of this 1.90 meters large child in the Region knows so hardly any limits. Because Schmidt is one of them. A the Own, a of here. One that is just as “schaffig”. One who knows many in the small town of the name. And the greeting friendly. If Heidenheim with less than 50000 inhabitants, is something like the prototype of a Swabian medium-scene, then Schmidt is something like the German prototype of a perfect son-in-law. Made in the Region. Remains in the Region.

at All, Schmidt conveyed to all in the club, especially his players and colleagues, the feeling to always be there for you. Also off the pitch. This, he says, is one of the secrets why it’s so long, worked so well between him and the 1. FC Heidenheim. To talk to his guys even think about something other than the assignment of counter-pressing, or about who should be where and when and how to cross in order to bind opponents and open spaces. Listen to you, if you have something on your mind. Or to drink just once with you a Cup of coffee in the evening. This attention everyone gets to feel. Whether it is maintenance of the court or the Chairman of the Board Sanwald. Even after almost 13 years.

A different perspective

The now 46-Year-old has on a lot of things from a different perspective. He is a pragmatist through and through, takes a back itself, where it is necessary, and imposes itself in the foreground when it is needed exactly there. He goes ahead of us, he suffers. He is a fine observer who pays attention to Details, you will have to memorize and enters it. Head slightly tilted, eyes squinting, almost always with the faint hint of a smile on the lips.

not to lose the necessary distance, which also creates authority, is sure to be one of the biggest challenges for the former defender. He wants so much and can’t be everything. The difficulties in the long term are: to find new stimuli, to keep the same speeches, with the danger to be eventually, maybe burned out, not knowing. Schmidt knows the game, he knows the prospects and off the field. He knows the sweat, the Toil, the Acres in Grass and mud. And he knows the Reißbretter and tactics boards, video analysis, digital data collection. In his training as a football coach in 2011 at the Hennes-Weisweiler-Academy in Cologne, he always sat in the first row. If you are, then right. So, as always.