Cottbus with match point - Rostock hoping

Cottbus with match point - Rostock hoping - Aue waiting

One last photo as an Aue player? Goalkeeper Martin Männel takes selfies for the fans after the last home game in the 3rd division / Photo: Robert Michael/dpa

The other Cigerci opens the door to the 2nd Bundesliga wide open

No, this time it wasn't the high-class technician Tolcay Cigerci who turned the Stadion der Freundschaft in Cottbus into a madhouse. The FC Energie director, who is serving a yellow card suspension, watched with tears in his eyes as his brother Tolga scored the 2-1 winner in the 89th minute in an otherwise very tough game against SV Wehen Wiesbaden. Ahead of the final game on Saturday (1.30pm/MagentaSport) in Regensburg, the Lusatians are two points clear of the relegation places.

"Maybe it was meant to be that he scored the goal. What he threw in here in the second half is an absolute personality. He's an absolute professional, an absolute team player. When a player says after the game: 'Coach, I scored that goal for you', then I know that we do a lot of things together here," said coach Claus-Dieter Wollitz on MagentaSport.

The highly-praised player remained modest. "I have to process that first. It was wild, the important thing was that we still had that concentration at the end and somehow scored the goal through me. I'm happy that we had a happy ending."

Hansa won't give up and still has goals

What's still possible for FC Hansa Rostock? With the 5:3 win over VfB Stuttgart II, coach Daniel Brinkmann's team ended a three-game drought and go into the final matchday against 1. FC Saarbrücken three points behind the relegation places. "We still believe in it," said the coach on MagentaSport.

That is certainly not realistic, as the competition from Duisburg and Essen is up against Viktoria Köln and relegated SSV Ulm. "Fourth place would still be a goal. We wouldn't be so happy about that, but it would mean a lot financially," said Brinkmann.

Board chairman Ronald Maul was concerned about the team's lack of consistency. "We're all disappointed with how the games have gone. It was mainly the games against Schweinfurt and Regensburg where you had the feeling that the final percentages were missing. Both in terms of attitude and what you can see on the pitch," said Maul.

Last home appearance as an encouragement for Aue

Satisfaction with the last third division home appearance against MSV Duisburg, mourning for club legend Harald Mothes: FC Erzgebirge Aue are currently in emotional chaos. Of course, the bitterness prevails: relegation in the 80th year of the club's foundation and the death of Mothes, who died unexpectedly at the age of 80. But there are also positive things to report. The 0-0 draw against promotion hopefuls Duisburg was a source of encouragement and a sign to the fans that not everything will go down the drain with relegation.

"Saying goodbye with a really good 0-0 draw against a top team is fun. The boys deserve the applause. I'm happy to be part of the team at the moment. We've fallen, but that's not the end of it. We'll be back," announced interim coach Khvicha Shubitidze on MagentaSport.

He can hope to be the Violets' coach again next season. He is one of four candidates that the board will discuss and decide on by Monday. Whether goalkeeping veteran Martin Männel will also make another appearance for Aue is at least questionable.

"The sporting director has already met with Martin twice. We can definitely imagine Martin Männel continuing his role at the club. How he accepts the role we have in mind for him still needs to be agreed in detail. But there's no question about it: If you have two young talents sitting on the bench who have absolute quality, then you have to give the youngsters a chance at some point," explained president Thomas Schlesinger.

Cottbus with match point - Rostock hoping - Aue waiting

The other Cigerci opens the door to the 2nd Bundesliga wide open

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