Frank Schmidt: “It was a mirror image of the season”

Frank Schmidt believes the manner of the defeat to Freiburg is very similar to Heidenheim’s season.

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Heidenheim are seven points behind the playoff spot with only four games left to play after their 19th defeat of the season in Freiburg. For Frank Schmidt, the manner of the recent loss perfectly showcased their campaign in general.

“Congratulations to Julian Schuster and his team on the three points,” said Schmidt at the start of his post-match interview. “From our point of view, it was not a game that you would lose. Actually, we played well.

"Even before the equaliser, we had two or three good chances. What we missed after that was to score another goal. I think it was clear at that stage that the Freiburg team struggled physically and mentally. We could have turned the game around. Then, as you saw, Freiburg stayed calm to make it 2-1."

Freiburg’s coach Julian Schuster also concedes that he saw a fatigued team after the break as they played on Thursday nights in back-to-back weeks. Schmidt concludes his press conference by trying to look forward to what would most likely be the last four Bundesliga games for Heidenheim for at least another year.

"For me, a balanced game from which we could have taken something with us. It was also a mirror image of the season. Overall, it's a decent away game. In the end, we were not rewarded for it, and that’s bitter. But we have to accept that and look forward."