Heidenheim 'on verge of next sensation' says veteran boss Schmidt

Shortly after retiring from the club as a player, Schmidt took over as Heidenheim coach in 2007 with the club was in the fifth division, two rungs below the professionals. Initially, he agreed to take over for just two weeks as interim boss. Last summer, Schmidt's Heidenheim were promoted to the top flight for the first time.

He became the longest-serving coach in Bundesliga history in September on his 16th anniversary at the club. Heidenheim commemorated the occasion with their first Bundesliga victory, a 4-2 home win over Werder Bremen. In an interview with AFP, the childhood Bayern fan hoped there was plenty more to come ahead of Saturday's clash.

"For us it's about staying in the league. We have worked hard over the past few years to host FC Bayern and we will try and achieve the best possible result. "After our sensational promotion, we are on the verge of creating the next sensation by staying in the league.

"If we manage, we can welcome Bayern to Heidenheim in the league again next season." Schmidt's Heidenheim may not be mathematically certain of avoiding the drop, but sit in 11th place and are 10 points clear of the relegation placings with seven games to go.

Schmidt has turned down offers of a lifetime contract at the club along with plans for a statue outside the ground, telling the Bundesliga website "people will pee on it eventually - I don't want that." Schmidt told AFP "I have a contract until 2027 and I'm a man of my word. For Heidenheim, it's not important to look into the future but rather to act in the here and now.

"We want to continue to take the next steps towards establishing ourselves in professional football." Heidenheim striker Tim Kleindienst joined in 2021, with the then second-division club