UPFROnT
When Paderborn were relegated to Germany’s
Regionalliga West two years ago, only the bravest
of loyal fans would have predicted a Bundesliga
return by 2019.
But this month, they’ll step out at the BayArena to
face Bayer Leverkusen for their opening game of the
season, back in the top flight.
No club in Europe has experienced drama quite like
Paderborn in the past five years. Promoted to the
Bundesliga for the first time in their history in 2014,
by that September they were top of the league after
a 2-0 win over Hannover – secured thanks to Moritz
Stoppelkamp’s goal from 90 yards, firing into an open
net from just outside his own penalty area after
Hannover’s goalkeeper had gone up for a free-kick.
The success didn’t last. By the end of that season,
they were relegated. Manager Andre Breitenreiter
departed for Schalke, and the second-division club
soon installed Stefan Effenberg (below, in his pomp)
as boss. It didn’t work: Effenberg was gone by
March, Paderborn finished bottom.
Things got no better in the third tier:
the club slipped to a third successive
relegation and by late May 2017, they
were contemplating a future in the
regional amateur leagues.
Then, a lucky break. Relegated from
the 2. Bundesliga, 1860 Munich failed
to secure a licence to play in the
third tier because of off-field
problems. They dropped
into the Regionalliga,
as Paderborn were
granted a relegation
reprieve.They made the most of it – instantly turning around
their fortunes to seal promotion to the second division
in 2017-18. Incredibly, they went up again in 2018-19,
securing a remarkable return to the top flight. They’ll
be joined by fellow promoted club Union Berlin, the
first side from East Berlin to play in the Bundesliga.
But Paderborn aren’t the only European club to have
made a seemingly impossible return to the big time
this season. In Portugal, Gil Vicente are back in the
Primeira Liga, despite playing in the third tier last term.
The odd turn of events stems back to a controversy
fully 13 years ago: finishing mid-table in the top flight
in 2005-06, the Roosters were accused of improperly
registering Angolan international Mateus, months
before he represented his country at that summer’s
World Cup. A legal row ensued, resulting in Gil Vicente
being thrown out of the top division.
A full decade later, that decision was overturned in
court, as Gil Vicente were granted the right to return
to the Primeira Liga. By the time it was
confirmed that their return would be in
2019-20, they’d just been relegated to
the third division. Then followed the
most irrelevant campaign ever: Gil
Vicente fared strongly in the third
tier last term, but it really didn’t
matter. Whatever happened,
they were on their way back to
the top flight.
Hopefully they escape any
player registration rows this
time around – we don’t
want this rumbling on
until 2032...
Chris FlanaganRelegatedtothefourthtierin2017,Paderbornarebackinthebigtime
THE BUnDESLIGA MIRACLE
West Brom 3 Reading 0
September 9, 1992 Division Two
“My professional debut, but also against my
childhood hero Ossie Ardiles, who managed West
Brom at the time. I grew up as a huge Spurs fan,
and he was my favourite player. After the game,
I nervously waited for him to sign my programme
- it still has a central place in my collection. The
game itself was early in the season, in what’s now
known as League One. At the last minute, our
first-choice goalkeeper got injured and manager
Mark McGhee asked me to play. It was a major
shock for me and we lost 3-0, but I accomplished
my dream of becoming a professional footballer.”
Newcastle 2 Liverpool 1
November 4, 1995 Premier League
“My first season with Newcastle, and my first
season in the Premier League. We won the game,
and I managed to make arguably the best save
of my career – from a deflected shot from Steve
McManaman. I played pretty well overall, and the
atmosphere at St James’ Park was unbelievable
that day. I knew after that game that I could hold
my own at Premier League level.”
Liverpool 3 West Ham 3 (3-1p)
May 13, 2006 FA Cup final
“My final game in England, and my last FA Cup
final. Even though Steven Gerrard scored those
two goals and we lost, that game still resonated
with me for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I’d been
on the bench for the couple of finals before, with
Newcastle. This time I got the chance to play as
Roy Carroll, a good goalkeeper and a good man,
was injured. Secondly, I did it at the club where
I spent the longest in my career. I spent five years
with West Ham, in two spells. In the first spell, we
finished 5th – the club’s highest-ever finish in the
Premier League. I enjoyed my football the most
with West Ham. It’s still a special club for me.”
Trinidad and Tobago 0 Sweden 0
June 10, 2006 World Cup
“Our first ever World Cup finals. I got to play as
Kelvin Jack got injured during the warm-up – then
I kept a clean sheet against Zlatan Ibrahimovic!
We were underdogs against a strong European
side and, to make things worse, one of our players
got a red card at the beginning of the second half.
We had our backs against the wall throughout the
second half, and Sweden came close a couple of
times. However, midway through the second half,
a Sweden defender came up for a corner and was
arguing with Henrik Larsson, right in front of me.
At that moment I thought, ‘We won’t lose this’.
I was right! A draw was a tremendous result for
us. It was probably the best game of my career.”
Martin Harasimowicz