DBasia.news – Stuttgart secured promotion to the German Bundesliga despite losing 1-3 against Darmstadt Sunday local time, while Hamburg squandered the opportunity to re-enter the German elite league after being defeated 1-5 against Sandhausen in a playoff match.
Former German national team striker Mario Gomez scored in his last match for Stuttgart, who were superior on goal difference from other prospective promotion teams.
“This is my last mission for VfB (Stuttgart),” Gomez said as quoted by AFP.
The player who has announced he will hang up his boots after this fight continues, “I always dreamed of completing a career here.”
The 34-year-old player has 78 times defended the German national team and entered the German squad when he became runner-up to Euro 2008.
Stuttgart finished the second position behind German second division champions Arminia Bielefeld, who won 3-0 over Heidenheim.
Heidenheim himself will undergo a playoff match to determine promotion to the major league against Werder Bremen after Hamburg failed to take advantage of Stuttgart’s defeat against Darmstadt.
Hamburg, who subscribed to the Bundesliga before being knocked out to the second division in 2018, only need one point when entertaining Sandhausen to be above Heidenheim. Instead the club was crushed 1-5 against the German second division midfield team.
Heidenheim will travel to Bremen to play their first leg of the playoff next Thursday, while the second leg takes place on July 6th.
Heidenheim has never played in the Bundesliga, while Bremen is the longest-standing club in the top division since the league was founded in 1963.