Fortuna Düsseldorf remain in the second division, which is also annoying for current MSV Duisburg professional Daniel Ginczek. A handsome bonus is gone.

When Takashi Uchino shot the ball into the Düsseldorf sky, the disappointment at Fortuna Düsseldorf was huge.

“It just hurts right now. It really, really hurts,” said captain Andre Hoffmann with wet eyes: “A world is collapsing inside you, I have to say that so clearly.”

After the 3-0 win in the first leg, the Rhinelanders lost the decisive second clash with VfL Bochum in dramatic fashion on Monday evening: After a 0:3 after 120 minutes, the penalty shoot-out decided the match (5:6) – to the disadvantage of the second division club, in whose environment so many had already reckoned with promotion. But Hoffmann and Uchino failed to score from the spot – and cost their former colleague Daniel Ginczek half a million euros.

Yes, with Uchino’s stumbling shot, Monday was also a bad evening for Daniel Ginczek of relegated third division side MSV Duisburg. The striker had come to the Wedau from Düsseldorf in the winter. The 33-year-old was supposed to save the Zebras from relegation to the third division by scoring goals, but the season was also disappointing for Ginczek in sporting terms. Fortuna’s possible promotion was at least a financial consolation

When the contract with Fortuna Düsseldorf was terminated in January, a promotion bonus of €500,000 was reportedly part of the agreement. This has now been forfeited, with the state side continuing to play in the 2nd division. There is a Bundesliga bonus for Ginczek from Düsseldorf.

Daniel Ginczek scored two goals in 14 games for MSV – a brace in the 3:1 win away to SC Verl. He had played 46 games for Düsseldorf in two years, playing only a subordinate role before the switch to Duisburg due to injuries.

The fact that the Düsseldorf supporters celebrated the team immediately after the decision, despite missing out on a return to the Bundesliga on Monday evening, left Andre Hoffmann “speechless. I know how much every single person out there wanted this exit. To then get this reaction is unbelievable. It means so much to us as a group.”

Nevertheless, it was little consolation after Philipp Hofmann (18th/66th) and ex-Düsseldorf player Kevin Stöger (70th, penalty) had taken the Bundesliga side into extra time and thus into the penalty shoot-out.