The 1st FC Heidenheim and the small town on the Württemberg Ostalb celebrated their Bundesliga promotion on Whit Monday.

“This goes beyond any limits we could have imagined,” shouted success coach Frank Schmidt to several thousand enthusiastic fans at the party in the Voith Arena on the Schlossberg. Below him in the stands hung a banner with the inscription: “Live” your dream!”

This was precisely the dream that was coming true for the second division champions, Schmidt enthused. “I played football here in front of 250 spectators,” recalled the native of Heidenheim in the red Aufsteiger shirt, “we are mega happy that we were allowed to be here.”

The “greatest gift” for him was that his team “stuck together like this”, he added, shouting: “Welcome to the first division!”

The secret star of the celebration, including fireworks and an entry in the Golden Book of the city of 50,000 inhabitants, was goalkeeper Manuel Henck. In his witty performance, the coach satirised the famous balcony speech by former Bayern Munich coach Louis van Gaal, who once shouted at Marienplatz: “A big kiss to all the mothers!