“Counterfeit money” benefit? Doesn’t matter!
Alemannia Aachen returns ecstatically from obscurity
April 28, 2024, 1:50 p.m
Alemannia Aachen finally finds its way out of the regional league after eleven years. The climb is successful on the couch. The first game after that, in front of a record crowd, was lost. The party at the Tivoli no longer knows any limits after the 1:2 against Bocholt.
The Aachen promotion heroes stormed the press conference and gave their successful coach Heiner Backhaus several beer showers. Thousands of fans celebrated their return to the 3rd league in ecstasy on the Tivoli lawn. After eleven years in the regional league, Alemannia is back in professional football – and enjoyed the big party to the fullest.
“What was and is going on here is unbelievable. You have to realize that first,” said defender Jan-Luca Rumpf, and Backhaus, dripping with beer and sweat, jokingly announced a penalty training session for Sunday at 8 a.m. It is doubtful whether his players would have been able to do that. The Aachen team had already celebrated frenetically on Friday when promotion was perfect after the defeat of their pursuers Wuppertaler SV. Accordingly, the home game on Saturday was lost 2-1 against 1. FC Bocholt in front of a regional league record crowd of 31,034 spectators – which didn’t hurt anyone in Aachen.
“Walked around the square like counterfeit money”
“Some of us walked around the square after the night like counterfeit money,” said Florian Heister with ski goggles on his nose. The winger sat with his teammates in front of a screen in the Tivoli on Friday evening and watched the WSV’s mistake at Fortuna Cologne. In the “Klömpchensklub” stadium bar, the fans were shaking. When the big dream came true, players and supporters danced Ringelpiez – with a plastic championship trophy in their hands. Former player Erik Meijer was one of the first to congratulate him. “Promotion, finally, after all these years. I’m so happy that you made it,” said Meijer in a video message to the “Aachener Zeitung”.
In the city, thousands of fans also celebrated a spontaneous party in front of the town hall and in the bars on Pontstrasse, lit fireworks and turned night into day. Around 100 Alemanni even went to Cologne’s South Stadium to experience Wuppertal’s defeat up close. “It’s crazy, nothing has changed. Fans remain fans and always know how to find the way to Tivoli. You’re so lucky,” said Meijer.
The former Bundesliga club took part in the UEFA Cup as a cup finalist in the 2004/05 season. After that, the free fall followed, and since 2013 Alemannia has only played in the fourth league. At times only 4,000 fans came to the new Tivoli, which turned out to be the club’s grave of millions. Now everything should get better. “This promotion is incredibly important for the club and the whole city. Some higher-class clubs can only dream of such a fan base,” said former Aachen player Torsten Frings on Sport1.