H96 protests against DFL and child
Fiete Arp’s premiere leads Holstein to the first round record
December 16, 2023, 10:39 p.m
Fiete Arp is moving from HSV to FC Bayern in 2019. He never arrives and will move to Holstein Kiel in 2021. It will celebrate a very special premiere there at the end of 2023. The storks also jump to the top of the 2nd Bundesliga with a record number of points.
Holstein Kiel dreams of a promotion fairytale and the first Bundesliga season at Christmas time. Former Bayern striker Fiete Arp led his team with two goals to make it 3-0 (3-0) against Hannover 96 and thus their fifth win in a row. For Arp it was the first double of his professional career.
With 35 points from 17 games, Kiel took the lead in the 2nd league table for at least one night and would even be autumn champions if FC St. Pauli (32, but the better goal difference) does not win against newly promoted SV Wehen Wiesbaden on Sunday. Holstein is four points ahead of third-placed Hamburger SV, who already played this weekend. “This is a nice snapshot that makes us happy,” said managing director Uwe Stöver at the break. “We’re a bit surprised ourselves, but we’re happy to take it with us.”
Hanover fans are protesting diligently
Kiel has never achieved 35 points at the end of the first half of the season in the 2nd Bundesliga. In the 2017/2018 season they collected 33 points and three seasons later it was 32. In both years they narrowly failed to achieve promotion. No club from Schleswig-Holstein has yet reached the top division of German football.
Kiel particularly impressed with its brutal efficiency on this December evening. After a lengthy discussion about a supposed foul penalty, which actually wasn’t a penalty, Timo Becker (26th) and Arp (27th) made it 2-0 within 60 seconds. For the third goal, Becker did the preparatory work for Arp (45th), who had to be substituted shortly afterwards with an adductor injury. There was already cheering before kick-off: the club announced the contract extensions with Lewis Holtby and Timon Weiner.
96 had started quite well and was already almost hopelessly behind at half time. The many fans among the 13,902 spectators who traveled along concentrated on the protest against Martin Kind and the DFL investor deal. Max Christiansen, who was only substituted in the second half, also saw yellow and red (67th).