Fußball-Bundesliga 2000–01

The Bundesliga 2000/01-season was widely considered as the season with the most dramatic championship decision in league-history.

34th match day

When the last match day started Bayern Munich was in the lead to Schalke 04 by three points. As the goal-difference of Bayern was three goals worse than those of Schalke, Bayern needed at least a tie at their away-match at Hamburger SV to get the championship – under the condition, that Schalke were winning their home-match against SpVgg Unterhaching.Schalke indeed managed to win in a turbulent match, after lying behind by 0-2. After they tied the match by half-time, Unterhaching took the lead again in the 68th minute. Schalke stroke back by two goals in the 72nd and 73rd minute and finally won by 5-3.

The match in Hamburg began 5 minutes late, as spectators had thrown things onto the ground. There had been no goals until the 90th minute. At this time Sergej Barbarez scored for Hamburg with a header. Schalke took the lead in the “imaginable” table at the same moment. The news became quickly public at Gelsenkirchen and the match in the Parkstadion ended shortly after.

Most Schalke supporters obviously believed that their team had gained the first championship since 1958 and crowds of people ran onto the infield celebrating this. Then the stadium television showed live pictures from Hamburg. The three minutes of injury-time in Hamburg had not been over. So Bayern had still the chance to strike back.

Then the people in Gelsenkirchen could see that the Hamburg-goalkeeper Mathias Schober took a back-pass by his team-mate into his hands. So referee Markus Merk gave an indirect free-kick for Bayern about eight meters from the Hamburg goal. There were discussions and protests which postponed the match for another minute. The tension was very high because every player and spectator knew that the whole season would be decided in this single moment.

Stefan Effenberg played the ball to Bayern defender Patrik Andersson, who shot the ball through the wall of Hamburg defenders into the net for his first and only goal for the club. Thus the match ended 1-1.

Bayern won their 17th title finishing one point ahead of Schalke.

Schalke believed for 3 minutes and 43 seconds that they would earn their 8th title. Instead they became the first “champion of hearts” in the history of the Bundesliga, as many supporters, even of other teams, felt for them.

Statistics

The final table of Germany's 1st Bundesliga of football (soccer), Season 2000/01

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