The 1st FC Nuremberg has extended its sad record. The nine-time German football champion has relegated from the first league for the ninth time after a 0:4 (0:0) against Borussia Mönchengladbach.
The club, which had only been promoted last summer, would have had to win and hope for a slip from Stuttgart in order to keep its already minimal chance before the last game of the season at SC Freiburg.
For Gladbach, success in the close battle for the European places was extremely important. The team of coach Dieter Hecking still has the chance to qualify for the Champions League despite a mixed second half against Borussia Dortmund in the last match.
The former Nuremberg Josip Drmic took the lead in the 56th minute. It fitted into the picture of a largely messed up Nuremberg season that Lukas Mühl scored an own goal for the guests to 2-0. Thorgan Hazard (65th) scored 3-0 with his first goal in the second half, Denis Zakaria (80th) scored the final score.
FCN retired from the Bundesliga for the first time in 1969 – as the German champions. This is still unique today. Afterwards the traditional club from Franconia had to start 1979, 1984, 1994, 1999, 2003, 2008 (as acting cup winner) and last 2014 the course into the second class.
Gladbach, who had to do without Lars Stindl, Raffael, Fabian Johnson, Patrick Herrmann and Mamadou Doucoure, initially acted much more decisively than the club. Hazard missed an entry from Zakaria only by a hair’s breadth (7th). Shortly afterwards FCN defender Mühl was able to block a shot from Drmic.
