When they said ‘yes’ to a friendly match against German 2. Bundesliga club Heidenheim, the coaches at amateur club Romerstein didn’t think their clash will be covered all around the world.

FC Heidenheim
FC Heidenheim finished sixth last season in the German second tier. (Image: twitter/fch1846)

And it probably wouldn’t have been the case if it wasn’t for the game’s unusual scoreline. Heidenheim won the match 29-0, ignoring the status of their opponents and the early stage of preparation ahead of the new campaign. 500 fans watched on as Heidenheim showed no mercy towards ninth-tier Romerstein and its amateur players. Heidenheim was 13-0 in front at half-time, then scored another 16 goals in the second half. The game against Romerstein came just 24 hours after another serious Heidenheim beating, with Steinheim suffering a 7-0 defeat.

Heidenheim manager Frank Schmidt can be happy for his players’ confidence. Stefan Schimmer, who came on as a sub in the second half, netted six times, while Tim Kleindienst and Elidon Qenaj scored four each.

Heidenheim came close to promoting into the German top flight in each of the previous four seasons but finally failed. The German 2. Bundesliga is one of the most spectacular leagues in Europe, as the promotion places are contested fiercely each year by at least one-third of the 18 participating clubs.

Heidenheim is not among the bookies’ favorites to top the 2. Bundesliga at the end of the 2022-23 season. The team is currently at +1300. Eight clubs are ahead in the odds race, with Hamburg leading the pack at +300. Fortuna Dusseldorf stands at +600, while Arminia Bielefeld is third at +700.