Frank Schmidt: Heidenheim's coach expresses disappointment after bankruptcy!

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On January 17th, 2026, Wolfsburg will meet Heidenheim in the Bundesliga. Coach Schmidt is fighting for his team to stay in the league.

Am 17.01.2026 trifft Wolfsburg auf Heidenheim in der Bundesliga. Trainer Schmidt kämpft um den Klassenverbleib seiner Mannschaft.
On January 17th, 2026, Wolfsburg will meet Heidenheim in the Bundesliga. Coach Schmidt is fighting for his team to stay in the league.

Frank Schmidt: Heidenheim's coach expresses disappointment after bankruptcy!

An exciting Bundesliga duel is just around the corner: Heidenheim travels to Wolfsburg today and is led by coach Frank Schmidt, who sees an urgent need for action after his team's recent disappointing performances. The 3-1 defeat against Istanbul Basaksehir left its mark, and Schmidt could hardly contain himself after that game when he criticized his charges' performance as bloodless and passionless. “We were shown right from the start,” said the coach, who subsequently made a number of player substitutions, including the early removal of Paul Wanner, who was responsible for a catastrophic loss of the ball that led to the first goal conceded. Schmidt emphasizes that the team has to make decisions to get out of the current misery, as the team is languishing in the relegation zone after 13 Bundesliga games. Heidenheim has so far struggled to firmly establish itself in the top league after promotion in 2023, and the pressure is increasing with every match day, especially ahead of the upcoming match against VfB Stuttgart n-tv reports that.

Schmidt has a few challenges to overcome when setting up for today's game in Wolfsburg. In addition to the players who have been injured for a long time, such as Behrens, who is still behind after a tendon injury in training, and Pacarada, who is in rehab after tearing his cruciate ligament, several other players are also missing today. C.J. Conteh and Zivzivadze are unable to play due to knee problems, while Müller and Tschernuth were not taken into account. Schmidt will still do his best to provide a breath of fresh air with the right players kicker reports that.

Positioning and strategies

The Heidenheimers' expected line-up shows that Schmidt could potentially rely on an offensive strategy. With Ramaj in goal and a defense line consisting of Busch, P. Mainka, Gimber and Föhrenbach, Schmidt wants to lay a strong foundation. Dorsch and Niehues are available in midfield, while the offensive department is complemented by Beck, Ibrahimovic, Kaufmann and Pieringer. Schmidt also shows courage by relying on two strikers in the center taken from the information from kicker.

It remains to be seen whether these tactical changes can have the desired effect, especially as the team fights to climb out of the relegation zone. Added to this is the pressure from imminent suspensions: both Gimber and Schöppner have already collected four yellow cards. With the winter signings Behrens and Conteh, who are expected to be available for the next home game against RB Leipzig, Schmidt can hope for a broader selection of games.

Fight to stay in class

Heidenheim faces a challenge that affects the current status in the Bundesliga. After the last points collected, the relegation place is anything but a quiet haven. It is imperative that the team find stability and start delivering in the crucial moments on the pitch. Schmidt could not only force the turnaround for his players, but also strengthen the self-confidence that has been shattered after recent experiences. The coming games, especially against Stuttgart, will be crucial to whether Heidenheim can stay in the league or face another relegation season.