If Martin Furliger had made his way, he wouldn’t have been to Munich this Friday. If the season had ended normally, the sporting director of owner Angels Nördlingen would not have had to say goodbye to Kim Pierre-Louis and Asha Thomas, who are flying to Canada and the United States. Instead of waiting to board in Munich, basketball players in Nördlingen would prepare for the last game of the season – that catch-up game against Marburg, which would not only be the final of the main round, but would have given the team the team’s last chance, the playoffs. Last chance to get in.
Will, Will, Will: Nördlingen’s chance for the playoffs, it remains. The season is over, the Women’s Bundesliga has been canceled prematurely by the DBBL. There were a lot of catch-up games to be played before the playoffs began on 27 March. According to DBBL managing director Philipp Reuner, the eleven games that had been made by then “simply would not have been possible, even if this was our goal to the end”. At a general meeting last Saturday, the DBBL clubs agreed not to play catch-up games so as not to postpone the playoffs. “In the end, the clubs decided not to extend the season,” explains Reuner.
“The players were shocked. They didn’t expect it and were completely motivated to give it their all again.”
Instead of a place in the table on the last day of play, the quotient rule now decides who makes the playoffs: the eight teams with the best ratio of points to victory and number of games played qualify. Despite the win on the last match day, Nördlingen are in ninth place, behind their near-nemesis Saarlois. After a clear defeat in the first half of the season, the Angels were able to secure a win against the Royals in a thrilling overtime in February, but are still behind them in the table.
“Yeah, it’s very disappointing,” admits Martin Furliger. Disappointing as there were actually two games left to play. “I am pretty sure that if both the matches had happened, we would have had a real chance of reaching the playoffs. This makes it difficult to accept the DBBL’s decision.” Nördlingen voted against the end of the season at the general meeting, but was explicitly outvoted. Twelve teams voted to cancel, against only two.
“I have to admit that I was very surprised by the decision,” says Ferleger over the phone, “especially when there were already other scenarios in the room. And the players were shocked when they found out about the end of the season. They Wasn’t expecting it and was fully motivated to give it all again in the last few matches.” The message reached the Angels before the final day of play, and eventually a long-distance duel decided the final playoff spot. “We knew: if we win and lose Saarlois, we will make it to the playoffs.” Aware of the position of the table, Saarluis was able to win the game clearly against Heidelberg.
Playoffs will bring not only sports prestige, but also a financial plus
Farliger is unsatisfied with the early end of the season. “It would have been better to play all the games at home and away, against strong and weak teams,” he says. It doesn’t take into account the rule of quotient.” The playoffs will bring not only sporting prestige, but also a financial plus. “Luckily, we are financially secure, but we could have earned a five-figure sum through ticket and drink sales and through certain terms in sponsorship contracts.”
At Nördlingen they are now focused on finding a clean end to the season. Instead of going to Marburg on Sundays, the club organizes a large meal for the team, fans and several volunteers. From Monday the Hermann-Kesler-Halle will be very empty, the players say goodbye to the house. “It’s getting emotional. We have big plans, but we’ve also had a lot of setbacks. We’ve always been close to eighth place and now the season is over. I think we need a few days to do that.” process,” Furliger says.
Especially since it is not decided in which composition the team will play in the coming season. They want to keep Nina Rosemeyer and Bianca Helmig, Ferlager says, as do Finns Alina Koskimiz and Anissa Pound. Above all, they want to win over Canadian Samantha Hill again: “Sami carried us through the season, he’s an incredibly strong player.” If Farliger’s plan works, the Canadian will arrive at Munich airport again in August.
