DFB.de takes a look back at prominent figures from a particular Bundesliga fixture. Today: Sebastian Rode and Eintracht Frankfurt’s season finale in Dortmund back in 2011.
Sebastian Rode, who currently applies his trade for Bayern München, still has good memories of the game between Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Dortmund on 14th May 2011. It’s not really a surprise after he scored a goal to give his side hope but that was all dashed shortly after. In an interview with DFB.de, the 24-year-old midfielder spoke about the game and looked ahead to the Bundesliga game between BVB and Eintracht on Saturday (15:30 CEST).
DFB.de: Mr Rode, you didn’t have much hope of staying up back in 2011. Frankfurt had to beat BVB.
Sebastian Rode: Yes we did. We were under huge pressure but we were hopeful. Christoph Daum geared and fired us up for the game. Borussia Dortmund had already been crowned champions and they wanted to present the Meisterschale after a win.
DFB.de: Things started well for BVB.
Rode: We’d played less than fifteen minutes when Benny Köhler gave away a penalty to BVB. But our goalkeeper Ralf Fährmann saved Lucas Barrios’ penalty. Everything was okay, even though we didn’t have many chances in the first half. It was a tough game for us and Dortmund put us under constant pressure. But somehow we went into half time at 0-0.
DFB.de: The hope increased even more after the break.
Rode: Yes I made it 1-0 just after the restart after great work from Theofanis Gekas. We scored right in front of our fans and Hoffenheim, who were also in the relegation battle, went a goal down to VfL Wolfsburg at the same time. But unfortunately it didn’t last long: Dortmund equalised and then went 2-1 ahead through a Marco Russ own goal. It became tough after that and they got another penalty.
DFB.de: And Ralf Fährmann saved it again.
Rode:“Ralle” was really good. Dede took the penalty and the whole stadium was cheering him because it was his final game for BVB. Everyone wanted him to score. But he didn’t. It was also an unforgettable moment for Marcel Titsch-Rivero.
DFB.de: How so?
Rode: He fouled Marcel Schmelzer and referee Peter Gagelmann thought it was a professional foul. Marcel had only just been brought on and it was the quickest sending off in Bundesliga history (43 seconds). That was the end of that and we got relegated.
DFB.de: As a young player, what did you think of manager Christoph Daum?
Rode: I thought he was good. He made us proud to wear the shirt and tried everything. His speeches were always good. I still remember the 3,000 people that turned out for his first training session as manager and they broadcast it live on TV. That was spectacular. It was great to work under a manager like that. Christoph Daum has already won the German title, the Champions League and has years of Bundesliga experience.
DFB.de: How did you find that season? It was your first Bundesliga season as a professional at the age of 20.
Rode: Yes I arrived from Kickers Offenbach and got injured in pre season. I was kept out of the first half of the season with cartilage damage. I played for the first time on matchday 19 after the winter break but I was back on the bench after the game against HSV.
DFB.de: Nevertheless you scored your first Bundesliga goal against FC Bayern München.
Rode: Yes and I still talk about it today. If we’d won back then then we probably wouldn’t have gone down. Gekas had a chance to make it 2-0 but he missed the target. Mario Gomez then scored an equaliser just before the end of the game.
DFB.de: It was a very turbulent season with a change of manager and then an unnecessary relegation.
Rode: We had a great first half to the season. We picked up 26 points and Theofanis Gekas scored when he wanted (14 goals in the first half of the season). But somehow we slipped up after the winter break. We went eight games without scoring before Georgios Tzavellas scored from 70 metres against Schalke but we still lost. It was crazy. When you aren’t winning then you have to take hold of the system. Heribert Bruchhagen (Chairman of Eintracht) had to relieve manager Michael Skibbe of his duties. Despite having Daum, we still couldn’t do it and one thing led to another. We wasted a lot of chances and went on a downward spiral. I was also sent off in Mainz at a crucial time.
DFB.de: Was it a messy season for you?
Rode: You could say that. I had started playing in the Bundesliga and that was huge for me. But my first year was turbulent. Cartilage damage, bad run, my first goal, a red card and a pitch invasion at home against 1. FC Köln. It all happened. It also made me more mature.
DFB.de: Was it your plan to remain at Eintracht Frankfurt even if you went down?
Rode: Yes definitely. And I have to say that the year in the 2. Bundesliga under manager Armin Veh and with Pirmin Schwegler alongside me did me good. You can develop a lot in the second division, especially when you’re young. And the promotion celebrations weren’t too bad either.
created by mmc/fs
DFB.de takes a look back at prominent figures from a particular Bundesliga fixture. Today: Sebastian Rode and Eintracht Frankfurt’s season finale in Dortmund back in 2011.
Sebastian Rode, who currently applies his trade for Bayern München, still has good memories of the game between Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Dortmund on 14th May 2011. It’s not really a surprise after he scored a goal to give his side hope but that was all dashed shortly after. In an interview with DFB.de, the 24-year-old midfielder spoke about the game and looked ahead to the Bundesliga game between BVB and Eintracht on Saturday (15:30 CEST).
DFB.de: Mr Rode, you didn’t have much hope of staying up back in 2011. Frankfurt had to beat BVB.
Sebastian Rode: Yes we did. We were under huge pressure but we were hopeful. Christoph Daum geared and fired us up for the game. Borussia Dortmund had already been crowned champions and they wanted to present the Meisterschale after a win.
DFB.de: Things started well for BVB.
Rode: We’d played less than fifteen minutes when Benny Köhler gave away a penalty to BVB. But our goalkeeper Ralf Fährmann saved Lucas Barrios’ penalty. Everything was okay, even though we didn’t have many chances in the first half. It was a tough game for us and Dortmund put us under constant pressure. But somehow we went into half time at 0-0.
DFB.de: The hope increased even more after the break.
Rode: Yes I made it 1-0 just after the restart after great work from Theofanis Gekas. We scored right in front of our fans and Hoffenheim, who were also in the relegation battle, went a goal down to VfL Wolfsburg at the same time. But unfortunately it didn’t last long: Dortmund equalised and then went 2-1 ahead through a Marco Russ own goal. It became tough after that and they got another penalty.
DFB.de: And Ralf Fährmann saved it again.
Rode:“Ralle” was really good. Dede took the penalty and the whole stadium was cheering him because it was his final game for BVB. Everyone wanted him to score. But he didn’t. It was also an unforgettable moment for Marcel Titsch-Rivero.
DFB.de: How so?
Rode: He fouled Marcel Schmelzer and referee Peter Gagelmann thought it was a professional foul. Marcel had only just been brought on and it was the quickest sending off in Bundesliga history (43 seconds). That was the end of that and we got relegated.
DFB.de: As a young player, what did you think of manager Christoph Daum?
Rode: I thought he was good. He made us proud to wear the shirt and tried everything. His speeches were always good. I still remember the 3,000 people that turned out for his first training session as manager and they broadcast it live on TV. That was spectacular. It was great to work under a manager like that. Christoph Daum has already won the German title, the Champions League and has years of Bundesliga experience.
DFB.de: How did you find that season? It was your first Bundesliga season as a professional at the age of 20.
Rode: Yes I arrived from Kickers Offenbach and got injured in pre season. I was kept out of the first half of the season with cartilage damage. I played for the first time on matchday 19 after the winter break but I was back on the bench after the game against HSV.
DFB.de: Nevertheless you scored your first Bundesliga goal against FC Bayern München.
Rode: Yes and I still talk about it today. If we’d won back then then we probably wouldn’t have gone down. Gekas had a chance to make it 2-0 but he missed the target. Mario Gomez then scored an equaliser just before the end of the game.
DFB.de: It was a very turbulent season with a change of manager and then an unnecessary relegation.
Rode: We had a great first half to the season. We picked up 26 points and Theofanis Gekas scored when he wanted (14 goals in the first half of the season). But somehow we slipped up after the winter break. We went eight games without scoring before Georgios Tzavellas scored from 70 metres against Schalke but we still lost. It was crazy. When you aren’t winning then you have to take hold of the system. Heribert Bruchhagen (Chairman of Eintracht) had to relieve manager Michael Skibbe of his duties. Despite having Daum, we still couldn’t do it and one thing led to another. We wasted a lot of chances and went on a downward spiral. I was also sent off in Mainz at a crucial time.
DFB.de: Was it a messy season for you?
Rode: You could say that. I had started playing in the Bundesliga and that was huge for me. But my first year was turbulent. Cartilage damage, bad run, my first goal, a red card and a pitch invasion at home against 1. FC Köln. It all happened. It also made me more mature.
DFB.de: Was it your plan to remain at Eintracht Frankfurt even if you went down?
Rode: Yes definitely. And I have to say that the year in the 2. Bundesliga under manager Armin Veh and with Pirmin Schwegler alongside me did me good. You can develop a lot in the second division, especially when you’re young. And the promotion celebrations weren’t too bad either.
