BERLIN (Reuters) – Deutsche Bahn humorously highlighted the expected low turnout for the Bundesliga relegation playoff between Heidenheim and Elversberg. On social media, the German train company posted a picture of a train with only one carriage, joking that this would be the only special service needed for the match.
The playoff will decide if Heidenheim, who finished 16th in the Bundesliga, will stay in the top division, or if Elversberg, third in the second division, will earn promotion.
Together, the towns of Heidenheim and Elversberg have a population of no more than 70,000 people. This makes them two of the smallest towns ever to compete in a relegation playoff.
Heidenheim, located in southern Germany, has a stadium capacity of 15,000. Elversberg, from the west of the country, has a stadium that holds 10,000 fans.
Heidenheim will host the first leg on Thursday, with the return match set for Monday.
For comparison, Borussia Dortmund regularly draws about 80,000 fans to its home games, the highest attendance in the Bundesliga.
