Overview

• Leonardo Scienza converted a stoppage-time chance to clinch a 2:1 victory over SV Elversberg in the second relegation leg, sealing Heidenheim’s stay in the Bundesliga.
• He shaped every play-off goal, delivering two assists after coming on at half-time in the 2:2 first leg and setting up the early opener before his late winner in the return match.
• The 26-year-old battled for minutes under coach Frank Schmidt during his debut Bundesliga season, finishing with three goals and three assists from 25 appearances.
• Frank Schmidt hailed Scienza’s resilience after a “steel bath” of a campaign, praising his character for staying positive and delivering when it mattered most.
• Scienza’s journey from Brazil through hardship in Sweden—where he once lived in a club boss’s basement—to leading SSV Ulm into the 2. Bundesliga set the stage for his Heidenheim breakthrough.