Nürnberg bask in return to glory

Surprises
The match was a fitting conclusion to a season of surprises - such as back-to-back double winners FC Bayern München falling to fourth place. From the first German championship in 1920 to the last in 1968, the side known across the country as "der Club" were feared. Nürnberg had an incredible 104-match winning streak from 1918 to 1922. "It's a beautiful moment for fans who had to endure all the problems and dubious past performances for so long," said coach Hans Meyer.

'Wonderful resurrection'
Nürnberg fell to the third division in 1996 after being penalised six points for financial problems. They climbed back to top flight but were relegated again in 1999 and 2003. They bounced right back in 2004 but struggled to avoid relegation until Meyer arrived in 2005. "It's a wonderful resurrection for us," said president Michael Roth. "It's mostly the older generation that remembers the glory days we used to have. It's great to be back."

'Huge story'
But Roth did not want to gloat when asked how it felt to win more silverware this year than arch-rivals Bayern, saying: "I hope expectations won't now rise too high too fast." Nürnberg had already qualified for next season's UEFA Cup after a sixth-place finish in the Bundesliga, and beaten Stuttgart coach Armin Veh was gracious in defeat. "It's a huge story for Nürnberg," he said "But it would have been a huge story for us too." Veh, who led his team to their first Bundesliga championship in 15 years, said he was proud of his men for their effort despite being down to ten from the 31st minute when Cacau was sent off for punching a Nürnberg defender.

Late charge
Stuttgart, the league's youngest team with an average age of 25, had won their last eight Bundesliga matches, storming from third to first to secure the championship last Saturday in the final round of the season. The players celebrated on the pitch with beer and champagne after beating FC Energie Cottbus and through the night with 100,000 fans in the city centre.