Schaaf's Bremen sign off with a smile

Thomas Schaaf said it was "amazing to secure second after such a difficult season" as Werder Bremen earned a UEFA Champions League group stage place.

Late goal
Markus Rosenberg's late goal at Bayer 04 Leverkusen on Saturday secured a 1-0 win on the final day of the Bundesliga season to ensure that Schaaf's side will start in the group stage of next season's UEFA Champions League. "We are very pleased with the game and the whole season," said Bremen coach Schaaf. "After such a difficult season this was a nice ending."

Büskens delighted 
It means FC Schalke 04 to battle it out in the third qualifying round, despite beating 1. FC Nürnberg 2-0 in their final fixture of 2007/08, yet their caretaker coach, Mike Büskens, was in high spirits. "I congratulate the team on winning 16 points in the last six matches," he said. "Sadly we couldn't finish second, so congratulations to Werder Bremen."

Nürnberg down
Schalke's win saw Nürnberg relegated alongside MSV Duisburg and FC Hansa Rostock. "We are absolutely crushed," said coach Thomas von Heesen. "I believed in this team but sometimes you are jinxed. We had plenty of chances to avoid relegation." Leverkusen and deposed champions VfB Stuttgart are also feeling gloomy after finishing out of the European places, seventh and sixth respectively.

Leaving present
VfB may appear in the UEFA Cup if they can prevail in the UEFA Intertoto Cup, and Germany could have five representatives in the competition. Losing German Cup finalists BV Borussia Dortmund and Fair Play winners Hertha BSC Berlin are both assured places, as are Hamburger SV, as Huub Stevens marked his last game before departing this summer with something to remember him by – third spot, earned with a 7-0 win against Karlsruher SC. "I have never won 7-0 with HSV and am proud of that," he said. "This match saw some of the best moments in my time here at Hamburg." Felix Magath's VfL Wolfsburg finished fifth to take the other UEFA Cup berth.