It was a day of departures in the 2. Bundesliga on Thursday, with the most high-profile seeing Tim Kleindienst leaving 1. FC Heidenheim to join KAA Gent for an unspecified fee.
Kleindienst takes the same path that Niklas Dorsch took last week in joining one of Belgium’s Champions League participants for next season.
Like Dorsch, he will be a massive loss for the club, despite only spending one season in his second spell at the Voith-Arena. He scored 14 goals in 27 games in the league for Heidenheim, as well as two in the play-off second leg against Werder Bremen.
“Tim played a large part in our sporting success last season,” says Heidenheim’s CEO Holger Sandwald. “Of course we are very reluctant to let Tim go,” he added, “but we still have to take into account the current situation that a transfer like this gives us new economic opportunities.”
Kleindienst follows Dorsch, Sebastian Griesbeck, Timo Beermann, Maurice Multhuap and David Otto in leaving Heidenheim, with coach Frank Schmidt facing on the biggest rebuilding jobs of his long tenure at the club.
Other departures
On the same day they appointed their new coach, 1. FC Nürnberg bid farewell to Patrick Erras after 13 years of service. The midfielder, who had been out of contract, has joined Bundesliga side Bremen.
Fortuna Düsseldorf meanwhile confirmed that they have cancelled the loan of Bernard Tekpetey from Schalke. The former Paderborn forward had joined for a two-year loan last season but had little prospect of a future under Uwe Rösler. He is expected to join Bulgarian side Ludogorets.
Finally, VfL Osnabrück will have to do without Anas Ouahim next season. The attacking midfielder has confirmed on his Instagram account that he is leaving the club after two years, saying he wants “to face new challenges.”
Header image source: KAA Gent.
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