SSV Ulm 1846 Relegated After Heartbreaking Final 3. Liga Defeat to Rot-Weiss Essen

SSV Ulm 1846's hopes of staying in the 3. Liga were dashed following a dramatic 2-3 defeat at home against Rot-Weiss Essen in their season finale at the Donaustadion, witnessed by 13,918 fans. Essen took an early lead with Torben Müsel scoring in the 2nd minute, but Ulm fought back with Lucas Röser converting a penalty in the 29th minute and Dennis Chessa adding another five minutes later to momentarily turn the game in their favor. Yet Müsel struck again before halftime, leveling the score at 2-2. Despite goalkeeper Christian Ortag’s remarkable saves that kept Ulm in contention, the visitors secured the win with a late goal from Ben Vincent Hüning in the 90+2 minute. This defeat condemned Ulm to relegation to the Regionalliga Südwest after finishing second-to-last with 33 points. Meanwhile, Essen’s victory earned them a spot in the relegation playoffs, relying on a slip-up from rivals Duisburg. Amid the bleak outcome, there was a silver lining for Ulm as club legend Johannes Reichert committed to a contract extension, pledging to stay with the club despite the drop. In contrast, head coach Pavel Dotchev will not be returning for the next season, signaling a fresh start for the relegated side.