1. FC Heidenheim 1846 has bid farewell to seven players from last season's Bundesliga squad. The departures of Stefan Schimmer, Omar Traoré, Eren Dinkçi, Arijon Ibrahimović, Hennes Behrens, Diant Ramaj, and Leonidas Stergiou were confirmed by the club.
The team managed by Frank Schmidt now heads into the 2. Bundesliga, where they currently sit in 5th place with six points from three matches. Their record shows two wins and one loss, with a goal difference of zero after scoring and conceding ten goals each. Ahead of their next home game against Holstein Kiel on September 13th, the squad is currently without Christian Conteh and Sirlord Conteh due to injury.
The seven departures fall into two categories. Stefan Schimmer and Omar Traoré saw their contracts expire on June 30, 2026. The other five players, Eren Dinkçi, Arijon Ibrahimović, Hennes Behrens, Diant Ramaj, and Leonidas Stergiou, were on loan and have returned to their parent clubs. No official farewell took place on the final Bundesliga matchday, as all focus was on securing survival. The club now plans to honour the players during home games in the upcoming season at the Voith-Arena.
Holger Sanwald, chairman of the board of 1. FC Heidenheim 1846, expressed his gratitude. "Wir bedanken uns an dieser Stelle nochmals ganz ausdrücklich bei Stefan Schimmer, Omar Traoré, Eren Dinkçi, Arijon Ibrahimović, Hennes Behrens, Diant Ramaj und Leonidas Stergiou für ihre Leistungen sowie ihren Einsatz für unsere Mannschaft und unseren Verein," Sanwald said. He added, "Für ihren weiteren sportlichen wie privaten Weg wünschen wir jedem Einzelnen nur das Allerbeste!"
Stefan Schimmer was one of the longest-serving players in the squad. The forward joined FCH for the 2019/20 season and made a total of 179 competitive appearances. He scored 22 goals and provided 13 assists. He was a key part of the team that won the 2. Bundesliga title in 2023 and achieved promotion to the top flight.
Omar Traoré arrived in the summer of 2023 following that promotion. The midfielder made 102 competitive appearances for Heidenheim over three years, contributing nine assists. His experience was valuable during the club's debut Bundesliga campaign. The current 2. Bundesliga standings show FCH in fifth, just four points behind leaders 1. FC Nürnberg.
The five loan players had varying levels of involvement. Eren Dinkçi joined from SC Freiburg at the end of January 2026. He made 14 competitive appearances in the second half of the season, scoring three goals and providing three assists. Arijon Ibrahimović arrived in the summer of 2025 from FC Bayern Munich. He featured 34 times across the 2025/26 season, netting twice and setting up five goals.
Hennes Behrens reinforced the squad from TSG Hoffenheim in January 2026. The midfielder made 16 Bundesliga appearances in the second half of the season, scoring once and assisting twice. Goalkeeper Diant Ramaj, a product of FCH's HARTMANN youth academy, was on loan from Borussia Dortmund. He played in 33 competitive matches. Leonidas Stergiou, on loan from VfB Stuttgart, featured five times after his arrival.
With these squad changes, manager Frank Schmidt must prepare for the challenges of the 2. Bundesliga. The squad is now leaner, creating opportunities for remaining or newly signed players. The next test comes on September 13th when FCH hosts 15th-placed Holstein Kiel at the Voith-Arena. The team's current injury situation can be followed on our injuries page, while the full season schedule is available under fixtures.
