Holstein Kiel's defeat by Freiburg on Matchday 33 means they have been relegated following their debut top-flight season.

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It was a tough rookie campaign for Kiel, who had to wait until Matchday 9 to record their first win of the campaign with a 1-0 success over Heidenheim.

Despite scoring the most goals of the current bottom six (49), Kiel couldn't find the formular for keeping clean sheets and had conceded 77 by the time of their relegation, the most in the league.

Marcel Rapp's side had picked up two wins and two draws in their last six games going into this weekend, results which gave them a fighting chance before their meeting with Julian Schuster's Freiburg side on Saturday.

Kiel fought right until the end to maintain their Bundesliga status, pushing Freiburg close, but it just wasn't enough over the course of the season. - DFL/Getty Images/Reinaldo Coddou

“It was only little details that were missing today," said head coach Marcel Rapp afterwards. "We’re upset today. We didn't play a perfect season. We have to admit that to ourselves."

Sporting director Olaf Rebbe was equally reflective, saying: “It's a sad day for Holstein Kiel. However, we have to look ahead, even if that's difficult right now.”

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About the clubs

Holstein Kiel

Holstein-Stadion