Hannover 96's Veteran Goalkeeper Recaps 329th Appearance with Legendary Teammate
In a nod to enduring club loyalty, veteran goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zieler (34) logged his 329th competitive match for Hannover 96, sharing a chat with former teammate and club legend, Hans Siemensmeyer (83), who boasted six more appearances in the Reds' jersey.
Kudos from Siemensmeyer
In acknowledging Zieler's achievement via the club website, Siemensmeyer, affectionately known as "tough Hans," commended Zieler's unwavering dedication: "Thirty-two games is a testament to exceptional club loyalty. Your longevity means that you've stoically endured, avoided injuries, and given your training everything you've got."
Siemensmeyer, a star player between 1965 and 1974, represented Hannover 96 in three international matches, scoring two goals.
Eyeing Bandura's Record
With 353 competitive matches under his belt, the mere 24 appearances separating Zieler from Eddy Bandura (✝︎77)'s standing as Hannover 96's all-time record-holder, the German goalkeeper expressed hopes of overtaking his predecessor on the club's site: "It's not impossible, but to achieve that, I'd need to sign a contract extension. My current one ends in the summer."
Contract Extensions in Sight?
Zieler's collegial media department counterpart may be hinting at an agreement in the works, with the colleague propositioning Zieler about the possibility of completing Bandura's records. With Zieler's enthusiasm toward Hannover 96 and aspiring fitness, a contract extension seems plausible.
Homely in Hannover
Born in Cologne and a proud father to two children, Tristan Theodor (2 months) and Viola-Victoria (3), Zieler is comfortable in his current city and plans to continue playing for a few more years, hopefully under the famed Reds' crest.
Zieler, whose foremost coach was Jörg Sievers (58), the second-ranked player in the all-time appearance list with 421 games, keeps a casual eye on his progress, having recently penned an encouraging message to Sievers.
Acknowledging Siever's monopoly over the top two spots, Zieler kindly remarked, "It's not my concern yet. I wrote him a message a few weeks ago, asking if he still worries about it. I then had a look – he's at 500 appearances. I replied, 'Don't worry about that yet, that's another house number.'"
Enrichment Insights (15%):
The enrichment data does not provide any additional substantial information regarding Zieler's contract negotiations or plans to break Hannover 96's all-time appearance record. It does, however, highlight relevant statistics about Zieler's current performance and achievements in the league[1].
[1] Source: www.bild.de
