HEIDENHEIM, Germany (AP) 鈥� Heidenheim goalscorer Eren Dink莽i was unable to hold back tears while fans celebrated his team鈥檚 win as he thought of his girlfriend with leukemia.
鈥淭he goal is for her, clearly,鈥� the 24-year-old Dink莽i said after Heidenheim鈥檚 2-0 win over St. Pauli in the Bundesliga on Saturday. 鈥淎nd I hope that it made her happy and the goal also gives her a bit of strength.鈥�
Dink莽i, who鈥檚 on loan at Heidenheim from Freiburg, announced through both clubs鈥� websites this month that his girlfriend Cinja has leukemia and may need a stem cell donation.
Heidenheim organized a campaign with DKMS, a German-founded international charity helping people with blood cancer and blood disorders, to convince people to register as stem cell donors. Some 688 people registered around the team’s game in Freiburg last weekend, and more were expected to do so around the game in Heidenheim on Saturday.
In a statement on the Heidenheim website, Dink莽i and his girlfriend Cinja stressed the action was not for their own benefit but that their encounters with other patients had made an impression and they wanted to help others.
Heidenheim coach Frank Schmidt said it was apt Dink莽i got the goal that sealed the win.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a story that moves people in Germany and around the world, it moves me, too,鈥� Schmidt said. 鈥淓ren has the opportunity through his reach to help his family, his girlfriend, but also many other people. I think you can see how much it resonated today and last week. First and foremost we鈥檙e not footballers, football coaches or machines 鈥� we鈥檙e people.鈥�
Heidenheim is last in the Bundesliga and its win over St. Pauli staved off relegation for another week at least.
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