From Injury to Viral Moment: Konstantin Rettig's Comeback Goal
Frederik Hvillum
After more than two years out with a serious heel injury, Konstantin Rettig announced his return to football with a stunning goal that captured hearts across social media.
Just outside the penalty area, Konstantin Rettig receives the ball. In one fluid motion, he cuts inside and unleashes a strike that curves into the far corner with such precision that, for a brief moment, the ball appears suspended in the net.
The goal stopped spectators in their tracks. This was Landesliga Lüneburg, Germany's sixth tier, where SG Scharmbeck-Pattensen-Ashausen were on their way to a 4-1 victory over FC Hagen/Uthlede. For Rettig, the goal that made it 3-0 carried the weight of a two-year journey back from injury. Later, the goal was announced as Niedersächsischer FV’s Goal of the Month in September.
The Long Road Back
In 2023, a serious heel injury threatened to end Rettig's playing career. What followed was over two years away from the game, filled with rehabilitation and the unwavering support of those around him.
"After a serious heel injury in 2023, I made my comeback this summer after being out for more than two years," Rettig explains. "In that moment when the ball went in, I ran straight to the bench, the coaching staff, and my teammates because they had supported me fully during that tough period and never let me down. It was an emotional release of everything I had been through."
Going Viral, Staying Grounded
In the days following the match, the clip of Rettig's strike spread across social media platforms, accumulating views from football fans worldwide.
"I'm not on social media and don't have Instagram, but my close circle naturally notices the hype and tells me about it," he says. "I try to look at the whole thing calmly and objectively. In football, success and failure are very close to each other. For fans and outsiders, you're a hero one week and the guy with the wooden leg the next. That's why it's important not to rest on your laurels after a great goal but to keep working hard on yourself."
The Role of Technology
At SG Scharmbeck-Pattensen-Ashausen, preparation and analysis are taken seriously, even at the sixth tier of German football.
"With Marinus Bester and Yannick Hinsch, we have an absolutely top-class coaching duo who prepare us in the best possible way for each week's opponent," Rettig explains. "Veo is an essential tool for detailed analysis after the matches and will continue to play a decisive role in our football development process as players."
The clip has been viewed thousands of times across social media. For Rettig, the goal marked the end of a two-year battle with injury and the beginning of his return to the game.
