Ziegner spent eighteen months at Kickers, the highlight being a DFB-Pokal tie in which they took Bundesliga side Werder Bremen to extra time, before losing 2–1.
After two successful seasons with Erfurt, he signed for second division side FSV Mainz 05, but didn't make a first-team appearance in his year with the club, mainly playing for the reserve team.
Ziegner missed just one game in the 2004–05 season, scoring nine goals as Jena won the division, and beat MSV Neuruppin in the playoff to earn promotion to the Regionalliga Nord.
FC Köln caused Ziegner to miss much of the 2006–07 season, and the following year his 24 appearances couldn't prevent the club being relegated back to the third tier, now in the form of a national 3.
He joined FSV Zwickau for a second spell, helping them win the NOFV-Oberliga Süd title, and promotion to the revived Regionalliga Nordost.
[7] Ziegner was given a five-match ban in October 2008 for racially abusing Nigerian player Kingsley Onuegbu during a match against Eintracht Braunschweig.