“Under all cannons”
Serious allegations against DFB Cup finalist
14.04.2025 – 4:57 p.m.Reading time: 3 min.
After the victory at Viktoria Köln, Arminia Bielefeld continues to dream of promotion to the 2nd league. But the opponent’s trainer assumes an unfair strategy for the guests.
With the 2-0 away win at Viktoria Cologne, Arminia Bielefeld once again underpinned his demands on promotion to the 2nd Bundesliga. The East Westphalia, which recently surprisingly reached the final of the DFB Cup, are currently in second place in the table and are already four points on the fourth Energie Cottbus.
The success in Cologne also raises a question: do the Arminen use an unfair tactic to regularly get an advantage? At least that’s what Viktoria coach Olaf Janßen claims.
The 58-year-old was referred to the stands in the 69th minute of the game by referee Daniel Bartnitzki after loudly stimulating his coaching zone on the sidelines. He also shouted: “This is a mess, something like that.”
Janßen’s verbal derailment did not come without justification. The former Bundesliga professional (Cologne, Frankfurt) got upset about Bielefeld’s goalkeeper Jonas Kersken, who at that time indicated an injury and put himself on the pitch.
Because Arminia coach Mitch Kniat used his goalkeeper’s treatment break to give his team tactical instructions, Janßen sensed a conspiracy. Because, according to the former St. Pauli coach, it was not the first time that Kersken had to be treated in the field and that Kniat was able to order the rest of his team on the sidelines.
“This happens in every second game. The goalkeeper lies down, has no injury. The whole team goes to the bank and gets a tactical instruction,” roasted Janßen after the final whistle at “Magenta Sport”. “With ten men they are on the side. As I said, this happens every 14 days.”
Janßen said that his team had played a strong game in the second round. What he was actually right with. Because Cologne was very close to the equalization at this time. Then, according to Janßen, tactical adjustments to the opponent were made possible by the treatment of Kersken. “I think that’s just under all the cannon. Because: To put an injury to get your whole team to the sidelines, to make a tactical speech, I think about it. I have excited myself about that.”
It was a mistake that he left the coaching zone, Janßen admitted. He also apologized to his team. “But I’m a bit of justice fanatic,” said Janßen. His team was not treated fairly. At the press conference after the game, Janßen then described the Bielefeld’s approach as “unsportsmanlike”.
Mitchel Kniat, meanwhile, was able to understand the trouble of his counterpart. But the Bielefeld coach also emphasized: “These are the rules. Of course, you can title it as unsportsmanlike. But that’s the same as when the players always stay on the floor.” They rarely have injuries and yet the physiotherapist usually looks at it.
Shortly afterwards, Kniat said that he had learned a word from referees in his eleven years as a coach: “Gray Zone,” said the 39-year-old. “This is always used when the referee is wrong. Then it says: ‘It is a gray area’. In the handball, these are all gray areas. Then we can also use the gray areas for ourselves.”