With an appeal to fans and public, Friedhelm Funkel has moderated the worries at 1. FC Köln. The 71-year-old takes the lead at FC.
It was a memorable appearance by Friedhelm Funkel on Friday afternoon in the RheinEnergieStadion. The interim coach of the 1st FC Köln did not just complete the press conference before the promotion final on Sunday and rolled off his program. The 71-year-old shows what FC needs in the current situation.
Funkel ended the scandal around Tim Lemperle with an emotional speech and also turned every demand into a positive signal for the game on Sunday. The coach opened his team again publicly and praised them for their handling of the pressure in the promotion struggle. And in the end he called on the fans to commit himself to the great goal of the club: the promotion to the Bundesliga.
The fact that it would be primarily about Tim Lemperle on Friday was expected after his alcohol excess and attack on himself. It was questionable how Funkel would moderate this incident. But after 25 minutes on Friday afternoon there were no more questions. “Tim knows that he made a mistake. He showed a lot of repentance. I want to say that very clearly here,” Funkel started. And then he started.
“So the topic is done for me.” It is about concentrating on the sporty. “I think all of us, the audience, the fans, want to rise on Sunday. And I am sure that the audience will support those who will be on the pitch,” continued Funkel. “The whole week has been talked about the case, but at some point you have to draw a line. Then it is over and you should only have one goal: the climb.”
Yes, he too, sparkle, was “upset”. “But we all have to set the rise of 1. FC Köln – all – to the goal. I am addressing this appeal to all of Cologne.” On Sunday from 3:30 p.m., FC in Cologne-Müngersdorf fights against the 1st FC Kaiserslautern. A victory or a tie would transport FC back to the Bundesliga.
Lemperle “had to take enough justified criticism, but at some point it has to be good”. For the game against Lautern, the incident from last Sunday should no longer play a role. “There is only one goal: win the game.” Of course, Funkel also spoke to individual players and with the team council, “because it is important for me to take the boys and know the mood in the team. I was told what I have now said: that they did not find it well that Tim made a mistake, but that it has to be good with it. I can put myself in a team, and I feel that Tim is punished enough.”
It was an appearance with force, with conviction. Funkel seemed to know exactly what order he had two days before the decisive game. He had to end the causa Lemperle, close the door to look ahead again. And that was exactly what he succeeded. In the team “no break was created”. He “rarely experienced such a team unity”. And in general: The incident has “no influence on the game on Sunday – zero!”
Rather, Funkel talked his players again strongly. “I am completely convinced of this team. This is a unit, and we have to bring it to the square on Sunday,” said the 71-year-old. “Last week in Nuremberg, exactly at the right time, the team showed that they can handle pressure. There was a lot of pressure on the box. We had to win to secure the good starting situation. She made it impressive.” Now you want to refine exactly this good starting position with a home win.
The only open is how the FC will deal with the results in the other places. So far, it is not planned that intermediate results will be shown on the scoreboards in the stadium. Of course, the audience will inform themselves, on the other hand, the players should concentrate entirely on their task. “I’m not interested in the situation behind us,” said Funkel. “I want the team to appear as they did in Nuremberg. Then we don’t have to look left or right. Then we don’t care who will be third, fourth or fifth.”