Despite 71 years
© Imago
Friedhelm Funkel still doesn’t have enough. After he canceled Bundesliga promoters 1. FC Köln, the 71-year-old declared his general willingness to continue as a coach. “I would like to continue working because I am still able to do so. That’s why I don’t want to stop,” said Funkel in the “Doppelpass” of “Sport1”.
During his work as a trainer of Fortuna Düsseldorf, Funkel had repeatedly emphasized until 2020 that after the job at the Rhinelanders, he had not wanted to train any other club because Fortuna had grown so dear to him. In fact, after his leave of absence, he even healed twice at the Rheinische Rivals in Cologne. He also saved the 1. FC Kaiserslautern from the second division last year before relegation. This season he took over FC two game days before the end of the season after the separation of coach Gerhard Struber and led back to the Bundesliga with two victories. Funkel would have loved to continue working there. “The FC is a special club,” he said.
At the beginning of last week, however, he had withdrawn his willingness. “I felt that one or the other ideas had. And if you as a trainer do not have a hundred percent trust on the first day, when do you want it?” Said Funkel, who spoke of a “difficult but reasonable step”. In principle, despite his age, it was also possible for him to work longer than just help out a club for a short time, since his coaching team would now relieve him of a lot more in the daily work.
