René Wagner expressly praised Said El Mala on Thursday for his efforts at 1. FC Köln. The head coach of the Billy Goats is spot on.
René Wagner is not yet the speaker at press conferences 1. FC Cologne. The 37-year-old still has to get used to his new role in the public eye. The head coach usually answers briefly; he rarely becomes more emotional or gives insights into his inner life. On the Thursday before the away game at Union Berlin, things changed for a brief moment.
When asked how he experienced Said El Mala given all the hustle and bustle surrounding him, Wagner gave a long answer for his standards. Essentially, it was a paean to the 19-year-old. El Mala “doesn’t have to worry that we’re asking too much of him.” He proves “impressively” that he gives “the answer on the pitch”. The talent is “fully there in pressure situations despite his age”.
And above all: “You don’t get the feeling that when it gets louder around him, that he becomes more restless. On the contrary: when it gets louder around him, he becomes even calmer, even clearer, even more level-headed and even more meticulous in training.”
There are players who can’t cope with this hustle and bustle. And there is El Mala. “He’s getting better every weekend. He delivers the arguments on the pitch, and that’s why I’m sure we’ll be sitting here again next week and talking about how well he played in Berlin and that this time he’ll have rewarded himself.”