Striker Anthony Modeste will leave 1. FC Köln. After the announcement, his trainer Steffen Baumgart got quite angry.
Anthony Modeste will no longer play for 1. FC Köln. Borussia Dortmund will probably be the new employer. There had been reports since the morning that the Frenchman was to replace long-term Sebastien Haller at BVB.
Medical check on Monday
Cologne’s Managing Director Sport Christian Keller explained before the game against Schalke 04: “At the request of Tony Modeste, we reached an agreement in principle with BVB this afternoon about his move to BVB. The transfer should be confirmed after the medical check, which is scheduled for tomorrow.”
Modeste too expensive for Cologne
Actually, according to Keller, Modeste didn’t want to leave FC at all. “I’ve said several times in the last few weeks what the situation is like. Tony actually wanted to stay, but we’re currently not in a position to extend his contract economically. That’s why he had an agreement with us that if something attractive came up for him , let’s listen to this.”
Coach Steffen Baumgart then did without the attacker’s services in the game against Schalke. He did not talk to the French, he said on DAZN. “I wasn’t in a good mood”said the coach. He will talk to him on Monday. “Everyone can imagine that this is also borderline for us in terms of timing.” It is clear that Modeste will be missing from the team.
Baumgart angry
“It doesn’t come out on Friday and Saturday and then we play, we have an important game – and then it comes out. It pisses me off.”Baumgart grumbled at the press conference after the game: “It’s not the first time I’ve had the feeling that something is going to come out, and it’s not from us. It doesn’t matter who then says shit. Four hours before the game it puts us in a difficult situation.”
It have “to do with fair play, that you keep it under the cover and don’t talk big about the area”Baumgart raged: “That’s what really gets on my nerves. In my situation as a coach, you can imagine I’ve got the arse card.”
Successful again, gone again
Last season, Modeste almost single-handedly shot Cologne into the Conference League with 20 goals this season. It is the second time he has left FC after a successful season.
In 2017 he went to Tianjin in China for 35 million euros after scoring 25 goals. Modeste is now playing with BVB in the Champions League.