Only one win in the Bundesliga and now also the exit from the DFB Cup: 1. FC Köln is in a “shitty situation” according to coach Steffen Baumgart. Only victories can help now.
The loan from the derby won against Borussia Mönchengladbach has already been used up again. As the players of the 1. FC Cologne After the 2-3 defeat in the second round of the DFB Cup at 1. FC Kaiserslautern, there was no more encouragement to come to their own fans. Instead: silence.
After the slap in Leipzig last Saturday and now the cup exit from the second division team, the FC fans had obviously had enough. “They were dissatisfied with the result, the 6-0 score was also a factor – you can understand that,” said goalkeeper Marvin Schwäbe. Central defender Timo Hübers saw it similarly: “The fans were as disappointed as we were.”
1. FC Köln penultimate in the Bundesliga
The FC crisis is getting worse. In the Bundesliga, Cologne are in second-to-last place with just four points after nine games. They’re just not in the cup anymore. “We are in an absolutely shitty situation,” coach Steffen Baumgart summed it up.
The FC was superior to the FCK in many areas on Tuesday evening. Cologne had a whopping 73 percent possession of the ball. The goal shooting statistics also speak for 1. FC Köln at 13:9. In the end, only the result counts. And that spoke for Kaiserslautern, who were already leading 3-0 after goals from Richmond Tachie (19th), Kenny Prince Redondo (47th) and Marlon Ritter (65th).
The late goals from Florian Kainz (71st) and Mark Uth (81st) didn’t change that, especially since Cologne ended the game with ten men: Captain Kainz was shown red in the 84th minute for serious foul play. Five minutes earlier, Eric Martel, who had already been substituted, had received a yellow-red card for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Baumgart: “We couldn’t have done everything right”
“We are in a phase where you simply lose games,” Baumgart told ARD after the game. “You can say 20 more times that you don’t have to lose it, that you were better, that you had more possession of the ball and I don’t know anything. In the end it’s a results sport and we’re eliminated from the cup. If you take all of that After 90 minutes, you can’t say it’s undeserved. If Kaiserslautern leads 3-0, we can’t have done everything right.”
But Baumgart didn’t want to make a specific accusation against his team: “The boys tried everything and their body language was there until the end as I had imagined. But in the end I repeat myself too often and try to explain defeats That is not my strength.”
Keller: “Head blocked legs”
The truth is that the FC did not manage to create chances for a long time against an FCK that was actually worse individually. And the back line also revealed glaring gaps with all three goals conceded. “We are clearly the better team individually. But you haven’t seen that on the pitch for a long time,” said FC managing director Christian Keller. “The head blocked the legs”.
Keller now unequivocally demanded results: “The situation will not change if we feel sorry for ourselves,” he said. “It couldn’t be much worse than being eliminated from the cup and 17th place. Every now and then you’ve talked it out – then you just have to do it.” Baumgart now simply has to “win best”. Both left the question of “how” unanswered.
Baumgart doesn’t feel any additional pressure
But Baumgart doesn’t feel any particular pressure, he told ARD: “As a coach, you have pressure in all situations, whether positive or negative. It’s a modest situation at the moment. Of course for me too. But that doesn’t change anything. whether I feel more pressure now. I have the main responsibility and I should try to take it on. At the moment, of course, I’m not succeeding with results.”
The return of Jan Thielmann and Mark Uth gives FC hope. Both were injured for a long time, but scored directly after being substituted in Kaiserslautern. “The fact that they are both back really gives me hope. Let’s hope that they stay healthy and can stabilize their performance. Both are leading the way, they were the factor in the last 25 minutes,” said Baumgart.
On Saturday (3:30 p.m.) FC welcomes FC Augsburg in the Bundesliga, who recently celebrated two wins under new coach Jess Thorup. But for Uth the goal is clear: “We know what’s at stake – we have to win the game.”
