For AS Monaco and Thilo Kehrer, reaching the quarter-finals in the cup seemed just a formality. But the national player and his team experienced a nasty surprise.
Bitter cup exit for national player Thilo Kehrer. With AS Monaco, the defender was sensationally eliminated in the round of 16 of the French Cup against third division club FC Rouen. After the score was 1-1 after 90 and 120 minutes, the penalty shootout brought the decision in favor of the blatant outsider.
Monaco’s Folarin Balogun gave his team the lead with a penalty in regular time. After the underdog missed a penalty in the shootout, he could have shot his team to victory again, but this time he couldn’t keep his nerve. Because teammate Maghnes Akliouche then missed, hosts Rouen prevailed 6-5 on penalties.
DFB professional Kehrer was on the field for the entire game and also converted his penalty, but that didn’t help. The overwhelming favorite did not start with a B team. In addition to Kehrer, former Bundesliga professionals Denis Zakaria (Gladbach) and Ismail Jakobs (Cologne) were also in the starting line-up. Former Liverpool player Takumi Minamino also played on offense, as did French international and captain Youssouf Fofana.
Hütter’s 600th game as coach ends in disgrace
Kehrer (27 international matches for Germany) only moved to former Bundesliga coach Adi Hütter’s team (Frankfurt, Gladbach) on loan from West Ham United in January. The Austrian experienced an evening to forget in his 600th competitive game as head coach.
Meanwhile, Kehrer rarely played at the London Premier League club. With a view to the home European Championships in the summer, he wants to gain match practice. In Monaco’s six competitive games since the beginning of the year, the former Schalke player has always been on the pitch for over 90 minutes as the right defender in a three-man chain. There will now be no more games in the cup.