Do coach Friedhelm Funkel and 1. FC Köln continue to go together? The 71 -year -old absolutely wants to help the ascended club to survive in the Bundesliga – but is still waiting for a specific offer.
Friedhelm Funkel is a sought -after man these days. The promotion coach of 1.FC Köln is on everyone’s lips, also because he has publicly known to look after the new Bundesliga club as a coach in the coming season. The 71-year-old feels full of the task both physically and mentally.
“Sometimes there are differences between peers,” says Funkel to the WDR. He thus alluded to an interview in the Cologne city of Anzeiger on Monday morning, in which he had assumed one or the other critic of his continuation announcement “age discrimination”. “But that was more meant by a smile,” says the football teacher.
Quick regulation
The fact is: Funkel is extremely serious about his coaching offer to the club because he believes that he can give the team the necessary calm and experience on the way to being able to successfully tackle the big tasks for the coming season. “Should the FC come to me and say:” Friedhelm, we would love to continue with you “, then I think the topic is regulated in three minutes.”
Most recently, some FC players, including defenders Dominique Heintz (“We would not mind if he stayed for another year.”) For a remaining Funkels.
Funkel: “Kessler does a really good job”
What else is going on? He has been in football worked, pretty much experienced everything that is possible in this industry. “Football has determined my whole life,” says Funkel, and provides the reason for a possible one -year commitment to the Cologne: “I just enjoy it again and again.”
The fact that Thomas Kessler should apparently continue as a sports director of the Cologne residents meets Funkel’s approval. “I’m even extremely happy. And since Christian Keller has been gone, he has been doing really good work. He knows the club and has gone through all the stations. He was, he was so far, is really good,” says Funkel.
Decision probably this week
The native Neusser expects the club to make a decision this week so that all important things such as squad composition, training camp, friendly games and everything else can be coordinated with the new coach.
However, if the Cologne residents decide against the promotion coach, that would be a disappointment for sparkle, but his career end would not yet be sealed. Because as a so -called “firefighter” for another club, he could imagine working again.
“I’ve done this three times now: Cologne, Kaiserslautern, Cologne. This is a new business model,” says Funkel – and provides the last part of his statement with a broad grin.
Our sources
- Interview with Friedhelm Funkel
