1. FC Köln: Despite the need to save money in Cologne: Baumgart promises the next spectacle season! – Bundesliga
Cologne’s fight for Europe should not be a flash in the pan – at least when it comes to coach Steffen Baumgart (50)!
While the club bosses prematurely predicted the most brutal relegation battle for the next FC years last year and are now probably rubbing their eyes in amazement every morning because of the euro euphoria that their coach has sparked, he is already planning the next attack from summer.
Baumgart: “We want to stabilize and it will also be the goal for the coming season to operate in the Bundesliga so that we don’t get into relegation troubles. It would be nice if we could then play a similar season.”
Not in the mood for a relegation battle. Baumgart wants more and is already making you want to play next season. Despite all the negative signs, despite the mega-debt (86 million euros) and despite the austerity announced by sports director Christian Keller (43) (20 percent budget cut).
>>We’ll get a good team together
“I don’t bother myself with it,” says Baumgart and promises: “We’ll get a good team together. We have developed a clear advantage this season: we couldn’t do more advertising for players who want to play great football. That’s why it’s obviously easier to convince good guys to join FC.”
Even a player sell-out threatening after the super season did not bother Baumgart, although with Modeste, Özcan, Skhiri and Duda several top stars could go away, Cologne also has to bring in transfer proceeds in the double-digit million range.
FC players like Anthony Modeste (left) and Salih Özcan have been the center of attention this seasonPhoto: Marius Becker/dpa
“That’s part of this job. I don’t see any dangers in it. You can borrow money through transfer fees and it’s also my job to develop market values. We managed to do that with a few players this season,” says Baumgart.
But his promise: “If someone leaves us, we’ll see who we can get. We are already thinking about where something like this can happen to us and what the right answer might be to continue on our path successfully.”
Cologne’s super season should not be a flash in the pan, but, according to Baumgart, “a starting signal” that is to be followed by even more spectacle…