The DFB Cup finals take place. - Funkel expresses gratitude and bids farewell, though it seems insufficient.
"Goodbye and thank you" was said by Friedhelm Funkel as he departed soccer. Although he may not stay away forever, this cup final in Berlin impacted him greatly.
"I need a break now. When I've recovered and gathered my strength, I won't dismiss the idea of doing something again," Funkel expressed. His work with 1. FC Kaiserslautern has required much from the 70-year-old, as his team at Bayer Leverkusen did in their 1:0 thrilling victory over the German champions.
"The team displayed incredible heart on the pitch. We defended well even after Odilon Kossounou received a yellow card, leaving us with ten men," praised Funkel. Despite the disadvantage, the underdogs from the second division couldn't make the most of the situation, and Funkel managed to keep the Palatinate team from dropping to the third division. He could not compensate for the goal scored by Granit Xhaka in the 16th minute because he was no longer at his prime, as he was in the 1980 final with Bayer Uerdingen. Back then, he played a crucial role in a 2:1 victory against FC Bayern Munich.
Funkel doesn't accept praise
Funkel also missed out on triumph for the third time as a coach in the DFB Cup final. Nevertheless, FCK fans hailed their "hero" with chants. Before the ceremony, the stadium announcer urged the crowd to applaud "legendary coach Friedhelm Funkel" - even the Leverkusen fans clapped.
"That's quite unusual. Unfortunately, I didn't notice it," Funkel said when inquired about it later during a press conference. The specialist in second division championships and preventing Bundesliga relegations would have loved to preserve all those emotions, the will of his players, the support of the FCK fans, an award certificate, and a few pieces of grass from that night.
The veteran coach is eager to continue
"I soaked up the entire atmosphere around the game. It was a remarkable feeling to be celebrated in front of the crowd. It just makes you want more," Funkel remarked. In his initial interviews after the final whistle in front of 74,322 spectators in the Olympic Stadium, he had already affirmed, "I'm interested in continuing at some point."
Funkel will not be returning to Betzenberg, as the club management declared less than a week ago. He indirectly confirmed that the Neuss native occasionally offends people with his direct nature: "I hope they can find a coach who suits this club, someone who is a bit challenging. Someone who has his own opinion and enforces it in his work with the team."
Hengen's withering remark
Funkel cautioned people to be patient with a coach, but he himself wouldn't have experienced this memorable evening on the bench if FCK had not dismissed Dirk Schuster and Dimitrios Grammozis earlier in the season. Discussions about Funkel's successor were ongoing, said Thomas Hengen.
The managing director nearly lost his voice during the exhausting final. He's not known to have a great rapport with Funkel. His rough commentary consisted of praising the team, but also contained criticism after an excellent, yet errant performance from an average second division team: "We could have been a little more daring after the break," he remarked. "We would have fancied taking more risks there."
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Source: www.stern.de
