When FC regained hope for redemption - Schultz discusses the chaos in Cologne.
What an astonishing comeback! FC had been considered finished after their humiliating 0:2 loss against Darmstadt (on matchday 30). Ever since the scoreless draw against Freiburg (matchday 32), the management and the players themselves had accepted a second division future. In the do-or-die match against Union, relegation seemed a certainty for 92 minutes. And then came the 3:2 - the goal followed by the victory and redemption by Cologne's hero, Damion Downs (19).
Hope postponed. One more game to play. And somehow, they avoided relegation. But how do we make sense of this Cologne madness?
"It might be the strangest way to avoid relegation"
Coach Timo Schultz (46) tried to explain it all immediately after the final whistle. "We deserve this last game. We didn't play for it, but we worked for it. It's because the team has 100% faith in itself."
This wasn't always the case. The low point was the scoreless draw against Freiburg. It seemed to have broken Cologne's spirit - but in the end, it was that experience that gave them the belief in salvation again. It was when the basement rivals failed to exploit Cologne's vulnerabilities.
"They have an incredible heart"
Schultz revealed: "After the game against Freiburg, we were all disillusioned. But the mood changed on Sunday evening after the results of the others, and when we met the next day, there was such a positive attitude. There was an air of something curious, like maybe relegation could be avoided in an unusual way."
Cologne now has one last shot. They must win in Heidenheim on the final matchday. They need Union to lose against Freiburg and themselves to catch up with Berlin by four goals. Then this disastrous season will go into extra time. Relegation.
Schultz said: "The team has an incredible heart. They display that on the pitch. In recent weeks, only the other teams were able to play for us. Now we've finally managed to play for ourselves. That's the big, deciding difference in the end."
Now, with this last chance of salvation, all of Cologne is investing their hope in the possibility of relegation being avoided...
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Source: symclub.org
