For 1.FC Cologne, everything is possible in the relegation battle on Saturday: the rescue, the postponement of the relegation and the bitter move to the second Bundesliga. For Friedhelm Funkel it will be the last (regular) Bundesliga game with the billy goats. It goes against FC Schalke 04, the bottom light.
The experienced coach is convinced that the Domstadters will not underestimate their opponents under any circumstances. “Schalke’s 4: 3 against Frankfurt is good for us,” quoted Sports picture the 67-year-old from an address to the 1.FC Cologne team in the Corona Hotel. Had the Royal Blues lost as expected, his team might have expected to win the last game of the season in passing. So the senses are sharpened.
Bielefeld and Werder under pressure
Even if Cologne is in 17th place, Funkel spreads optimism. “We caught up six points on Bremen and one on Bielefeld in five games. This point means that Bielefeld now has to win in Stuttgart,” he calculates. Because of the poorer goal difference, a draw is not enough for East Westphalia if Cologne should win. The third team in the league is Werder against Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Funkel finds relegation “not fair”
In this constellation it seems quite conceivable that Cologne will overtake one of the two opponents and have to play in the relegation against VfL Bochum, Holstein Kiel or SpVgg Greuther Fürth. At the beginning of the month, Funkel openly admitted that he was “not a friend” of the scheme. “I don’t think it’s fair that the third from bottom still has the opportunity to stay in the Bundesliga. Even if it could help us this year,” he said at the time Express.
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