Coach Steffen Baumgart is toying with a quick return to the sidelines after leaving Bundesliga club 1. FC Köln. “I don’t set myself a limit for a break,” the 51-year-old told Bild: “First I have to let everything sink in. I think by the end of January I could imagine being ready for something new again.”
He is “not the type of person who just sits at home in the long term. Then my ass itches and my wife will definitely say: ‘Go to work, you have to get out!’” Baumgart continued. It was only last Thursday that the people of Cologne and the coach, who was popular in the cathedral city, ended their collaboration after a mutual decision.
The coaching job has nothing to do with pity, explained Baumgart: “If one person leaves, there are 20 new candidates available. That’s just the way it is, it’s kind of a dirty job in this matter.” He’s also received inquiries, but most of them haven’t been answered at all. “Nobody has to tell me what’s next for me,” said the coach.
But Baumgart hasn’t yet come to terms with the end at FC. “It does not work so fast. I will never have a station like Cologne again,” said Baumgart and admitted that he was disappointed in himself: “Yes, that is me. I would have liked to solve it and I couldn’t.”
After the decisive conversation that followed the defeat against Union Berlin, the first thing he did was call his “wife Katja, she was crying. She knew what I was like. But she didn’t know the finality that could come from the situation.”
He himself has also become emotional since then: “But when I later received voice messages from my coaching team, I also shed a few tears.”
His heart will always be with FC, promised Baumgart, who joined the club in 2021 and led them to the Conference League a short time later. “This club does something to you. Anyone who believes that they can oppose this club with all their emotions – that’s not possible,” said Baumgart.
However, the start of the current season was a complete failure under Baumgart. After 16 games there are only two wins and 17th place. Cologne is in acute danger of relegation. “We underestimated the situation,” said Baumgart: “Nevertheless, I am convinced that this team can do it.”
2023-12-28 11:43:45
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