The KSC is not only concerned with the corona crisis. Even the announcement by goalkeeper Benjamin Uphoff not to extend his contract, which expires at the end of the season for the second-to-last table in league two, must first be digested and processed.
Since Uphoff switched to KSC in summer 2017, he has played 107 games for the blue-whites and has had a good share in the promotion to the 2nd Bundesliga.
The 192 cm tall and 80 kg heavy keeper provides the reason for his departure: “I want to take the next step in my development”, says “Uppi”, who then, on request, also confesses that the next step is “moving to a first division team is. “
Rumors are growing
Where to, Uphoff didn’t want to say anything about that. “It was agreed with my new employer that it was the club that announced everything.” At first it was speculated that he would move to SC Freiburg and there he was to succeed top keeper Alexander Schwolow, whom the SC could no longer keep in Breisgau for too long. FC Augsburg is also said to have been interested in Uphoff.
But now there is growing evidence that the native Bayer Uphoff is moving to 1. FC Köln, where he will become number two behind regular goalkeeper Timo Horn. His previous representative Thomas Kessler is 34 years old and his FC expires in the summer. In addition, FC goalkeeper coach Andreas Menger is said to have inquired about buddy Kai Rabe – ex-KSC goalkeeper coach HSV – about Uphoff.
Uphoff, who also studies automotive engineering, claims that the financial framework had “influenced zero-zero-zero” in his decision. For the Noch-KSC’ler there is no doubt: “If I want to take the step into the first division, then it has to come now.” On the one hand, because he is already 26 years old, on the other hand, he can switch free of charge in summer, which makes it more interesting for clubs.
KSC wanted to keep Uphoff
Uphoff is a realist enough to know that he cannot move to the first division as number one in the future. He realistically assumes that he will initially find himself on the replacement bench. “If you come from the second division, you just have to sit on the bench.” The KSC tried to keep him in the game park. “There were discussions before Christmas, which were then put on hold by mutual agreement. The KSC now wanted a decision, so I communicated my decision to the club these days.” Again he assures: “The main reason is that I want to do something new in summer”, he adds: “I don’t go in resentment, I just want to do something new.”
KSC coach Christian Eichner is not enthusiastic about Uphoff’s departure, he confesses “that we lose a very good goalkeeper. At the beginning it was not easy for him to displace a man like Dirk Orlishausen. Benni has developed into a top man between the posts”, “Eiche” praises him, who then quickly replenishes: “But with Marius Gersbeck we have a keeper whom I absolutely trust in a similarly good role.”
The article was edited later.
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