Ash Wednesday has just passed, but many people in Cologne thought they were in the middle of a classic of the Cologne carnival repertoire on Friday evening at FC’s game against Werder Bremen. Translated into standard German, the song is called “In der Kaygasse Number Zero” and is about students who didn’t learn anything right from teacher Welsch and who use the same refrain to justify themselves: “Dreimol Null it’s zero, it’s zero, it’s zero …”
These lines came to mind when Cologne coach Timo Schultz resorted to extreme measures when the score was 0-1: first he substituted striker Sargis Adamyan, and a few minutes later he sent attackers Florian Dietz and Steffen Tigges on Race. Three times zero goals this season were combined, and the result of Schultz’s attack corresponded to the refrain of the classic: “Three moles of zero bliev zero, bliev zero…” It remained 0-1, SV Werder took the three points and moved up Cologne, on the other hand, are stuck at the bottom and have to defend their relegation place 16 against Mainz and Darmstadt. The word “setback” was a frequently used one by Cologne, who had not lost three times in a row.
Apparently it was impossible to tell on Friday evening which of the two teams was at home in the first and which in the second half of the table. They persisted and fought each other at an identically low level. Substitute Justin Nijnmah scored the only goal, bringing the ball over the line after a mistake by goalkeeper Marvin Schwäbe (70th minute). “It was a very crooked goal, I’d rather stumble into it,” said the shooter with absolute truth. Until this stroke of luck from Bremen, the game was heading straight for a nil-nought of the by no means better sort. The zero was somehow the patron of this football evening.
“Completely incomprehensible,” says Florian Kainz, “that was a clear penalty.”
In the opinion of the Cologne team, this also applied to the performance of the referee Daniel Siebert and the connected video court. The FC people said the DFB supervisors had no insight because they did not initiate an investigation after Werder goalkeeper Michael Zetterer rammed his knee into Cologne defender Luca Kilian’s back – and did so violently and far from the ball. He had to Watch his words, said an angry FC captain Florian Kainz: “Completely incomprehensible” was the decision, “that was a clear penalty.”
Michael Zetterer jumps in the back of Luca Kilian, and it’s not just Cologne that sees it as a penalty.
(Photo: Lars Baron/Getty Images)
The separation from Steffen Baumgart and the change of coach have had the hoped-for effect at 1. FC Köln, the team plays in a different order and has gained new courage, but Timo Schultz is not able to work miracles with his teachings when it comes to attacking play. On Friday there were ten Cologne shots on goal on the statistics sheet, “but maybe two or three were dangerous,” said Schultz. Only 19-year-old Justin Diehl provided a bit of life after his substitution. Baumgart had kept the fast, daring winger away on principle – Diehl didn’t want to extend his contract – but Schultz reactivated him: “I’m glad I have him,” said the coach with an imaginary sigh.
It is also significant that 1. FC Köln published a special dispatch during the week: Davie Selke is now starting team training again, it said. The intent of the breaking news was clear: to inspire hope. Timo Schultz summed up the night’s zero number and his team had to get better offensively: “That won’t be enough.”