Not until Tuesday do the professionals of 1. FC Köln meet again for training. Then Ellyes Skhiri will still have to take a break with knee problems, he will almost certainly not see the game against Bayer Leverkusen on the turf.
This – like the absence of Jonas Hector – is a clear weakening for the Cologne team. Licensed player boss Thomas Kessler does not want to hide this fact: “Jonas Hector is our captain, if he is absent, then we are missing someone whom we cannot replace one-to-one. The same goes for Ellyes Skhiri: He has proven over the course of the last few years that he is one of our most important players. Therefore, it is no surprise that with the loss of both of them, there is also a certain loss of quality.”
However, this was not the “decisive reason” for the debacle in Sinsheim. Rather, Kessler saw deficits in tackling behaviour and speed of action: “The team didn’t let itself down. But we didn’t show the qualities that have distinguished us in recent weeks: We didn’t get into the duels so well. Instead, we backed off in some situations where we should have stayed on.” This misconduct creates spaces for the opponent, who does not even have to be outnumbered. It’s enough if the assignments are missing and the resulting space is used.
Don’t panic – “we are on a very good path “
With Leverkusen, Dortmund and Union Berlin, three opponents are now waiting who will demand everything of the Cologne team in normal form: “They will no longer underestimate us,” knows Kessler, “the team has earned this respect in recent weeks.” For us, it’s all about continuing on our path in these games,” says Kessler. And the ex-professional predicts: “There will always be setbacks in the process.” No one in Cologne had demanded sixth place, so they are not panicking now because a game was lost. The goal is still clearly defined: “We want to stay in the league. This as early as possible. And we are on a very good path. “
