Max Kruse will not be able to play again. Nevertheless, Union Berlin wants to score at 1. FC Köln The focus is on the duel of the coaches who appreciate each other but want to defeat each other on Sunday
Max Kruse has signed off in advance via the gaming platform “Twitch” for the away game of 1. FC Union Berlin at 1. FC Köln on Sunday. The club and the player have decided that he will not be able to play on Sunday due to his thigh injury. However, Kruse believes he is well on the way to playing in the capital derby against Hertha BSC on 20 November after the international break.
In Cologne, Union can otherwise fall back on all the other players. There is a nice series to defend. In the last five league games against Cologne, Union have always come out on top. The Bundesliga record is perfect with four victories. “We will try everything to make sure our streak lasts,” says coach Urs Fischer.
Will Baumgart be Union coach one day?
However, there is a recognised Union expert on the Cologne side in Coach Steffen Baumgart Baumgart has lost his heart to Union since his active time with the Eisernen between 2002 and 2004. Köpenick is still his main residence. Baumgart is still a Union member and also kicks in the traditional team on occasion. It may still take years, but there is little to say that Baumgart will not become Union coach at some point.
Baumgart submitted “application documents” in the form of successful games with SC Paderborn against Union. Baumgart’s record against Fischer is positive with two wins, two draws and only one defeat. Baumgart even triumphed twice at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei in the 2018/19 second division season (3:1) and in the second round of the 2020/21 DFB Cup (3:2) as a second division player.
That spoke for the fact that he saw through Fischer’s tactics. However, Baumgart also experienced a sad hour in his former “living room” with the 0:1 defeat in Köpenick in 2019/20, which sealed the SCP’s first league relegation.
“That’s Steffen. I function differently. “
Fischer and Baumgart get on very well. As coaching types, however, they are completely different. Fischer tends to be more deliberate, while Baumgart takes the emotional route and makes a lot of metres on the sidelines.
However, Fischer does not want to compete with Baumgart in terms of running performance in the coaching zone. “I think that’s impossible. I should have trained a bit there. One coach behaves like this and the other like that. For me, the decisive thing is that it’s not a game,” Fischer said. “There is also an honesty behind it with him. That’s also fun to watch. That’s Steffen. I function differently. “
