Würzburg coach Schiele gives a press conference after the 1: 5 against Viktoria Köln, which only lasts 148 seconds. His message: Despite the surprising defeat, his team would no longer gamble away the promotion.
It’s simple math, it doesn’t even take a win, a draw is enough for the Würzburg kickers on Saturday to return to the 2nd Bundesliga after three years. And a point against Halleschen FC, with all the recognition – that will probably be manageable. That’s how people in Würzburg think, that’s how they talk. But what are the consequences of this 1: 5 from Wednesday evening at Viktoria Köln? Can such a debacle be simply wiped aside? Or is the defeat something that could upset the team?
Pressure is a big issue in sports. Pressure can inspire, but pressure can also do a team. Pressure can make legs so heavy that a draw against Halle FC is suddenly as demanding as a win against Bayern Munich. Is Würzburg up to this pressure? Is the team ready?
There would have been some questions at the Thursday morning press conference. Michael Schiele, Würzburg’s coach, could then have assured that his players will succeed in leaving the Cologne debacle behind. He could have made it clear that his team would block out the pressure, and he could have said that a tie against Halle could be made. But: Schiele did not answer any questions. Rather, Schiele said to the journalists who were connected by video: “Men, watch out!” Then he explained the kickers’ good position, promised that his team would be successful on Saturday – then he got up, knocked on the table with his right fist, grinned broadly and left the room after exactly 148 seconds.
Schiele hadn’t answered a single question and yet said everything: his team will let action speak, that was the message.
The evening before, immediately after the 1: 5 in Cologne, Schiele called the result “a board”. The fact that his team had played soccer in the first half in an appealing manner, but was 0-3 after about an hour, “that was it,” said Schiele – he struggled with words and brought out only one thing: “Pooh!” Schiele took a deep breath, then tactically justified the system crash of the second 45 minutes: his team had “given up the center too much”. In turn, he attributed this to a certain zeal. “Perhaps,” Schiele speculated, “we wanted to equalize or hit the goal too quickly.”
The next day, Schiele struck less analytical notes. However, he promised: “We will get the necessary points so that we cannot get away from there.” A single point is enough – even if Ingolstadt wins at 1860 Munich. Only: The 90 minutes against Halle should be one of the biggest tests this season. Not because Würzburg only experienced a debacle on Wednesday evening. Not because the opponent was so good that it would cause the Würzburgers unprecedented problems – it could be the biggest test because the 90 minutes are immense.
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