Relegation: Holstein Kiel wants to make the little miracle perfect in front of 2350 fans

Stand: 3:45 p.m.| Reading time: 3 minutes

WHow stressful the season finale the youngest coach in German professional football had to survive was clear to Ole Werner at the end of April. Two compulsory quarantine breaks totaling four weeks had meant that he had to play nine games with Holstein Kiel within 29 days.

“The main problem is that there is little time for training in between,” said Werner in an interview with WELT. “The timing of travel, training and games is completely different from the normal course of the season. That is certainly very stressful. At the end of the day, however, I’m more than happy that we can somehow end this season at all. If we manage to get promoted, it would be a little football miracle. “

Now Werner and his family have come a little closer to the little miracle. In the normal course of the season, the club missed the direct leap into the Bundesliga with two defeats in the end. But via the detour relegation, what no club from Schleswig-Holstein has ever been granted could succeed: a season in the upper house of German football.

“No match ball yet”

After the 1-0 (0-0) in the first leg of the relegation at 1. FC Köln, the chances are great. In the decisive duel on Saturday (6 p.m., DAZN) at home, Holstein already draws a big coup. Werner does not want to confirm that such a strong starting position, as it was in the second division at the games against Karlsruhe and Darmstadt (both 2: 3), could become an inhibiting factor. “The pressure is on Cologne,” said the coach. “We are second division. If something is added, it’s good. If not, everything stays the same. It’s not a match point yet, it’s only just half-time, ”said the 33-year-old head coach.

In the last 90 or 120 minutes of this game time in the eleventh game within 35 days, the men from the north have a psychological advantage. On Wednesday they acted cleverly, mostly defended confidently and then struck efficiently. Defender Simon Lorenz scored with the first ball contact 20 seconds after being substituted on (59th). “He has a good nose for headers and often knows where the ball is going”, Werner praised his joker, who became the match winner – and caused frustration among the hosts.

In any case, Cologne’s captain Jonas Hector gave a memorable interview after the game. The somewhat strange request from the DAZN reporter Sebastian Benesch (“Jonas, 0: 1, just let off steam, please”) was followed by a verbal exchange of blows. “Always those shitty questions,” Hector finally stated. “It’s your job to ask stupid questions. You’re doing well. “

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On the day after the bankruptcy, neither the Cologne captain nor DAZN wanted to comment on the unintentionally funny conversation. Instead, FC coach Friedhelm Funkel referred to the still feasible starting position. “We’re only halfway through. Nothing has been decided yet, ”said the 67-year-old. “We have the quality to make up for this gap. I’m looking forward to the second leg. “

This will be the last of his career – and again in front of fans. On Thursday lunchtime, the second division third announced that 2350 spectators were admitted to the showdown in the Holstein Stadium. The association, the city of Kiel and the state of Schleswig-Holstein have agreed on this.

“Rethink attitude”

“Basically, we are still of the opinion that professional football should not claim a special role in this matter,” said Holstein President Steffen Schneekloth. After the game against Darmstadt, however, it quickly became clear “that we have to rethink our basic stance with regard to the situation around the stadium”. There, a few hundred fans waited in front of the arena last Sunday and some of them violated hygiene rules.

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They now want to counteract this in the far north with the admission of fans. In the hope that after the game they can cheer the little miracle on the Waterkant together.