Dhe leadership quintet of 1. FC Köln took their place on the stage under the watchful eyes of the mascot. Framed by several billy goats, President Werner Wolf, his Vice Eckhard Sauren, Managing Director Alexander Wehrle and the interim men Jörg Jakobs and Thomas Kessler tried to explain what had happened over the weekend. Why Horst Heldt had to vacate his post. It took them over an hour.
“It is very important to me to emphasize that we are very grateful to Horst Heldt that he took responsibility in a difficult situation,” said FC President Werner Wolf at a virtual press conference on Monday. “At the end of the season we drew a conclusion and found that we were not satisfied with the sporting results and the squad composition.”
On Sunday the party mood at the Geißbockheim was suddenly interrupted. Less than 24 hours after the relegation second leg against Holstein Kiel, the news circulated in various media that the club had kicked Heldt out. Typical for the club and the club management, both of which have repeatedly lacked a feeling for the right timing in recent years. A little later, the FC made the decision official.
“We wanted to keep discussions away from the coaching team and the team in the final sprint. The decision to choose Horst Heldt matured over weeks. The final decision was made on Sunday morning in the joint committee, ”said Vice President Eckhard Sauren. In any case, Heldt had not expected his failure, the disappointment was very great. “I have to digest it all and let it sink in,” he told the “Kölner Stadtanzeiger” on Monday.
“I would have liked to continue working at 1. FC Köln, my heart is in this club,” said the 51-year-old. According to information from the Kölner Zeitung, Heldt, who had a contract until 2023, will receive severance pay. Something that the club will probably accept. “We are convinced that, regardless of the short-term result in Kiel, we have to make this decision for long-term considerations”, said FC Vice Sauren.
An assessment that finance boss Alexander Wehrle, who will remain with the club until 2023 despite an offer from VfB Stuttgart (“The subject is settled”), did not share. “I informed the board yesterday that I found the decision regrettable and that I would have liked to continue working with Horst Heldt. It made me think, but I handle it professionally, ”said Wehrle, who has been with the club since 2013. “I will continue to discuss critically and in some cases contrary to the board of directors.”
Cologne’s new coach spoke out in favor of Heldt
Rumors about the end of the cooperation had been going on again and again in the past few weeks. It seemed clear that the end of Heldt would have been sealed with a relegation. It was less clear that it is now happening, even though the club fulfilled the declared season goal. Last week he was asked if he was surprised by the ongoing rumors about himself. His answer: no. “I would be surprised if something else surprised me at 1. FC Köln.” The club said that they had repeatedly sought a conversation with Heldt over the course of the season and “explained our concerns to him.”
In any case, the end of Heldt should have surprised the new coach of Cologne’s Steffen Baumgart, he had spoken out in favor of him at the weekend. When asked whether it would be the right decision to continue with Heldt, he replied to “Bild”: “That would be important, especially if you had conversations with the person who chose me as a trainer. I have always emphasized that the conversations with Horst were very, very good. ”He made these statements a few hours before the club’s press release announcing the expulsion.
Steffen Baumgart last coached 1. FC Cologne
Source: dpa / Timm Schamberger
“I believe that Horst wanted me as a trainer for a reason, and then we should implement it in this way too,” said Baumgart. Immediately after the rescue against Kiel, he phoned the managing director at the time and discussed the course of the next few days. Both have already defined transfer goals, the first players are already committed. Baumgart can now discard the plans.
“The greatest existential crisis”
His contact person is now Jörg Jakobs. You will take over the tasks of Heldt on an interim basis. Jakobs will be responsible for the strategic direction of the sporting area and the squad planning, he had already taken over this job temporarily in 2012 and initiated what was then a successful change. However, he does not see himself in this position permanently, Jakobs explained at the press conference. However, the one employed at the Cologne Sports University is not planned as a permanent solution. “The term interim is the heading above it. I don’t see myself in a long-term role, ”commented Jakobs.
Nevertheless, Vice President Eckhard Sauren felt no need to rush to find a more permanent Heldt successor: “We have enough time. If you look at what is available on the market at short notice from sports directors who have had success in the past and who fit our club, you will see that it is manageable. ”
Jakobs, like Horst Heldt, was involved in talks with the new trainer from the start. “The head coach is the central element in all management issues. We will plan together and promptly and eliminate possible irritations, should they arise, ”said the interim squad planner. What the transfer market will look like this summer is difficult to estimate – you stand in front of a crystal ball. “We are facing a difficult situation and need a solution that promises us the greatest possible success. We have an unfortunate squad structure, ”continued Jakobs.
He will tackle this task together with ex-FC goalkeeper Thomas Kessler. The now “operational head of the licensed players department” should primarily act as a link to the team. Until a year ago he was part of the squad, so he should have the necessary closeness. “I’m happy about the opportunity and the task,” said Kessler.
A task that couldn’t be more difficult. “We are in the greatest existential crisis that football and individual clubs have ever seen. A large part of our work is currently about the question of how we can ensure liquidity and maintain a team suitable for the Bundesliga, ”said club president Wolf. Currently, there is a Corona-related loss of revenue of 65 million euros. “We also think we have a chance to keep the class, but it will be difficult. But I hope it won’t cost us as much nerves as this season. ”A hope that the fans will probably share.
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