The shocking special message for the fans of 1. FC Köln came at the morning pint on Sunday morning: Anthony Modeste was about to switch to Borussia Dortmund, reported Sport 1. A message that the club confirmed in the afternoon by announcing that there was a basic agreement with BVB on the modalities, Modeste would no longer be part of the squad for the game against Schalke 04 and would undergo a medical check-up on Monday.
This wasn’t the prelude that Cologne had wanted for the start of the season against the promoted team. “The fact that it comes out today on the day of the game, that’s what pisses me off,” said coach Steffen Baumgart: “It also has to do with fair play, that you keep it under the lid and don’t talk big. But at the same time, the decision to grant the Dortmund application was not particularly difficult for those responsible.
FC is doing good business. For the 34-year-old Modeste, whose contract would have expired next summer, the club will receive a transfer fee of almost five million euros and will also save the centre-forward’s salary, which is said to be €3.6 million. But it was not only the financial incentive that ensured that the key people – including trainer Steffen Baumgart – were of the same opinion: Modeste had staged himself too often recently, doubts about his teamwork were increasing.
Of course, the Cologne team suffered a sporting loss due to the departure of the attacker, who was the target of the Cologne cross game due to his extreme header power. And of course the guests from Gelsenkirchen were not unwilling to hear the news, they may even have secretly thanked their black and yellow stepbrothers. But Modeste, his young deputy Florian Dietz and the rest of the Cologne lineup were soon no longer an issue for Schalke. Their most difficult opponent was called Robert Schröder and wore the black dress of the referee. The fact that Cologne won the match 3-1 (0-0) had a lot to do with Schröder’s view of two key scenes.
For Schalke, the Cologne cellar seems far too kölsch
The referee played fate during the first half by first taking back Rodrigo Zalazar’s 1-0 lead due to a passive offside position by his teammate Maya Yoshida (13′) and later Dominik Drexler for a foul on Jonas Hector, which was considered an assault placed (35th). According to the verdicts, the Cologne cellar seemed to the Schalke considerably too kölsch, and in fact both decisions could have turned out differently, there would have been leeway. In view of the subtle interpretations, the question arose as to whether the game would be decided at all on Sunday in Cologne or soon by the Federal Court of Justice in Karlsruhe. “We have been disadvantaged,” Schalke sports director Rouven Schröder complained to Dazn.
Up until the dismissal, the newly formed Schalke team, which still had four players from the promoted team, played well against the more offensively active FC. With the dismissal, however, the roles on the pitch were clearly divided. Cologne used their speed and power advantages and put Schalke under pressure. The attempt to save the goal using hedgehog tactics failed just four minutes after the restart. Defender Luca Kilian slipped into a pass from Hector and made it 1-0.
Before Florian Kaintz made it 2-0, video evidence was needed again, this time there were no complaints from Schalke: goalkeeper Schwolow had gotten himself into trouble before losing the ball (62′) and to end the accident completely make it, he later deflected a header from the strong Dejan Ljubicic that landed on the post to make it 1: 3 into his own goal (80th). Marius Bülter had created a semblance of tension with the 1: 2 for the often overwhelmed but at least brave Schalke. Schalke undoubtedly missed Simon Terodde, who was ailing on the bench, more than Cologne missed their renegade hero Modeste.
