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Steffen Baumgart criticizes Uefa with pithy words after the end of the Conference League. The coach of 1. FC Köln denounces “nonsensical protocols” – and complains that the club is apparently only a by-product.
Es was only missing a goal and he would have had reason to celebrate. But for Steffen Baumgart, the coach of 1. FC Köln, and his players, the journey through football in Europe is over for now. After the 2:2 (0:2) at home against OGC Nice, the Rhinelanders ended the preliminary round group D in the Conference League in third place, which was not enough to advance.
Baumgart’s frustration was great afterwards, for example he criticized the European association Uefa. “That’s the service provider that’s supposed to organize the competition. It shouldn’t be the focus of the whole thing,” said the 50-year-old after his team left: “Sometimes I have the feeling that it’s a bit the other way around: that we are the by-product and the focus is then something else. And I just don’t like that.”
“It just annoys me”
There are “very, very many things” where he thinks: “People, get your suppository out of your butt and relax a bit.” Baumgart said: “It’s about football and I just miss that a bit. I don’t want to offend anyone, but that just annoys me.”
From his point of view, Baumgart cited nonsensical protocols that had to be observed as an example. He also complained about the fourth official on the sidelines: “The boys are emotional two minutes before the end and then the fourth comes and wants to sit the boys down.”
However, Baumgart also explained with a smile that he would of course like to play internationally again: “I still think it’s nice – not that it comes across wrong.”