1. FC Köln: “See enough nonsense!”: Baumgart’s flaming anti-violence appeal | Sport

“Enough nonsense seen!” |

Baumgart’s flaming anti-violence appeal

Cologne’s Euro final for the round of 16 in the Conference League on Thursday against Nice (9 p.m.). Sporty already explosive. But what’s happening around the all-or-nothing game and in the fan ranks, between the ultra followers, or around town?

It should be clear to everyone that this is about football

Coach Steffen Baumgart (50) is now hoping for a peaceful football festival after the bad scenes at the first meeting in Nice in September. The riot and beating scenes between the hooligans of the two fan camps were too brutal, disturbing and deterrent at the time. “The memories of it stay in your head for a long time. And not in a positive way,” says Cologne’s coach.

Baumgart’s flaming anti-violence appeal to the fans: “We’ve already had a lot of experiences that don’t have to have – especially in Nice. It should be clear to everyone that this is about football. And it can’t be there so that there are always some complete idiots who think they have to show themselves. There’s been enough damage and we’ve seen enough nonsense here and at other stadiums. It would be nice if we could see again that football means something else, namely fun and joy.”

The police fear the opposite and expect around 1,000 violent fans from all over Europe to the Cologne game, fearing revenge actions for the shame of Nice and will be represented accordingly with several hundred people in the city and around the stadium.

It remains to be hoped that Baumgart’s appeal might make one or the other fan reconsider and dissuade them from violence and Zoff. In terms of sport, the game against Nice is explosive enough. Only one victory is enough for Cologne to spend the winter in Europe. That’s why Baumgart says: “We should leave all emotions on the pitch.”