Numerous FC fans rubbed their eyes in amazement on Saturday afternoon (January 27, 2024): Coach Timo Schultz (46) relied on Faride Alidou in the attacking midfield of 1. FC Köln in the starting lineup.
The 22-year-old German-Togolese had not played a major role in the Cologne squad so far this season. Alidou was last in the starting line-up on October 8, 2023 in the 3-0 defeat at Bayer Leverkusen and was substituted after 62 minutes. After that, under former coach Steffen Baumgart (52), he only made short appearances or was not in the squad at all.
FC coach Timo Schultz sees great potential in Faride Alidou
Alidou and Cologne didn’t look like a happy marriage for a long time. But Schultz has now gained a different impression, he surprisingly threw him into the starting line-up in Wolfsburg and Alidou was one of the most noticeable Cologne players in the 1-1 draw.
In the 38th minute he headed the score 1-0 for FC, and he took the previous free kick himself. Alidou was satisfied after the game: “It was a great team performance, we gave it our all. It wasn’t enough to win, but we’re happy to take the point.”
The 1.86 meter tall athlete said about his first goal for FC: “I was really happy, the team was also really happy for me. You can’t describe goals, that’s why you play football.” Sympathetic gesture: After the game, Alidou gave his jersey to the fourth official from the audience. Fan Tobias Krull (goalkeeper and sporting director of MTV Gifhorn) stepped in after Cologne’s Max Finkgräfe knocked out linesman Thorben Siewer.
FC coach Schultz raved about his lucky starting line-up, but also sees even more potential in Alidou: “Faride has been very noticeable since I’ve been there. I would like to see even more clarity in one or two actions, especially when it comes to speed towards the goal. But he was definitely an invigorating element in Wolfsburg and rewarded himself for his good performance with the goal.”
He will continue to work intensively with him in the next few days: “The boy brings a really good package with him, unfortunately he still has too many actions where he dribbles or hits too many hooks, but we’re working on that.” Schultz sees Alidou also serves as a role model for other players: “I’m happy when the boys can confirm their performance from training in the game. This is not just the path for Faride, but for everyone who is a little behind at the moment.”
Alidou and Cologne – will this still be a dream marriage? So far, his name has not been mentioned when it comes to whether loan players will be signed permanently after the season. Luca Waldschmidt (on loan from VfL Wolfsburg) and Rasmus Carstensen (from KRC Genk) were named by sports director Christian Keller. Alidou could now also have a permanent commitment.
In the summer, Cologne borrowed the attacking midfielder from Eintracht Frankfurt. He can be bought at the end of the season for three to four million euros. However, Frankfurt has a right to buy back five to six million euros.
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Speaking of Frankfurt! On Saturday (February 3rd) FC will face Eintracht in their home game. From 6.30 p.m. there is even a top game atmosphere. Alidou then wants to shine again from the start – and show his colleagues in Frankfurt what he’s made of.
After the Wolfsburg game, he thanked the people from Cologne who had traveled with him: “The fans are unbelievable, what they do for us every week. A huge thank you. That pushes me abnormally when I hear them. That’s crazy.” On Saturday it’s going to be even worse at home…
2024-01-29 07:12:01
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