The FCK welcomes Fortuna Düsseldorf in the relegation battle. There is still a score to settle against the top team. That’s not the only reason why the game is special for Marlon Ritter and Boris Tomiak.
Marlon Ritter and Boris Tomiak have a lot in common. Both FCK professionals were born in Essen. And both have a history with upcoming opponents Fortuna Düsseldorf, whom the Red Devils will host at the Fritz Walter Stadium on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.
Midfielder Ritter was under contract with the Rhinelanders from 2016 to 2018 (including a one-year loan to SC Paderborn). Central defender Tomiak laced up his boots for Düsseldorf’s second representation for a year in 2020 before coming to Betzenberg.
FCK squandered their lead in the first leg
The FCK still has a “small score to settle” against the duo’s former club, as Tomiak said in an interview with SWR Sport. In the preliminary round, the Red Devils looked like the sure winners after a 3-0 lead, but ultimately lost 3-4. It was the beginning of a sporting decline that brought the FCK to where it is now: knee-deep in the relegation battle. Explosive at the time: FCK goalscorer Ragnar Ache was hit by a bottle thrown from the stands and had to be replaced at halftime.
“Of course we still remember what happened,” says Ritter. “But that was six months ago now. It’s a new game and the starting point has also changed.” After seven points from three games, there is no time for the FCK to look back. Since the competition in the bottom of the table has also been busy scoring points, Kaiserslautern is only one point ahead of relegation place 16, which Hansa Rostock occupies.
Ritter: FCK’s recent victories were “big points”
Nevertheless, the last successes have been good for the Palatinate team, even if the team has not yet been able to move away from the relegation zone. “With the two wins and the point, we brought other teams into the mix a little bit: Wiesbaden, Magdeburg and Schalke. That’s why they were still big points. Otherwise we would almost have been left behind,” says Ritter.
The pressure still remains high on the Betzenberg. “Those behind us are not blind and are scoring their points,” said Ritter, who, however, doesn’t want to look too closely at the competition. “We just have to get our points. And then I’m sure that in the end three teams will have fewer points.”
Ache and Krahl are out of the FCK
In order to get out of the bottom of the table, the FCK worked hard during the international break. “We trained a lot and very hard last week. Much more than usual,” reports Tomiak. After a few days off, during which the professionals were able to relax with their families, things continued as normal on Monday. “We are fit and excited for the weekend,” said Tomiak.
The FCK will have to do without Ragnar Ache and goalkeeper Julian Krahl against Fortuna. It is still unclear who will replace the goalscorer. Krahl will be represented by newcomer Robin Himmelmann or Avdo Spahic. There will definitely be a big crowd waiting for the team again. FCK has already sold more than 45,000 tickets for the game.
Broadcast on Saturday, March 30, 2024, 2:00 p.m., stadium, SWR1
