“It was an indescribable feeling that you’ve been waiting for since you were a little boy,” said striker Youssoupha Niang afterwards. “When we scored, there were emotions that can’t be put into words. After the game, it was just nice to get such positive emotions from the fans despite the defeat. We stood there, all the fans were still there, stayed there for us, sang for us. I’m very grateful for that.”
That was also captain Jonathan Friemel. “It was a dream that came true today. Setting a world record in front of 50,000 fans is amazing. Each of us enjoyed it. A backdrop that is an incentive not only at the moment, but also for your career. You’re just really keen to make this feeling part of your everyday life.”
The dream of Europe ended on Wednesday and 1. FC Köln’s Youth League season came to an end, but the billy goats still have a lot to do. Stefan Ruthenbeck’s team is in the quarter-finals of the DFB Cup. In the fight for the German championship, FC has been one of the best teams in the league so far. So it’s still about titles for 1. FC Köln. And if the reigning German champions even manage to defend the title, the Youth League would be on the program again next season. And then perhaps another highlight game like the one on Wednesday evening against Inter.
