With four points from two games, 1. FC Köln leads their group in the Conference League. Coach Steffen Baumgart does not calculate, but continues to play for victory.
Cologne (dpa / lnw) – Steffen Baumgart is not someone who tactics and deals with eventualities and constellations. For the coach of the Bundesliga soccer team, there is always full throttle. In every game, in every competition. Completely independent of the opponent and the starting position. Accordingly, the approach before the third group game in the Conference League on Thursday (9 p.m. / RTL) against Partizan Belgrade does not change due to the jump to the top of Group D.
“We don’t plan,” said Baumgart: “I can’t set any goals either, whether we want to be first or second. We want to play forward and see that we’re successful. Then we sit down and see where we are in the table are.” Baumgart also didn’t want to know anything about the fact that the two following games against the Serbs after the 1-1 draw in Nice and the 4-2 win against Slovacko are groundbreaking. “Every game is trend-setting,” he said: “We think from game to game. But we have a good starting position.”
That’s how Mark Uth sees it, who is about to make his comeback after a two-month injury break due to an adductor operation. “We definitely want to win the game at home. If we do our thing, we can also win the group,” said Uth, who according to Baumgart will normally be used and thinks about 20 minutes is realistic.
All in all, however, pure European Cup joy now reigns in Cologne, after it was even dampened by riots in the play-offs before the imponderability of elimination and in the first group game in Nice. “The competition has developed very well. Well-known teams are taking part,” said Baumgart: “It’s a great success for us to be able to take part. We all know that games like this are particularly popular in Cologne. We can do that here move a lot of positive things, so a competition like this helps us.”
He feels excited before every game, “regardless of whether it’s national or international. Especially when I see what was going on here at the weekend,” said the coach, referring to the 3-2 win against Borussia Dortmund on Saturday. “But there’s a bit of stage fright,” said the 50-year-old: “If I know what kind of atmosphere we’re going to face – if you don’t enjoy it, you don’t have to do the job. But since I like my job very much I’m really looking forward to it.”
This is especially true for Uth before the first European Cup game with the club from his hometown. “I think everyone knows how excited I am,” said the 31-year-old: “And I think I’ll get the first few minutes on Thursday.”
