By winning 3-0 in the play-off second leg at Fehérvár FC, the Cologne team advanced to the Conference League group stage despite the previous 2-1 home defeat.
Steffen Baumgart did not want to give the big party order, but he promised to turn a blind eye on the return flight. He could not say that everything was allowed, said the coach of 1. FC Köln after the 3:0 in the play-off second leg at Fehérvár FC, by which the FC entered the group stage of the Conference League.
“But I’m also not one to issue bans in any form,” Baumgart said, “I would be exaggerating if I controlled everything now. I assume that the boys tend to drink less and know what is good for them. But they are allowed to have a beer, even two. And if someone thinks he has to smoke one, he can smoke one. The boys are grown up. They will know what helps and what doesn’t.”
But the celebration with the fans after the victory was “pure enjoyment”: “That was a moment we should really enjoy. As long as it is possible. As long as possible means: until tomorrow.” From Friday, the focus should be back on the Bundesliga match on Sunday against VfB Stuttgart.
But the exuberant block party after the prologue in the play-offs should only have been the beginning – now FC Europa wants to really rock. Many in the surrounding area are thinking of Eintracht Frankfurt’s emotional journey to Europa League victory last year, even if a similar success seems unrealistic. But FC is also a traditional club that is hungry for Europe. It is only the second season in the past 30 years that Cologne has played internationally.
The celebration in front of the curves after the game was “pure ecstasy”, said centre-back Timo Hübers, who had scored the 1:0 (10th). He was already looking ahead to the group draw on Friday at 2.30 pm in Istanbul. Personally, he doesn’t care where it goes, the 26-year-old assured. “As a player, you see the hotel, the stadium, the airport, but not so much of the city,” he said. “In terms of type, I’m most likely to be drawn to Benelux or Scandinavia. But I hope we can get some destinations where a lot of fans can come. Then it will be big football festivals.”
Goalkeeper Marvin Schwäbe is also looking forward to that. “When you see what we had here for an away home game, you can be happy that we have six more of them,” he said. After Kingsley Schindler’s 3-0 (90.+4) that removed all doubt, the goalkeeper had sprinted 90 metres from his goal to cheer with the team. It had been a “long time” since he had made such a sprint, said Schwäbe. “I noticed that afterwards. But that’s when it boils over. “
