Fuat Kilic is a well-known coach in western soccer. He has now been out of work for over a year. We spoke with him.
Fuat Kilic was most recently coach of VfB Oldenburg twice – in the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 seasons. On August 31, 2024, he was relieved of his duties at the North Regional League club and has been unemployed ever since.
Previously, the 52-year-old soccer coach and certified sports instructor worked extremely successfully at Alemannia Aachen. He was head coach at Tivoli from January 1, 2016, to June 30, 2020, later also sports director, and then coach again from October 29, 2021, to October 12, 2022.
He also worked as an assistant coach at traditional clubs such as 1. FC Saarbrücken, MSV Duisburg, and 1. FC Kaiserslautern. Kilic, who lives in Cologne, worked for Kasimpasa Istanbul in Turkey. Kilic does not yet know where he will end up in the future.
Forecasting spoke with Fuat Kilic.
Fuat Kilic, you have been without a coaching job for a year. How have you spent the last twelve months?
Shortly before my dismissal from VfB Oldenburg, my father passed away. I needed time to come to terms with this difficult loss. This period of mourning was very important for me. At the same time, I was able to spend a lot of time with my family. I also took part in training courses run by the BDFL (German Football Coaches Association, editor’s note), the DFB (German Football Association) and the German Sport University Cologne. To gain new inspiration, I also completed an internship with Thomas Reis at Samsunspor in Turkey.
Hand on heart: with the benefit of hindsight, was your second spell at VfB Oldenburg a mistake? If so, why?
In retrospect, you ask yourself a lot of questions when the collaboration doesn’t go as hoped. I took over the club again during a difficult phase and led it to 5th place in the table by the end of the season. The goal was to stabilize the club in its first season in the regional league and to compete for promotion in the second year. However, the stadium decision led to a surprise cut in the originally planned sports budget. The new goal was to play a solid season with the existing squad in order to attack in the third year. Unfortunately, I missed the start of the season and the first game due to the death of my father. The following weeks were also not ideal, and the club decided to release me. Would you have liked more support during this difficult phase, which was also difficult for you? Of course, as a coach, you want more backing. There were issues surrounding the team that were beyond my control. I don’t want to go into detail about that. The important thing is to be at peace with yourself. I sincerely hope that VfB Oldenburg will soon return to professional soccer—the city and the fans deserve it. Overall, I can look back on 16 intense and wonderful months.
He must be honest, authentic, and above all resilient. The fans expect passionate and intense soccer—just as they live and breathe the club themselves. Expectations are high and grow with every victory. You have to be able to deal with that and stay calm at the same time.
Fuat Kilic on the necessary skills of the new Alemannia Aachen coach
Your former club and the club closest to your heart, Alemannia Aachen, is currently looking for a new coach. Wouldn’t that be a job for you?
After my long tenure, Alemannia Aachen is very close to my heart. For me, the question doesn’t even arise. If my support is needed in any capacity, I am open to it. This is not meant to be an application for a specific position, but I think everyone knows what I have done for this club in difficult times. I will always carry these special moments in my heart. You know the city, the club, and the fans very well: What does it take to be an Alemannia coach? He must be honest, authentic, and, above all, resilient.
The fans expect passionate and intense soccer—just as they live the club themselves. Expectations are high and grow with every victory. You have to be able to deal with that and at the same time remain calm.
Soccer is extremely complex. The art lies in combining the development of the team with good results. It’s paradoxical: you can win more tackles, have more shots on goal, and have more possession – and still lose. That’s why the evaluation of a coach’s work should not depend solely on the result, but also on the team’s style of play and attitude.
Fuat Kilic
Which leagues are you currently eyeing?
For me, it is crucial that a club has development potential and a clear vision – and is prepared to professionalize the framework conditions. I don’t limit myself because I am broadly positioned. I can confidently say that I am not afraid, regardless of the league. The job does not necessarily have to be that of a head coach. The important thing is that I can identify with the role and am allowed to play an active part in shaping it. My wish is to work for a club in the long term and build something. Coaches seem to be relieved of their duties earlier and earlier. How do you view this development? I have experienced it myself and think that things are moving in the wrong direction. Many clubs talk about long-term development, but don’t give themselves the necessary time – often due to pressure to deliver results. Coaches are usually the first to be held accountable, regardless of whether they are responsible for the causes. I admire clubs that consistently stick to their path, even when the results are not there. SC Freiburg is a role model for me. Often, after failures, a dynamic arises that is almost unstoppable and forces change. Are clubs under more pressure today than in the past, or are those responsible simply more impatient and perhaps also unrealistic when it comes to some of their goals? Sporting goals should be formulated realistically – both internally and externally – in order to avoid unnecessary pressure. Soccer is extremely complex. The trick is to combine the development of the team with good results. It’s paradoxical: you can win more tackles, have more shots on goal, and have more possession – and still lose. That’s why the evaluation of a coach’s work should not depend solely on the result, but also on the team’s style of play and attitude.
What would you like to see from the coaches’ perspective?
More openness and transparency from everyone involved in the club. Honest and trusting relationships. More patience and time for the development of players and the team. A clear overall concept. I would like to see a different selection process for coaches, so that vacant positions are advertised publicly and not filled behind closed doors.
You are 52 years old. You still have a few years to go before retirement. Can you imagine the next 10 or 15 years without a coaching job – do you have a plan B?
My greatest wish is to continue working in soccer – not necessarily as a coach, but also in other roles. I am flexible and not set in my ways. You have to be prepared for anything in life. That’s why, in addition to training as a soccer coach, I also studied sports science and can work in other areas of sports or teaching. What do you think: Who will ultimately win the 3rd league championship? I expect a close race between MSV Duisburg, Energie Cottbus, and Rot-Weiss Essen.
And where will the other third division West clubs Alemannia Aachen, SC Verl, and Viktoria Köln finish in the table?
I think Alemannia Aachen will stabilize and finish safely in mid-table. SC Verl is having another very strong season and could be the surprise team among the top teams. Viktoria Köln deserves a lot of respect: despite numerous departures – including coach Olaf Janßen – and the integration of many young players, they are having a very solid season. I see them finishing at least in the upper mid-table.