1. FC Düren forced a 1:1 draw in the test match highlight against FC Bayern Munich. Coach Kristopher Fetz was overwhelmed by the emotions.
What a great day for 1. FC Düren: The regional soccer league team was able to hold German record champions FC Bayern Munich to a 1:1 (1:0) draw. In front of around 9,000 spectators at the Karl Knipprath Stadium in Jülich, the club kept up the high tempo of the star ensemble from the south for 90 minutes and defended with great passion.
“That’s an amazing result for us. Our unbeaten streak is still going strong. That’s the best thing for me. We wanted to get the maximum out of the game against Bayern and knew that we would learn a lot. We can take a lot from this game for ourselves. An unforgettable experience all round,” summed up Düren’s Head Coach Kristopher Fetz.
He only realized shortly before kick-off that the 29-year-old would be on the touchline against the big FCB in a friendly match: “Even on the journey there, it wasn’t really tangible for us. It was only when we saw that some fans had already made the pilgrimage to the stadium three hours before kick-off and the parking lots were full that we got into the fever.”
This was also due to the fact that his team was still in demand for the season opener in the Regionalliga West (1:1 at SC Paderborn II) on Saturday afternoon. “That was our full focus at first. It was only after the final whistle that we turned our attention to the Bayern test for the first time,” said Fetz.
“1. FC Düren – Bayern Munich July 28, 2024” src=“https://forecasting-sports.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/1.808_norm-1.jpg” width=“680” height=“479” /☻
Sending the right team onto the pitch less than 24 hours later was no easy task. After all, everyone wanted to play against Serge Gnabry, Leon Goretzka and Co. at least once: “We thought about how we could put together a mix of competitiveness and reward. It was important to us that all the players in the squad got to play. During the training week, we managed the workload extremely well and set the intensity differently than usual. Beforehand, I asked each of my lads how full their tank was after the competitive match. Accordingly, they all got different amounts of minutes.”
Chat with colleagues and selfie with Kompany
In Vincent Kompany, FC Bayern Munich signed a coach in the summer who was considered one of the best central defenders in the world just a few years ago.
Being able to talk to the former Manchester City captain during the test match was a great experience for Düren’s new coach Fetz: “I got to know him as a very approachable person. I think he’s a guy who goes down really well with the players. As I perceived it from a distance, his character sets him apart. He was very interested in our conversation. He took his time after the game and I was also able to get a photo with him. All in all, a really great experience. “