Arminia Bielefeld is in the throes of a major sporting crisis. Things are getting increasingly difficult for coach Michel Kniat.
Another loss, and not even a point: Arminia Bielefeld lost 2-0 to Viktoria Cologne in front of more than 15,000 fans at the home Alm. It was the fifth consecutive defeat for Arminia. They have only won one of the last ten encounters.
The writing is on the wall for Michel Kniat. “We’ve had enough” and “Kniat out” chanted the fans after the 2-0 defeat to the visitors from Cologne-Höhenberg. Arminia are now just two points above the drop zone. They are facing relegation from the Bundesliga 1 to the Bundesliga 4 – within just three years.
The fans are in a state of emergency. “Of course it hurts and it’s not something you can shrug off. But I know the business. A coach has to be measured by the results. And right now they’re not good enough. So I can’t blame the fans,” Kniat said on “Magenta TV.”
The 38-year-old football coach, whom Arminia bought out of his still-valid contract with neighboring SC Verl last summer, remains defiant. Kniat: “I’m still 100 percent convinced. If anyone says otherwise, they’re lying. I’ll give it my all until the last day and turn things around.”
The words of Bielefeld’s Michael Mutzel do not exactly support the coach’s position. The sporting director of Arminia said: “We will analyze the game together, put our heads together and discuss it calmly and without emotion. We want to be successful – regardless of the constellation. I had faith in the coaching team because I see how they work every day. But football is a results-oriented sport, we all know that. We need results now. And as quickly as possible.”
The statistics for the game
Bielefeld: Kersken – Lannert, Schneider, Großer, Oppie – Corboz, Mizuta (59. Shipnoski), Boujellab (59. Putaro) – Momuluh, Klos, Biankadi
Cologne: Voll – Handle, Schultz, Dietz, Lopes Cabral – Russo, Lorch (69. Greger), Philipp (90. Kubatta), Marseiler (80. Anselm) – Najar (79. Sticker), Becker
Referee: Richard Hempel (Großnaundorf)
Goals: 0:1 Schultz (44.), 0:2 Philipp (79.)
Yellow cards: Schneider, Biankadi (3) – Russo, Becker
Spectators: 15,629