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Baumgart after Cologne exit: "also shed a few tears"

He is disappointed in himself. Not having made it with 1. FC Köln makes Steffen Baumgart feel bad. In an interview, he also talks about when he might be able to work as a coach again.

Coach Steffen Baumgart of 1. FC Köln looks down. Photo.aussiedlerbote.de
Coach Steffen Baumgart of 1. FC Köln looks down. Photo.aussiedlerbote.de

Change of trainer - Baumgart after Cologne exit: "also shed a few tears"

Steffen Baumgart was emotionally affected by the premature end of his time as coach at 1. FC Köln. In an interview with "Bild", the 51-year-old coach said that the first thing he did after the end was to call his wife. "She was crying. She knew how I was feeling. But she didn't know the finality that could arise from the situation," said Baumgart. He himself had not yet cried.

"But when I got voice messages from my coaching team later, I shed a few tears too," he said. "This club does something to you. Anyone who thinks they can resist this club with all their emotions - that's not possible. My heart will always be with FC. It hurts all the more...", Baumgart admitted.

His era at the Cologne club ended prematurely on December 21. One day after the 2-0 defeat to 1. FC Union Berlin, the relegation-threatened Bundesliga club and the coach ended their collaboration. His contract would have been valid until the end of June 2025. The former Union professional took over the club in the summer of 2021.

Baumgart admitted that he was disappointed with himself. "I would have liked to have solved it and didn't manage it. That's why, in my eyes, it was necessary to take a less attractive step in the hope that there will be someone else who will look at the boys differently after two and a half years and tackle them," he explained. Cologne spent the winter second last in the table.

Baumgart does not want to set himself a "limit for a time-out". "First I have to let everything sink in. I think I could imagine being ready for something new again at the end of January," he said. He is not the type to just sit at home in the long term.

In response to the comment that the end of January would be quick, Baumgart replied: "Why? That's the job, everything else is hypocrisy. The coaching job has nothing to do with compassion. If one person leaves, there are 20 new candidates. That's the way it is, in this matter it's kind of a dirty job."

Interview coach profile Baumgart

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Source: www.stern.de

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