Former culinary specialist grapples with startling cancer diagnosis
Former Bundesliga goalkeeper Georg Koch, who's grappling with cancer, shares his experiences. Victimized by the disease in 2023, he was informed that he had six months left. Yet, today, he maintains a positive outlook. "Yes, they told me I had six months left, but I'm optimistic today. It's not like that every day, but overall, I'm doing okay," Koch said to Sport1, at 52.
After revealing his condition in May, the ex-footballer has shown remarkable resilience. "Suddenly, your life gets disrupted. It's just three sentences. I knew I had to fight, it's always been my thing. I had to fight for my position in goal. I didn't tell everyone right away, but giving up was never an option for me," he shared.
Koch's professional journey spanned multiple clubs: Fortuna Düsseldorf, Arminia Bielefeld, 1. FC Kaiserslautern, Energie Cottbus, MSV Duisburg, PSV Eindhoven, Dinamo Zagreb, and Rapid Wien. Most recently, he served as a goalkeeping coach and later as a team manager at Viktoria Köln before resigning due to personal reasons last year.
The relentless nature of cancer has left Koch with unpredictable emotions. "Some days, I feel down and my mind is empty. Other days, I feel powerful enough to shift mountains. It's strange and unexplainable," Koch says about his intimate battle: "Sometimes, I'm in a good mood in the evening, go to sleep, and the next morning, I can't get out of bed. So many things happen that touch me deeply."
Despite his cancer battle, Georg Koch continues to enjoy watching Soccer. "Even on my bad days, watching a good Soccer match can lift my spirits," Koch shared. His love for the sport hasn't waned, as he fondly reminisces about his time playing for various clubs around Europe.
