1. FC Köln travel to Fortuna Düsseldorf on Saturday, 21st September with kick-off at 13:00 CEST. FC head coach, Gerhard Struber and Head of Football, Thomas Kessler faced the media on Thursday ahead of the game.
Gerhard Struber spoke about…
…Dejan Ljubicic and Linton Maina: “Both are doubts. Dejo has a cold, we’re a little more hopeful when it comes to Linton. We have to wait for our final training session. We have a deep squad and, if one or both miss out, we’ll bring in one of the other lads. We have complete trust in our squad.”
…Max Finkgräfe’s comeback: “We feel a total euphoria with Max. He’s coming out of a long-term injury and has trust in his body once more. Perhaps he’s back in the squad quicker than expected.”
…Mark Uth: “He needs more time and we’re keeping a close eye on him.”
…Fortuna Düsseldorf: “Fortuna are a team that are very stable and make good decisions during the game. They are strong on the counter and at set-pieces. They’ve gone far in their development. Despite that, there will be opportunities for us to make our mark on the game. We’re buzzing for the game.”
…the rivalry between the two clubs: “On Saturday, we want to show that we are the number one. We have quality in every player and we want to put that on display against Düsseldorf.”
…the young players at FC: “The trend regarding Marvin Obuz is a good one. He is a very talented young player. We are also building on Jaka Cuber Potocnik, but he needs game time for his development. That is possible in the under-21s at the moment. He is doing well but the games at under-21 level are important. It is more important than to sit on the bench for us. We have a good mix of young and experienced players. We shouldn’t look at that through our tinted glasses, due to the fact that we have a lot of promising players. They have to earn their chance in the under-21s and through good training sessions.”
…work at FC: “It’s great to be working here. We work well together and are in good talks with a lot of departments. We know where we all want to get to, even though time is a factor. We want to deliver in sporting terms.”
Thomas Kessler spoke about:
…the game on Saturday: “We are focussing fully on the game. We have the chance to win games to get us back to the top of the table. It is an exciting league and, in an ideal world, we’ll pick up the next points on Saturday. The excitement is there. It is important that things off the pitch stay calm. We want to enjoy it for what it is: a football match.”
…the previous performances: “In terms of points, there was more to be had but the team’s development has been good. The way that we have played is positive. We, as a collective, need to put the ball in the back of the net. We’ll support our young players, who continue to develop.”
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