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Cologne (AP) - Friedhelm Funkel knows what he is talking about.

“It's not always just the sun,” said the experienced coach after the devastating 1: 4 home defeat of 1. FC Köln against SC Freiburg: “There are always a few clouds.

But nothing has been decided yet. "

Sparkle is not going to disturb you so quickly. For almost his entire long coaching career, the 67-year-old played either for promotion or against relegation. He's seen ups and downs in abundance. But at 1. FC Köln he experiences it in fast motion. A bitter 0: 3 in the derby in Leverkusen at the start, a furious victory against Leipzig, an away win in Augsburg, now the grueling setback against Freiburg: In just four games, Funkel has made a considerable up and downhill journey of emotions.

The defeat against Freiburg was so fatal because FC are still penultimate two game days before the end of the season.

In the event of a win, he would have jumped to 14th place.

Two successes at Hertha BSC and against relegated FC Schalke 04 are now a must to avoid relegation to the second division in just 23 years.

"Whether we both have to win or one win is enough, you have to wait and see," said Funkel, here too with a calm calm: "We are definitely aiming for two victories."

U21 national player Ismail Jakobs still believes in another turnaround.

"We have to stay united as a team, show our hearts and never give up," he said.

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But his team has to cope with the setback of the Freiburg defeat. With an unlucky penalty because shooter Ondrej Duda slipped away. And with a goal that was at least dubiously blown away because of alleged handball. Both times a goal would have meant 2-2. In addition, Captain Jonas Hector indicated incomprehensible hiring problems. "The first half was not what is appropriate in the situation," said the ex-international: "Maybe we made it a little too easy because we had two wins in a row."

Now the situation is particularly tricky again.

Especially since the completely open league question also makes the search for a new coach and successor to the sparkle, which will certainly stop at the end of the season, difficult.

In the case of Paderborn's Steffen Baumgart, who apparently emerged as a favorite, the first class could be Cologne's pound in the fight against the competitors Hanover and Hamburg, for example.

The league membership is still open at HSV.

It is also obvious that a decline in the Corona year could have even more drastic financial effects than it already is.

© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210509-99-533087 / 2

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