They don't like to think back to their previous relegation at KSV Holstein.

Not only was VfL Wolfsburg as superior three years ago as Lower Saxony's financial resources suggested - after it had been determined that Kiel would remain in the second division, the club lost three leading figures: coach Markus Anfang and the players Dominick Drexler and Rafael Czichos went to 1. FC Cologne.

A year later, this time without a dramatic season finale, Tim Walter's initial successor left Kiel for Stuttgart.

And now?

Wolfgang Schwenke, the commercial director of the "Störche", has pointed out several times that his club has experience in replacing the head coach.

That sounded relaxed.

Of course, the people in charge in Kiel still want to keep their own Ole Werner.

After the bitter 1: 5 against 1. FC Köln on Saturday evening, Werner spoke out cautiously about his future in Kiel.

The youngest German professional coach at 33 years old has long been associated with larger clubs.

His contract in Kiel runs for another year.

Ole Werner is closely connected to the KSV and the face of the association.

He was able to advertise himself through the cup success on penalties against FC Bayern and the wondrous course of the season: Kiel had to cross many obstacles before the series ended so painfully with the then-not-then-crowning.

Now the fans on the fjord are afraid of not only losing the coach, but also central players again: The missing striker Janni Serra on Saturday goes to Arminia Bielefeld, director Jae-Sung Lee is to be courted by TSG Hoffenheim .

"Didn't make it three times"

Ole Werner may have to give room to disappointment about the missed promotion before he expresses himself about his personal future.

Because this 1: 5 was not without the two previous defeats in the season of the second division.

"We didn't gamble away today," said captain Hauke ​​Wahl, thinking of the 2: 3 low blows in Karlsruhe and against Darmstadt.

"We got it three times and didn't make it three times," said Fin Bartels on the Dazn streaming service.

Werner referred to the wear and tear: “After the quarantine, we have had eleven games since April 24th.

There wasn't much left when you look at the score sheet.

Since the Hannover home game on May 10th we have been walking the last groove - at some point you will lose your strength. "

It was strange how little the 1-0 win in the first leg helped the Kielers. The first Cologne ball flew into the penalty area: 0: 1. The second Cologne ball flew into the penalty area: 1: 2. When Sebastian Andersson headed the 3-1 for Cologne in the 13th minute, the Kiel counter-defense was extinguished. Lee's 1-1 in the 3rd minute had given her hope for only a very short time. In the 39th minute, Czichos scored 4-1, Ellyes Skhiri scored the final score shortly before the end.

“We wanted a quiet game, we also wanted to hit the ball with the sole,” explained Bartels, “but then it got way too wild and the things sail in one after the other and everyone is inside. Then it becomes very difficult. That was great with the spectators today, but maybe we wanted it too badly because of them. ”2350 fans were allowed into the Holstein Stadium. It was interesting how Bartels connected the unusually full ranks with the hectic pace of the beginning and this turned into a disadvantage in Kiel - everything really went wrong that evening.

When KSV tried after the break to make the 1: 4 milder (it never looked like a miracle from the fjord), goalkeeper Gelios prevented the defeat from being even greater. “We didn't have any dynamism around or in the penalty area and, unlike in the first leg, we didn't win any decisive duels,” said Ole Werner. “The bottom line was that we had no chance. There was no question of beating 1. FC Köln. ”Even at this bitter moment, Werner analyzed soberly. He stuck to his view that the season was a "miracle" from Kiel's point of view - almost 30 training days were canceled due to two quarantine breaks: "It remains the best season in the club's history."

Now the well-known Holstein qualities will be in demand again as standing-ups. Increased competition and the aforementioned and possible departures are darkening the prospects for Kiel - but it was not much different two of the past three seasons. Only a year ago, they had “their” Ole Werner firmly in the saddle. And that felt good.