Hello from Cologne

[ccaa]

Hello, supporters from FCK.

I have a great respect for FC Kopenhavn and the work from Solbakken an I wish you the best with Roland Nilsson.
I don't want to post and push up a danish thread, because I couldn't speak or write danish aswell.

I'm a supporter from FC Koln, the new club from Ståle Solbakken.
At first: We do all love your chants "Ståle! Ståle! Ståle Solbakken! He's got no hair, but we don't care. Ståle Solbakken!"
Awesome!!!!

I want to answer the post from the user _EG_, who's writing here: http://sidelinien.dk/forums/showpost...&postcount=475

›Det bliver en kold dag i helvede, inden FC Köln spiller med om
›noget som helst i Europa. Siden år 2000 har de primært ageret
›elevatorhold mellem 1. og 2. Bundesliga. Det sidste mesterskab
›vandt de i 1978 og den sidste pokaltitel i 1983. Nu har de så
›stabiliseret sig i toppen af den nederste halvdel af 1.
›Bundesliga, primært takket være Thomas Daum.
›1. FC Köln er givetvis vejen til en af de større klubber i en
›stor liga, hvis Ståle formår at gøre det fornuftigt. Men
›der er ret store usikkerhedsfaktorer i ligningen og jeg forstår
›ikke rigtig, at Ståle fravælger et pt. godt kørende norsk
›landshold for en tysk, i bedste fald, midterklub. Jeg tror, at
›vejen til en topklub lige så godt kunne være gået via et
›succesrigt forløb i FCK og gode præstationer som landstræner. Men
›Ståle må jo mene noget andet...


You meant "Christoph Daum", but not!
Christoph Daum has made a lot of debts here and the players couldn't come to be better.
We aren't established in the german Bundesliga.
This season deludes.

I think, Cologne is much better as a national team. In norway, he would have two or three top-games. In Cologne he'll have a lot of hard games against Dortmund, Leverkusen, Munich, Hamburg, Bremen, Schalke and Wolfsburg for example.

I was very surprised to see Solbakken in a press conference in Cologne. He's a awesome coach and very pleasant.
He could be a new legend in Cologne, because the only coach we want is retired - Frank Schaefer.

If someone want, I'll keep you up to date as to Solbakken in Cologne.


Best regards to all of you!

[puma4ever]

›If someone want, I'll keep you up to date as to Solbakken in Cologne.

Thanks for posting, and good luck with Ståle. Please keep us updated :)

[ccaa]

Okay!

German sources are talking about an interesting for Oscar Wendt and Mikael Antonsson.
But Stolbakken said, he doesn't sign with players from FC Kopenhavn.

For all who can understand german, here the press conference with Solbakken: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ok_if2zlIZo
(If videos from Youtube aren't allowed, please delete. It's the official youtube channel from FC Koln)
Unfortunately the english voice of Solbakken is translated. So you can't it hear in english. Without the german comment, you only can see it at FC-TV, the fee required media channel from FC Koln.

Solbakken has already met a FC Koln supporter in Denmark before he started to fly to Cologne.
Click here: http://www.express.de/sport/fussball...8/-/index.html
It's funny. I thought, Solbakken kneels down to give a auotgraph.

So, if you want, we create another thread (or rename this one) thereby it isn't so confusing for another users, who don't know that I'm writing here about Ståle.

Best regards and congratulations to the new old danish champions!

[FCKiChampionsLeague]

›I'm a supporter from FC Koln, the new club from Ståle Solbakken.
›At first: We do all love your chants "Ståle! Ståle! Ståle
›Solbakken! He's got no hair, but we don't care. Ståle
›Solbakken!"
›Awesome!!!!

And it could be even more awesome if you Cologne supporters would use this chant for him. It would certainly put a smile on my lips.

[Danish Rebel]

››I'm a supporter from FC Koln, the new club from Ståle Solbakken.
››At first: We do all love your chants "Ståle! Ståle! Ståle
››Solbakken! He's got no hair, but we don't care. Ståle
››Solbakken!"
››Awesome!!!!
›
›And it could be even more awesome if you Cologne supporters would
›use this chant for him. It would certainly put a smile on my
›lips.

And Solbakken's :)

[ougar]

German sources are talking about an interesting for Oscar Wendt
and Mikael Antonsson.
But Stolbakken said, he doesn't sign with players from FC Kopenhavn.

I think Solbakken said, that he would not _buy_ any FC København players, bacause FC Köln could not afford them. FC København will lose a lot of important players this summer, so the club will not sell any more players, unless the price is really high.

But Oscar Wendt (and also Mikael Antonsson) are out of contract. So it is not impossible at all, that Ståle would try to sign one of them.

So, if you want, we create another thread (or rename this one) thereby it isn't so confusing for another users, who don't know that I'm writing here about Ståle.

This thread is fine. We really appreciate visits from other supporters, and it would be great, if you would keep us up to date on Ståles accomplishments in Cologne. We enjoy following our old players and coaches in their new clubs.

And congratulations to you, for getting a great coach :-) We will miss him. And you are lucky, bacause Solbakken will try to learn german. In all the years in danish football, he has not spoken a single danish word. He believes that danes should be able to understand norwegian. So even though he has been our coach for 4 and a half years, I still can't understand half of what he is saying.

ougar

[ccaa]

I think Solbakken said, that he would not _buy_ any FC København players, bacause FC Köln could not afford them. FC København will lose a lot of important players this summer, so the club will not sell any more players, unless the price is really high.

But Oscar Wendt (and also Mikael Antonsson) are out of contract. So it is not impossible at all, that Ståle would try to sign one of them.

It may be truth, that we sell Pedro Geromel, our great defender. That would be 12m Euros or 89,479,512 dk.

But you're right.
Normally, we hasn't got any chance to a player, who is playing in Kopenhavn.

I think, Oscar Wendt goes to a international ambitious club. So, not FC Koln.

This thread is fine. We really appreciate visits from other supporters, and it would be great, if you would keep us up to date on Ståles accomplishments in Cologne. We enjoy following our old players and coaches in their new clubs.

That's my thoughts. And I think, it's much better to get your infos from Cologne directly. The german press isn't so serious and you could get untruths about Ståle and FC Koln.

And congratulations to you, for getting a great coach :-) We will miss him. And you are lucky, bacause Solbakken will try to learn german. In all the years in danish football, he has not spoken a single danish work. He believes that danes should be able to understand norwegian. So even though he has been our coach for 4 and a half years, I still can't understand half of what he is saying.

Thank you!
Ståle explained that he learned hardly his for german from school. And I'm sure that he does.
In my opinion, Scandinavians (sorry for generally label) are very aspirating. One of the reason I think, Ståle could be very successful here in Cologne.
Ståle is very aspirated. But he's very realistic, too.
And he's good with the press. That's so important here.

The community in Cologne are very keen to Ståle.

@ FCKiChampionsLeague: I really think, we do. Your chant has cult status here. But maybe, we'll sing it in another version.
The Cologne dialect is very important for us. So, your chant could be sing in this version. But that isn't so different.
For example:
Ståle! Ståle! Ståle Solbakken.
Er hat kinn Haar, driss ejal.
Ståle Solbakken.

Sorry for that. We are extremly localism. ;-)


Best regards and next time, you'll beat Chelsea and Barca!

[ccaa]

I really hate the german press.
They are writing about Solbakken, because he goes directly to the training camp in Langeoog and miss the official training start.
His contract starts at 1st july. The training start is at 22th juny, training camp at 26th juny.
So, what's the problem?

Has he a valid contract at Kopenhavn at 30th juny?
I'm looking forwart to Solbakken.

Oscar Wendt is going to Borussia Mönchengladbach.
For all, who don't know: Gladbach is the archrival of Solbakkens new club. It could be very interesting.

Best regards and have a great weekend!

[Django]

There is no problem. Just German press blowing things up. Solbakken has in danish papers defended his decision by saying that he needs a little vacation and that his contract does not start before July 1st anyway. So actually he is already starting a few days early as it is. So german press should just respect the details of the negotiated contract.

[ccaa]

You're right, Django. But many people in Cologne are believing in the german press.
Solbakken has given great answers.
I think he's already found the needful mediocrity between working WITH and working AGAINST the press. That's very respectful.
The last coach in Cologne who found that, too, was Huub Stevens.
The follower:
- Uwe Rapolder. He was too conceited. He thought he could coach Real Madrid after his work in Cologne. Teams like TuS Koblenz and Karlsruher SC were his folliowing clubs.
- Hanspeter Latour. He was too shy for the job in Cologne.
- Christoph Daum. Everybody knows him. Nobody likes him!
- Zvonimir Soldo. Soldo was the most shy coach in Cologne we ever had.
- Frank Schaefer. He was too honest.

Howsoever... The coach who I most liked in Cologne was Morten Olsen.


Solbakkens first matches in Bundesliga will be:
matchday 1: VfL Wolfsburg (home)
Wolfsburg was the german champion 2009.

matchday 2: FC Schalke 04 (away)
The CL-finalist last season.

matchday 3: 1. FC Kaiserslautern (home)
Our boogey opponent.

matchday 4: Hamburger SV (away)
The sole team, who even played in the first Bundesliga

matchday 5: 1. FC Nurnberg (home)
On the 7th place last season.

The matches against the top teams are:

matchday 6: Bayer Leverkusen (away)
The vice-champion last season.

matchday 10: Borussia Dortmund (away)
The german champion

matchday 17: FC Bayern Munich (away)
The record champion.


His first derby in Cologne (against Oscar Wendt):
matchday 14: Borussia Monchengladbach (home)


If you have PDF, you can see the completly season shedule here: http://www.bundesliga.de/media/nativ...lan_bl_neu.pdf



Best Regards

[_EG_]

I just found this topic and I felt that I should post a reply, since you started it by quoting me :-)
First of all I was not trying to show any disrespect for neither 1. FC Köln or the 1. Bundesliga. Being one of the two foreign managers in the Bundesliga clearly states that Ståle has some qualities as a manager. And playing in one of the top five leagues in Europe obviously shows that there is some quality in 1. FC Köln as well...
In the text you quoted, I was however trying to make the point that 1. FC Köln is not a safe bet for Ståle with regards to his further career as a manager, and that coaching the Norwegian national team might have been a safer choice. At least it would not have been a career breaker for Ståle, I think, given the present squad and results.

›You meant "Christoph Daum", but not!
›Christoph Daum has made a lot of debts here and the players
›couldn't come to be better.
›We aren't established in the German Bundesliga.
›This season deludes.

Yes, yes, Christoph Daum of course - my mistake. And I understand that he did not leave too good an impression. On the other hand he managed to lift you back into the "right" league and was the last manager, who stayed with you longer than around a year, but maybe you are right that he could not improve the team beyond that point.

›I think, Cologne is much better as a national team. In Norway, he
›would have two or three top-games. In Cologne he'll have a lot of
›hard games against Dortmund, Leverkusen, Munich, Hamburg, Bremen,
›Schalke and Wolfsburg for example.

Fair enough, but I think differently. As you write yourself: "We aren't established in the German Bundesliga. This season deludes", and exactly that is my concern. Yes, there will be a number of important matches, but there will also be a desperate struggle to stay in the 1. Bundesliga with roughly the current squad, since I understand that there is very little money for new players. What I do not quite understand is that Ståle chose this job and these risks over the easier and safer job as manager of the Norwegian national team. I am not sure that a possible relegation to the 2. Bundesliga is a good career move and I think that risk must be taken into account.

Well, Ståle probably has a plan and you now have a dedicated, skilful manager with a modern, international style, who will hopefully be able to stabilize your team and gain you a position as an established part of the 1. Bundesliga. Good luck with the season and please keep informing us of the ups and downs I Cologne. We appreciate it.

[ccaa]

Good post, _EG_!
It wasn't disrespected.
I would like to answer for some points.

Yes, yes, Christoph Daum of course - my mistake. And I understand that he did not leave too good an impression. On the other hand he managed to lift you back into the "right" league and was the last manager, who stayed with you longer than around a year, but maybe you are right that he could not improve the team beyond that point.

Well, it just look like, that he lift up FC Koln. But he had the most expensive squad in that season. We had a season etat about 50,000,000 Euros. That's amazing for a second division.
Christoph Daum and Michael Meier (ex manager of FC Koln) are the persons mainly responsible. Our debts are actually 25,000,000 Euros.
That is Christoph Daum. For that money, which he need and earns, you can expect more, than promotion, more, than only staying in Bundesliga.

He's a dirty liar. I could tell you lies, what he are talking about in the german press and evince, that he is lying.

What I do not quite understand is that Ståle chose this job and these risks over the easier and safer job as manager of the Norwegian national team.

I think the Bundesliga is very delightful for players and coaches, who are working in weaker divisions, not that other divisions are weak as a rule
It's very hard to be so sucessful like Ståle and Kopenhavn.
He said in a press conference, that he will be a good coach in a top-team. So, FC Koln is just a crossover.
He can presents himself better in Cologne as in the norwegian national team. because he has more games in the Bundesliga.

I give many credit for Ståle. I believe that he will be very sucessful in Cologne.

Good luck with the season and please keep informing us of the ups and downs I Cologne.

Thanks a lot. I'll do that.




Yesterday (June, 29th), we had our first friendly game in the training camp against TSV Langeoog.
We beat them 23-0, but we played without the national players Lukas Podolski, Miso Brecko, and Milivoje Novakovic.
The national players Adam Matuschyk (Poland) and Tomoaki Makino (Japan) played one half.

The goals:
Lanig (4), Sanou (3), Clemens (2), Roshi (2), Jajalo (2), Uth, Pezzoni, Matuschyk and Kialka.

Good performance aswell.

Here are some pictures from the training camp:

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._4837301_n.jpg
You know, Ståle and Bard.

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._7472049_n.jpg
The team with co trainer Ibrahim Tanko and some kiddies.

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._7145502_n.jpg
Ståle

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._4466444_n.jpg
Mato Jajalo and Odise Roshi

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._3997784_n.jpg
Christian Eichner, Martin Lanig and Michael Rensing

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...5_548693_n.jpg
Ståle with a litte bit sunburn

More at Facebook.
http://www.facebook.com/FCKoeln?sk=photos



Maybe we could get Peter Utaka from Odense. Ståle wants to have Utaka in Cologne. Maybe for 4-4-2.


Tomorrow (July, 1st) we will play in a friendly game against SC Paderborn.
In addition, here are the following friendly games:

July, 1st : SC Paderborn - FC Koln
July, 1st : FSV Frankfurt - FC Koln
July, 9th : FC Thun - FC Koln
July, 13th : Spartak Moscow - FC Koln
July, 17th : Panathinaikos Athen - FC Koln
July, 20th : FC Koln - FC Twente Enschede
July, 23th : FC Koln - Arsenal FC
July, 26th : FC Koln - Luxemburg national team

Some attractive clubs.


Best regards and Happy Weekend for everybody!

[_EG_]

Hi again, just a few comments before everybody else gets tired of us :-)

I will take your word for it that Christoph Daum is a dirty bastard and that his success was based on something else than only managing skills. I must admit that I have not followed the 2. Bundesliga very closely, so it seems that there is at lot more to the Daum-story than what I knew.

›I think the Bundesliga is very delightful for players and
›coaches, who are working in weaker divisions, not that other
›divisions are weak as a rule
›It's very hard to be so successful like Ståle and Kopenhavn.
›He said in a press conference, that he will be a good coach in a
›top-team. So, FC Koln is just a crossover.
›He can presents himself better in Cologne as in the Norwegian
›national team. because he has more games in the Bundesliga.

True enough, and I think that those of us who support teams in weaker leagues tend to forget that even being in a top five European league is attractive in itself. We quite often have trouble understanding, why many players prefer for instance the 2. Bundesliga to our own leagues.
But besides what I mentioned earlier, I have another concern about Ståles choice of club. In my opinion, Ståle has demonstrated his managing skills the best in the Champions League and Europa League games. If he is successful in Köln it is probably not at problem that he will - I guess - not see much European action with your team, but if he does not manage to keep you in the 1. Bundesliga, he will be out of the spotlight all together. I do not think that that would happen, had he chosen to coach the Norwegian national team. There is always a European or World Cup to qualify for...
Well. It is all speculation and we will just have to see, how things turn out. The friendlies look very interesting, so I hope that I can find a way to follow them. The best of luck to your team and Ståle!

[ccaa]

So, a little update for you.

Ståle decided a new captain! Pedro Geromel replaces Lukas Podolski.

The results of the friendly games:
July, 1st : SC Paderborn - FC Koln 3-0 (B-Team)
July, 1st : FSV Frankfurt - FC Koln 3-1 (B-Team)
July, 9th : FC Thun - FC Koln 2-2
July, 13th : Spartak Moscow - FC Koln 0-1
July, 17th : Panathinaikos Athen - FC Koln 1-2
July, 20th : FC Koln - FC Twente Enschede (cancelled)
July, 23th : FC Koln - Arsenal FC 1-2 (with a curious own goal by Arsenal)
July, 26th : FC Koln - Luxemburg national team 2-0

It was a very good preparation for the team.

P.S.: If you want to see the curious own goal by Arsenal, type "Own goal Carl Jenkinson" into YouTube and click on the first video.


Ståle didn't want Herald Goulon. He was on trial in Cologne and he was very good at the training session. But he isn't professionell and escaped from the training. So, Ståle renounced a contract with Goulon.

Therefor, another player on trial convinced Ståle and Bard.Odise Roshi is a sensational discovery from the "SportsLab". SportsLab is a institution, which records about 400 matches every month in the world.
Roshi was awesome at his insets.

At the moment, we trial Armando Vajushi, another albanian talent. He convinces, too. I think Ståle do love him and give him a contract.

At least our most important new arrival. Sascha Riether switched to Cologne from Wolfsburg. He was german champion for two years.
Ståle likes him. Sascha Riether is the new vice-captain in the team.


So, we played against Wiedenbrück last weekend. It was the first competitive match for Ståle, because it was the german cup (DFB-Pokal). We won 3-0 after two goals from Milivoje Novakovic and one goal from Mato Jajalo.

A funny thing by the way:
Bayer Leverkusen, one of our archrivals and the current vice-champion lost his cup match against Dynamo Dresden (2nd division) after a 3-0 lead with 3-4.


Today we will play our first bundesliga match against VfL Wolfsburg at home.
Ståle will have his first match with about 50,000 supporters!
Hopefully he will have a great debut for Cologne.
If you want to watch this match, kick-off is 3.30 p.m.


Meanwhile, Ståle speaks german aswell. He's going ahead for this.

The players like him. They all say, that Ståle is a person, who is very chummy and imperious together.


If you have question, feel free to ask.


Best regards from Cologne!

[ccaa]

The bundesliga debut from Ståle was beneath contempt.

Zero witty playfulness.
Zero well-ordnered defense.
Zero sucessful offense.

That was very bad.

VfL Wolfsburg didn't play aswell, but Koln was worst than Wolfsburg.

I don't know, why four coaches (Daum, Soldo, Schaefer, Ståle) thought, Kevin Pezzoni is a good full back.
He debt about 3 (!!) one hundred percent goal chances. One of them could Wolfsburg realize for the 1-0 by the Ex-Koln striker Patrick Helmes.

My grades for the player:
Rensing - C
Eichner - E
Pezzoni - F
Geromel - C
Brecko - D
Riether - E
Lanig - F
Jajalo - E
Chihi - E
Podolski - F
Novakovic - F

Novakovic saw yellow-red in minute 80.

So, I think Ståle was very angry for this performance and we will not see this eleven next week against Schalke 04. We have to win. Schalke lost his first game against Stuttgart 0-3 and is at the bottom of the table with us.


Sorry, I'm really frustated. So, I don't want to tell more about the game.
One for sure: Kopenhavn never were so poor like Koln this saturday!