Ash Wednesday may have just passed, but for many people in Cologne, the atmosphere on Friday evening was reminiscent of a classic Cologne carnival repertoire. They were gathered for FC’s game against Werder Bremen. A popular song associated with this tradition, translated into standard German, is called “In der Kaygasse Number Zero”. The song tells the story of students who failed to learn anything substantive from teacher Welsch. The students constantly use the refrain: “Dreimol Null it’s zero, it’s zero, it’s zero …” to justify their lack of knowledge.
The lyrics of this song seemed to resonate with the events of the game. When Cologne found themselves trailing by 0-1, coach Timo Schultz resorted to drastic measures. Initially, he replaced striker Sargis Adamyan. Shortly after, he sent attackers Florian Dietz and Steffen Tigges into the game. However, the trio had a combined total of zero goals for the season. The outcome of Schultz’s offensive strategy was reminiscent of the song’s refrain: “Three moles of zero bliev zero, bliev zero…” The scoreline remained at 0-1, with SV Werder claiming the three points and moving up. Conversely, Cologne remained at the bottom and now face the challenge of defending their 16th relegation spot against Mainz and Darmstadt. The term “setback” was frequently used by the Cologne team, who have not experienced three consecutive losses before.
On Friday evening, it was challenging to determine which of the two teams was the home team and which was the visiting team. Both teams played at a similarly low level, persisting and battling each other fiercely. Substitute Justin Nijnmah scored the only goal of the game, capitalizing on a mistake by goalkeeper Marvin Schwäbe in the 70th minute. “It was a very crooked goal, I’d rather stumble into it,” Nijnmah said, speaking candidly. Up until this fortuitous goal from Bremen, the game was heading straight for a nil-nil draw. The number zero seemed to be a significant figure throughout the match.
“Completely incomprehensible,” says Florian Kainz, “that was a clear penalty.”
The Cologne team also believed that the number zero applied to the performance of referee Daniel Siebert and the associated video court. They felt that the DFB supervisors lacked understanding, as they did not initiate an investigation after Werder’s goalkeeper Michael Zetterer violently kneed Cologne defender Luca Kilian in the back, far removed from the ball. FC captain Florian Kainz expressed his frustration at the decision, calling it “completely incomprehensible” and stating that it should have been a clear penalty.
The departure of Steffen Baumgart and the subsequent coaching change at 1. FC Köln have had the desired effect. The team now plays with a different order and renewed vigor. However, coach Timo Schultz has been unable to perform miracles when it comes to improving their attacking play. On Friday, the match statistics showed that Cologne had ten shots on goal. “But maybe two or three were dangerous,” Schultz admitted. The only spark of life came from 19-year-old substitute Justin Diehl. Previous coach Baumgart had kept the fast, daring winger away due to contract extension issues, but Schultz reactivated him: “I’m glad I have him,” the coach exclaimed with a sigh of relief.
In the week leading up to the game, 1. FC Köln released a special announcement that Davie Selke was returning to team training. The news was intended to inspire hope. Reflecting on the night’s game, Timo Schultz acknowledged the need for his team to improve offensively: “That won’t be enough.”
