A brouhaha over the contract talks with coach friedhelm funkel has caused quite a stir at bundesliga soccer club fortuna dusseldorf.
The separation from the popular football teacher at the end of the season, which was surprisingly announced on friday, was taken back by the promoted team not even 24 hours later shortly before the departure from the training camp in marbella, spain. According to information from the "rheinische post", everything now boils down to an early extension of the contract by one year in the event of the club staying in the league – as proposed by funkel himself.
This turnaround had already been announced on friday evening, at the end of a turbulent day. "The fact that the talks between the coach and the board of management have taken on such a dynamic surprised us on the supervisory board," supervisory board chairman reinhold ernst told the "westdeutsche zeitung" newspaper. "Therefore we suggest that we talk among ourselves once again."This thread was taken up by fortuna’s chief executive robert schafer and friedhelm funkel. "We sat down again last night to talk things over calmly," schafer and funkel said in a club release on saturday. "In the process, we have become aware that two stubborn people have insisted too much on their positions. This was a mistake. In the interest of fortuna dusseldorf, we will work together to correct this error."
Schafer and funkel say they will resume talks next week. The goal is "to reach an agreement before the game against FC augsburg". Fortuna to face augsburg next saturday. Before that, the promoted team will host the telekom cup tomorrow, sunday, with bayern munchen, borussia monchengladbach and hertha BSC. The mood among the fans in the arena could become explosive.
The back and forth about funkel has already provoked strong reactions in the social networks, with more than 12,000 supporters calling for funkel to stay in two online petitions. When the team arrived at dusseldorf airport on saturday, more than 100 fortuna fans celebrated sparkle with chants. The trainer seemed tense.
Obviously, there were different opinions about the future plans. Dusseldorf’s chairman of the board schafer and the new sports director lutz pfannenstiel were of the opinion that they only wanted to talk when they could see in the course of the second half of the season where fortuna was headed. According to schafer, this was not a vote of no confidence in funkel. "This year there is a different situation, because we have the short-term goal of keeping the league, which is of paramount importance for fortuna dusseldorf," schafer had said.
The 65-year-old funkel, in turn, spoke of a gross disappointment and criticized a lack of "trust" on friday in the training camp under tranen. After the separation, which was apparently announced prematurely, the first possible successor for funkel was already being considered. Austrian damir canadi, who is currently coaching the greek club atromitos athens, is a promising candidate.
Friedhelm funkel admitted that he had been "perhaps a little too stubborn". He now sees "possibilities to solve all problem areas". Currently the oldest coach in the bundesliga, he had led fortuna to the 2. The fortuna had been taken over by the fortuna team in the bundesliga, saved from relegation, and returned to the bundesliga last summer after six years. Currently, the dusseldorf team is ranked 14th and has a realistic chance of staying in the league.
RELATED POSTS
World champion peiffer falls – fourcade back again For arnd peiffer his season debut ended with painful bruises and a bleeding laceration. Away from the television cameras, the world champion had fallen… |
Consumer users dun for back payment of fees Following the BGH ruling on bank fees, consumer users are insisting on a refund of wrongly paid fees and threatening further legal action if this is not… |
Kreisjugendring looks back on a successful year With a reception in the basement of the district administration office, the kitzingen district youth association (KJR) concluded the 2017 event year and… |
Standing ovation after church concert Around 60 visitors turned up on saturday evening to witness an interesting chapter in the history of music. The program title venice in vienna was still… |