Bundesliga
Kwasniok: "We want to let the fans dream"
Cologne coach Lukas Kwasniok has spoken to the Bundesliga about the secrets behind his side's unbeaten start to the season, where the promoted team go from here and how his fashion choice of wearing club jerseys during matches could have backfired.
It must feel great to be in the top three and unbeaten, despite the early stage of the season?
Lukas Kwasniok: "Yes, but that feeling hasn’t changed since my very first day at work. I just really enjoy being the coach here, I enjoy being in this city, being part of this club, and of course success helps with that.”
Have you noticed a wider buzz across the city of Cologne right now thanks to your recent results?
Kwasniok: "Yes, you do notice it. You can just feel it even though it’s not always easy to put into words. You just notice that the people are happy, and that this feeling also exists here in the club."
Watch: Cologne keep unbeaten start to season with dramatic 3-3 draw at Wolfsburg
Another remarkable thing about the season so far is that Cologne have scored eight goals in their first three matches for the first time since they won the title in 1977/78. How have you managed that?
Kwasniok: "We have a lot of attacking players who can score. As soon as we get into the final third, there is such variation and determination from the boys. It's important that we still do our job though, to concede as few goals as possible, and we didn’t quite manage that in Wolfsburg, which is why we had to score three. We want to impress in attack and still do the job defensively. So far, it’s worked quite well.”
Six of your team's 10 goals in all competitions have come after the 80th minute. Why do you think that is?
Kwasniok: "When I took over the team, we quickly noticed that, going forward, with the signings of [Jakub] Kamiński, [Ragnar] Ache, and the players already here - [Luca] Waldschmidt, [Jan] Thielmann, [Linton] Maina - we had a lot of quality. When we added [Marius] Bülter and [Saïd] El Mala, suddenly we had seven goalscorers. It was clear to me that not all of them could start, so I said to the boys that matches are decided in the final 20 minutes. Normally, you work your way through the first 70 minutes of a match, and then everyone will have a chance to decide the game from the bench."
Judging by the dramatic 3-3 draw in Wolfsburg on Matchday 3, mentality must be a part of it too. Do you work on giving them that belief?
Kwasniok: "It’s already inside these boys. My job, and that of the whole coaching staff, is to awaken perhaps the last one, two, three percent."
You've also said "full-throttle football is non-negotiable". Is that simply part of your temperament?
Kwasniok: "Yes, I think that temperament has helped me get to where I am now, as a coach in the Bundesliga. It’s also important to find the right measure at the right time though, because too much emotion, too much temperament can also backfire. In emotion, people lose intelligence, and that can get tricky. That’s why balance is important, and I always try to find that balance.”
Watch: How have Cologne started so well?
Is there any part of you that worries about fans getting carried away after such a strong start?
Kwasniok: "No, why should we stop people from enjoying themselves? There have been phases in the recent past that weren’t so great for Cologne fans, so we want to let the fans dream a little and sing with pride. I’d rather have euphoria and joy than doom and gloom after three matches. So, we'll let them dream while we focus on our work and stay rational. Hopefully this balance will continue to lead to success.”
Is your aim for the season still just to stay up?
Kwasniok: "Yes, that’s the most important target. Otherwise, we take it from international break to international break. We now have three difficult games against RB Leipzig, Hoffenheim and VfB Stuttgart. We’ll see what comes out of that. We should reach our first goal of survival, then we can talk about other things.”
Do you realise how much of a splash you have caused by wearing jerseys on the sideline?
Kwasniok: "Yes, but I wasn’t aware of it when I started. It was just an idea, because I really liked both the red-and-white and the black jersey designs. Then I thought: why not? I have to wear something, usually a T-shirt or polo shirt with the club badge. A jersey shows that connection even more, and I’m glad people like it. To be honest, though, it was important that we got that late winner in Mainz and then followed it up against Freiburg. Otherwise, it would have quickly fizzled out, and I might have been ridiculed instead."