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Max Kofler: Die Revolution

Started on 7 June 2019 by ScottT
Latest Reply on 23 August 2019 by Jack
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Laura's Story


I see my life as two separate pieces. The life I had before my walls came tumbling down, and the life I have now - where I'm left to waste in a pool of self-hatred. This is a life I find difficult. It continues to move forward solely because I wake up every morning, get out of bed and put on my best fake smile; pretending that everything is okay. My chest is heavy, my heart breaks and my head is empty. A constant feeling of nauseousness takes over my body. This never goes away. This is my life now.

This new life is not easy. I try to distract myself everyday and smile through the pain I feel. I give my heart to Max and I go to sleep, fooling him into thinking that I'm dreaming of whatever women dream of these days without a care or fear in the world. However, the reality is that I'm not sleeping. Instead I'm wallowing in self-hatred and guilt, wishing I could turn back the clock and prevented what had happened all those years ago and rid myself of this nagging pain that never leaves me.

My old life seems so foreign to me now. Even though I remember the times I shared with her, I know that I will never get that life back because Ella is no longer present on this earth and her death continues to haunt me. I stand, looking over at the waves that crash onto the beach, and watch my former life fade away over the horizon.

I shared ambitions for my future once. I had a degree, a job and a roof over my head. I was able to support myself financially and I was content with a small collection of friends, including Ella, in which I felt comfortable with and knew I could rely on. We had been friends since a young age and were the pillars in each others lives. I had Max and I was ready to begin a new life. Yet, my dreams changed forever. My life changed forever. In a matter of moments, the pillar in my life crumbled into a million pieces and everything tumbled to the ground.

I felt accountable for her death. I was accountable for her death. The guilt has never left me, despite the efforts of many in whom tried to convince me otherwise. I ignored them because I knew it was my fault. Ella's mental health was never perfect and she relied on me for support. I failed her. She tried to reach out to me and I wasn't there. All I was left with was numerous missed calls and a haunting voicemail left by my best-friend, who I neglected. A chilling voicemail which detailed her final goodbyes.

A wider group of people who knew her tried to comfort me, yet they never understood what I was truly experiencing. They seemed convinced they did, which frustrated me. They shared what they felt and the effect it had on them, but it was nothing on what I felt. At all. This was the greatest tragedy of my life and I had never, ever, had to experience anything like this before. I had no practice.

I was left with the false impression that her death would leave me devastated, but it would all peak at the funeral - oh how wrong was I.

What to do? How to move on without her? There are no answers to these questions. The only answers I have in my head are the responses to those posed in reference to the guilt I feel. Was it truly your fault? Yes. Could and should you have done more? Yes. This feeling just multiplies with time. Yet, time is often supposed to heal - like when you fall over and cut your knee. It never has. I am left with a mental scar.

I am in a constant fight. I'm in a boxing ring in a reoccurring fight that never ends, with nobody to throw in the towel for me - with nobody in my corner. I'm left taking the full brunt of each punch and every time I am knocked down, I stay down. Yet, I am somehow dragged to my feet and forced to take a further punch. It never ends. Punch after punch. When will it end? Will it ever end? This was my reality.

I forever wish I could turn back the clock and change what happened that fateful night. If I had not been so selfish and acknowledged her calls, Ella would still be here and I would not be facing the barrage of hatred and guilt I experience on a daily-basis. The seconds, the minutes, the hours, the days, the weeks, the years... they all go by and I still have this lingering hatred distilled inside my head. A black cloud that follows me around.

There is very little to hold onto. What I do have, I treasure. I sometimes hold the photograph of us two together, smiling and enjoying life together and sob. It's all I can do because there is nothing else to feel anymore. I never realised the world could be so tragic. I never realised the pain she felt, or at least the extremity. I never realised she had the capacity to take her own life. She felt so low, in that moment, she felt it was necessary to end her life and I abandoned her in her time of need. Do I deserve to still be here?

I struggle to listen to the voicemail she left me. It's like torture to listen to. But I force myself to listen to it, from time-to-time, so I realise what I lost. The fear in her voice was evident. She was scared and terrified. I should have been there to save her. But I wasn't. I failed her and I can't forgive myself. I don't deserve the satisfaction of forgiveness. It brings great pain to me to hear the panic and the tears, but most of all the agony in every utterance.

Despite the happiness that Max brings me, I can never distract myself from the inner-battle I face for long. The feeling of happiness is brief. Sometimes I question how much longer this smile can hide the doubts that await behind it...


Replies


Maguire: He has certainly improved the stability of the club and has laid the foundations for the future. Next season could prove to be the season we really see what Max and this club are all about, we'll have to see!

Jack: Max is a driven-man who understands that to succeed, you have to never stop pushing yourself. If you wish to achieve the greatest accomplishments, you can't settle for perfection - you have to better it. That's the key, for him.

LFC: We'll have to see if that's the case. The recruitment will be just as important as last season.

Justice: The club have made a suitable call, personally. But you are right, Europe's elite won't be put off at all. If they see Kofler as their man - they'll do what they can to tempt him!
You've opened a new direction for the plot of this story, adding to the story's credibility as a Story of the Month winner. The boxing ring analogy is an interesting one, and it certainly works in this case. It'll be interesting to see what develops of this new piece of information you have given us on Laura's background.
A very powerful update showing the impact incidents can have on a persons mental health whilst also showing how they can hide it away from the world damaging themselves further.

I am am excited to see where this new element to the story will lead.
ScottT's avatar Group ScottT
5 yearsEdited

Reflection


Reflection is important in football. Myself and my coaching staff are always reflecting at the end of a match and thinking of ways to address issues and improve, regardless of a result. The same occurs at the end of a season. After our defeat in the DFB-Pokal against Bayern, I was keen to look back on what had been a tough, but ultimately successful season, as we made our return to the Bundesliga after a one-year absence from the top-flight.

Our objectives at the start of the season were modest, I thought. But the media seemed to think we may have been overambitious to begin with. It's an expectation, almost, for newly promoted clubs to be content in setting the foundations for the year ahead and simply looking to stay-put in the division and avoid relegation. The difference with us - but also with Hamburger SV - was that we were well-established sides in the Bundesliga prior to our relegation and subsequent promotion. Therefore, our expectations were slightly different.

I highlighted to the board that I wanted our first season back in the top-flight to be one where we sought to make a statement of intent. The board obliged, to my delight, and gave me the financial support to improve on an already impressive squad. I requested that I was given sufficient funds to facilitate an important twelve months of recruitment. This recruitment would dictate the direction the club would go in and I was pleased with the end product, as we welcomed our primary targets and more. We were in a fantastic position ahead of the new season.

Hindsight is a beautiful thing and despite my frustrations at times last season, I am now able to reflect on a fantastic campaign. I'm very fortunate to work alongside a tremendously-skilled coaching team. Without their efforts, this club would not have achieved the finish, and achievements, it did - distilling a winning mentality in each player. A seventh-placed finish in the Bundesliga - which merited a place in the UEFA Europa League - was accompanied by an appearance in the DFB-Pokal final. These achievements far surpassed what we could have outlined at the beginning of the season.

Speaking of the Europa League, we recently discovered our opponents in the Second Qualifying Round. We were seeded for the draw and were paired alongside Rangers - one of the toughest draws we could have faced at this early stage of the competition, now managed by former Chelsea assistant and Kilmarnock boss Steve Clarke - who replaced Steven Gerrard after he left his post to join Huddersfield Town in December 2019.

The first-leg will be played at Ibrox, with the return-leg held at the RheinEnergieStadion. I was pleased with the draw, however. Facing a side of Rangers calibre is the ideal test we need at such an early side to ensure we are at our very best. Anything other than our best means we risk failing to make our way through the qualifiers and reach the group stages. The Scottish side have class amongst their ranks and we had to respect our opponents, as we always do, or be humbled - simply put.

I was delighted to extend my contract with the club, too. Next season is another important year. As I have discussed with various media outlets, we won't be resting on our laurels. Our finish last season outlined the progression we have made since I arrived at the club and we are keen to ensure this progression continues and is reflected in our league position at the end of the season.

During the break from football though, I have dedicated my time to Lauren. She has been a real aid throughout our relationship, in every meaning of the word, and she encourages me to discuss any worries or concerns I have and vice-versa. She understands me. I understand her. She tells me she couldn't be any happier, which is all I need to here for my own life to remain perfect.

The wedding, which has been the primary topic of conversation since the very day we became engaged, continues to be discussed. I became more accessible with the absence of football and was able to discuss a date more readily than I had previously. Nothing was set in stone just yet, but we were closer to making a final decision. After all, we wanted everything to be perfect - there was no need to rush, we agreed.

Discussing the wedding could grow tiresome, but I realised her excitement. Her eyes lit up whenever it was mentioned and I understood that when the time came, I would share that same feeling. We were madly in love, after all.

I never realised that I would find someone like her after Sophie, truthfully. Someone who was ready to love me like she did. But I did. I have beaten my demons and I have triumphed, on and off the pitch, and I couldn't feel any better than what I do right now. The future is bright, in every possible way...


Replies


Justice: This is the type of update I want to bring to the table more often. Admittedly, I want to improve and for my FM20 story, you'll witness this, I hope... I appreciate your words, greatly!

LFC: I'm pleased you're excited by this new lease of information. I was worried that I may not engage readers with it, but both your words have been pleasing to read and very reassuring!
Some interesting words from Max there.

It is great to see Max continues to strive for greatness and will be looking to do whatever he can to further the club. Rangers are an interesting side to face so early on in the qualifiers but should be a good early test both physically and mentally, the game should show Max a lot about his team.

It is interesting to see how Max views the clarity and discussions within his relationship with Laura. He truly believes her when she says she is happy, where as we can see this is not the case. I wonder if Max's focus on the football side of his life whilst relying on Laura a lot, as an emotional pillar will eventually cause some issues between them.
Why do I feel there is a 'but' missing at the end of this? :P A bright time in Max's life, but will it turn?

Köln complete Kampl loan swoop


1. FC Köln have completed a deal to sign out-of-favour Paris Saint-Germain star Kevin Kampl on loan until the end of the season.

Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain have agreed a deal with FC Köln for Slovenian midfielder Kevin Kampl to join the club until the end of the season. Capped thirty-one times by his country, Kampl joined the French champions in 2018 for £27,000,000 from RB Leipzig and was bedded into Thomas Tuchel's system immediately - having briefly played under him at Borussia Dortmund in 2015.

The 29-year-old made thirty-one appearances across the 2018/19 campaign, but was unable to consolidate his place in the starting XI last term. Kampl made just nine appearances last season and was subsequently made available by the Parisians, still managed by former Dortmund head-coach Tuchel.

The Slovenian's arrival to the RheinEnergieStadion brings a wealth of experience to Max Kofler's young and rather inexperienced side ahead of their return to the UEFA Europa League - a campaign which begins on Thursday 23rd July with a trip to Rangers in the Second Qualifying Round at Ibrox.

Making his way through the Bayer Leverkusen academy, Kampl was unable to make a senior appearance and instead journeyed his way around Germany, appearing for SpVgg Greuther Fürth, VfL Osnabrück and VfR Aalen, before crossing the border to join RB Salzburg in 2012.

Kampl settled in Austria and won his first international cap in October 2012, coming on as a substitute in Slovenia's 2-1 victory against Cyprus in a European Championship Qualification game. He would make twenty-three appearance that season, scoring four, as Salzburg recorded a second-place finish in the Austrian Bundesliga.

The following season proved to be Kampl's breakout year - appearing thirty-three times and scoring nine goals, as Salzburg celebrated a title triumph at the end of the season. He was nominated for Player of the Season, but came up short to Philipp Hosiner. A strong start to the 2014/15 campaign merited a move to the Bundesliga with Dortmund, who paid £8,750,000 for his services in January 2015 - with Kampl scoring five times from eighteen appearances beforehand.

He made thirteen appearances between January and the end of the season, becoming a main-stay in the Dortmund side as they finished seventh in the Bundesliga and came runners-up to VfL Wolfsburg in the DFB-Pokal, before prompting a move to Bayer Leverkusen in the summer.

The Slovenian penned a five-year-deal at the BayArena, who lured him to the club with the prospect of UEFA Champions League football. Signing for £8,000,000, Kampl made twenty-two appearances, scoring three times - including in a 4-4 draw against Roma in the Champions League. Leverkusen finished third in their group, behind Barcelona and Roma - finishing narrowly ahead of Belarusian side BATE Borisov.

Leverkusen cruised through the Round of 32, comfortably defeated Sporting CP 4-1 on aggregate, before losing 2-0 to Villarreal in the following round.

A third-place finish resulted in further Champions League football the following season. Kampl and Leverkusen navigated their way through a tough group, consisting of AS Monaco, Tottenham Hotspur and CSKA Moscow. However, they failed to make it through the first phase of the knockout stages, losing 4-2 on aggregate to Atlético Madrid.

A twelfth-place finish in the Bundesliga caused Kampl to hand in a transfer-request. with numerous clubs interested in his services. RB Leipzig paid £17,500,000 for Kampl that summer, as he featured twenty-six times for the side across the 2017/18 campaign - finishing sixth at the end of the season.

In Europe, Leipzig finished third in their UEFA Champions League group, before making the UEFA Europa League Quarter Finals - falling to finalists Olympique de Marseille, after beating both Napoli and Zenit St Petersburg to make the last eight.

FC Köln Director of Football, Armin Veh, commented: "We believe this is a fantastic piece of business. Kevin has a vast amount of experience and quality which will benefit the squad greatly with the added pressure of the Europa League. He has played on the biggest of stages and played for some of Europe's top clubs - including in Paris with PSG."

"The importance of senior players is paramount when you inherit such a young squad. We are confident that Kevin can act as a mentor to our younger players and aid their development over the course of the season - working alongside the coaching staff at the club, in doing so. He has the ability to become a key member of our squad, despite only arriving on loan."


Replies


LFC: Rangers are a fantastic test to challenge the players at such an early stage of the season, indeed. I believe the previous update(s) is/are something that a lot of couples experience, not to the degree Laura feels perhaps, but that a partner may hide their true feelings and not confide in them - despite encouraging the other to do so, at risk of losing some pride. It's typically a male trait, but I wanted to reverse the roles and show that it can happen vice-versa, too. She is certainly not of sound-mind and with Max blissfully unaware, there is a risk that something may happen before he realises.

Justice: We will have to see! As stated above, Laura is certainly not in a great position, mentally. There is a risk that something may occur before Max realises that she is, indeed, hiding something.
That is a massive coup. A very experienced, and talented, player at Bundesliga level who should hopefully give you a push towards Champions League qualification spots.
Two really powerful updates regarding both sides of the relationship with regards to Laura’s happiness and wellbeing currently, particularly from the perspective of Laura herself given that so far we’ve only really had a one-dimensional look at their relationship.

Meanwhile on the football side of things, Kampl is a major coup as Justice stated. He’s a huge talent and I know that he is an ‘all-rounder’ in my book in midfield.

Rangers hold Köln to stalemate at Ibrox


Rangers held 1. FC Köln to a 0-0 draw in the first-leg of their UEFA Europa League Second Qualifying Round tie at Ibrox.

In a game with little to no action, Rangers held their German opposition to a stalemate at Ibrox ahead of their second-leg tie in Cologne next week. Neither side were able to create many chances, with the best opportunity coming half an hour into the game for the visitors. Philipp Max's cross met the head of Denis Drăguș, who was arriving inside the box, but his tame header was comfortably saved by Wes Foderingham.

Köln would finish the game with ten men, however. Substitute Nico Schulz, who was also making his debut after completing a £8,250,000 move from TSG 1899 Hoffenheim at the start of the month, was sent-off for a cynical challenge heading into stoppage-time. The full-back will be unavailable for the second-leg, but will be available should Köln progress into the next round.

Timo Horn and Salih Özcan will also be unavailable for the second-leg as they continue their duties with Germany at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Rangers frustrated their opponents over the course of ninety minutes, proving to be stubborn opposition at the back. However, they will be disappointed to go into the second-leg without an advantage, failing to capitalise on a below-par performance from their German opposition - leaving the tie in the balance ahead of the reverse fixture on Thursday evening.

Steve Clarke's side lacked composure in-front of goal, amassing just a single shot on target from nine attempts. The visitors were marginally better, totalling four from eleven shots on-goal. However, Clarke was pleased with his sides performance and believes they have what it takes to beat the German side on their home turf.

"There are a lot of positives to take from this result. We defended magnificently and limited their ability to play. We'll head to Germany with a positive mind-frame and look to get a result - there's no reason why we can't. If we improve in the final-third, we have a great opportunity," he said.

Rangers have failed to qualify for the UEFA Europa League group stages in three successive attempts, failing under both Pedro Caixinha and Steven Gerrard. In 2017, Rangers were stunned by Progrès Niederkorn of Luxembourg in a 2-1 aggregate defeat in the First Qualifying Round. This was followed up by a loss against Greek side Olympiakos in the Fourth Qualifying Round in 2018, before losing to Feyenoord Rotterdam in the Third Qualifying Round last season, suffering a 4-3 aggregate loss.

In fact, the Scottish giants have failed to reach the group stages in either European competition since the 2010/11 season. Rangers finished third in their UEFA Champions League group, which consisted of Manchester United, Valencia and Bursaspor. They went on to defeat Sporting CP in the Europa League, before losing 1-0 on aggregate to PSV Eindhoven in the last sixteen.

Meanwhile, Köln are returning to the competition after just a one-year absence from their last appearance. Effzeh were drawn alongside Arsenal, Red Star Belgrade and BATE Borisov in Group H, where they finished third behind Arsenal and Red Star.

After relegation from the Bundesliga at the end of the 2017/18 season, the club made the decision to appoint Max Kofler as head-coach. Since, the Austrian has rejuvenated the club and led Köln to a seventh-place finish in their return to the top-flight, alongside an appearance in the DFB-Pokal final, after winning the 2. Bundesliga title in 2018.

Kofler was left disappointed by his side at the end of the game, conceding that his players lacked respect for their opposition.

"We weren't good enough tonight and ahead of the second leg, we have to improve drastically. We lacked respect and that was evident in the sub-par performance. There seemed to be no energy in our play and we were sloppy and rigid - lacking the fluidity that I come to expect from my players. There were some choice words at full-time, I can assure you. I have high standards and expect them to be met with every performance."

"I want to apologise to the supporters tonight. They came in their numbers and were let down by the team. The second leg has to be much better, or we are jeopardising our position in the competition. That's something we cannot afford to do against tricky opponents like Rangers. We have to prove our worth."


The second leg will be held at the RheinEnergieStadion, with the winners of the tie progressing to face FK Oleksandriya of the Ukrainian Prem'er-Liha in the Third Qualifying Round, after the draw was concluded earlier this morning.

Replies


Justice: Kampl is a tremendous player with great ability and Koln are very fortunate to have him on board for the season. He significantly improves the depth of the squad with his versatility - a trait which will be very useful should Koln make it through to the group stages of the Europa League.

Jack: You'll certainly see a lot more from both perspectives over the course of the next few weeks. You are totally correct with Kampl's versatility, which I highlighted in response to Justice. He can cover most, if not all, bases in midfield.
Kampl is a terrific addition and hopefully in the second-leg you can hold off Rangers and progress! And Gerrard didn't last very long in the Rangers job!
A big shame not to take a lead in the home leg so now you have to make your opportunities count at Ibrox. You can’t go out to Rangers, I’m sorry.
A nice deal in Kampl, a player who will play a big role this season I can imagine.

Rangers were always going to be a tricky tie but not scoring at all is a slight disappointment. Hopefully the squad are still just getting their fitness back to standard and will be much better in the second leg!

Köln narrowly progress over resolute Rangers


1. FC Köln battled past a resolute Rangers side to progress into the UEFA Europa League Third Qualifying Round after a 1-0 victory at the RheinEnergieStadion.

With home advantage, Köln came into the second-leg after the back of a 0-0 stalemate in the first-leg at Ibrox. The on-loan Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Kevin Kampl proved to be the hero at the full-time whistle, curling his effort from just outside the area perfectly into the top-right corner with six minutes left to play.

The goal put to bed a whole host of frustrations for Max Kofler and his side, who seemed unable to breakdown a stubborn Rangers defence, which they maintained from their first-leg contest. The visitors also dominated possession, achieving 63% of the possession over the course of the game, a statistic which angered Kofler in his post-match press conference.

Regardless, the 1-0 victory on the night ensured that Köln came out narrow victors on aggregate. As such, they progress into the Third Qualifying Round of the competition, where they face Ukrainian Prem'er-Liha side FK Oleksandryia.

Head-coach Max Kofler was critical in his comments about his sides performance.

"We are very fortunate to be in this position at the end of the two games. We were poor and the ring-rust was visible. There's no excuse for it, we've been back for a number of weeks and played five friendlies to ensure we were ready for this tie - against some top quality sides, too."

"I hope that my comments to the players at the end of tonight's game prove to be the kick up the backside that they needed. I won't tolerate sub-par performances, I said it after the first-leg and I'm saying it again tonight. If this happens again, I'll be left in an unfavourable position but I won't hold back the punches. Some home-truths will have to be made, whether they like it or not."

"Rangers brought the game to us and the only thing that let them down was the lack of ability in-front of goal. If they displayed some more potency, this tie would have been a much different story for us. Again, we have a difficult opposition in the next round and we have to improve. I'm expecting some answers to the questions I pose of my players."

"I'm expecting a much-better performance over the two games. Tonight, especially, we were terrible on the ball and Rangers dominated us in that aspect of the game. That shouldn't be happening at all."


Whilst Timo Horn and Salih Özcan will likely be unavailable for the first-leg in Ukraine, the pair are likely to be available for the second-leg in Cologne - with their duties at the Olympics over.

Germany progressed into the knockout stages of the competition alongside Mexico, finishing second in their group on five points. After back-to-back draws against Mexico and Qatar U23's, Die Mannschaft achieved an all-important 3-1 victory against Morocco to ensure their progression. They will face the hosts Japan in the Quarter Finals on 1st August.

Replies


Maguire: Just about got through in the end. Gerrard didn't last long at Huddersfield, either. He was sacked at the end of the season - after joining in December - as they finished eleventh in their return to the Championship, which I thought was harsh.

Jack: You can never underestimate anyone, even if it's "just Rangers." That would lead to overconfidence and opening up the possibility of being humbled. ;)

LFC: Kevin has proven to be an influence already! Improvements to be made against Oleksandriya.
Good to see you progress against a good Rangers side. Max seems to only accept the highest calibre of performance, which is a key trait for a manager to have to be a success. Hopefully you can make it through against the Ukrainian side and cement a place in the next round. And I'm also shocked Germany drew to Qatar U23s! That doesn't sound right haha. Great work

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