Max Kofler: Die Revolution

Good start to the league. The loss would have hurt momentum slightly but I'd say Effzeh have the ability to bounce back even stronger after the defeat to St. Pauli and hopefully building a strong points tally early on to push for promotion to the Bundesliga. Great work so far!

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Speaking exclusively to Kicker, Timo Horn has praised head-coach Max Kofler for turning around the fortunes of the club, following relegation from the Bundesliga last term.

The German, who began his youth career with SC Rondorf, joined Köln in 2002 - the club he supported as a child. After reportedly rejecting the advances of Liverpool at the age of fifteen, Horn would make his senior debut in 2012. Following the departures of both Michael Rensing and Miro Varvodić, he would cement his position as first-choice goalkeeper that summer, despite having yet to make his first-team debut. Since, he has gone on to make over 200 appearances for Köln.

Attracting the interest of many clubs around Europe during his six-year run in-between the sticks at the RheinEnergieSTADION, Horn has admitted that he would find it difficult to leave the club behind, especially under the current regime. He has heavily praised Austrian head-coach Max Kofler after a strong start under his guidance, as Effzeh sit top of 2. Bundesliga - winning seven of their eight games.

The former World Cup winner joined the club this summer and was tasked with the responsibility of guiding Köln back to the Bundesliga. Kofler, who departed his role as assistant to Franco Foda in the Austrian national team setup in order to accept the role as head-coach, stated he relished the opportunity of managing a "great club," upon accepting the job.

The 25-year-old goalkeeper has said that Kofler's presence has "lifted" the camp significantly, following the disappointment of last season - in which the club amassed just twenty-two points, as they finished bottom of the Bundesliga.

"Working under Max is an honour," Horn said. "He achieved great success during his career and understands the pressure on the biggest of stages. His guidance is a huge benefit - especially to the young players - and has impacted greatly on the players. The morale is higher than I have witnessed in a long time, there seems to be a great atmosphere around the club again. He has lifted our spirits, immensely."

"I think the club's identity was fading. It needed a reset and someone to promote a positive ethos to get things moving again. So I would argue that relegation last season could have been a real help, despite how we felt at the time, it was a huge disappointment, for me especially. But things are on the right track again and this is reflected in the performances and the general mood of everyone associated with the club."

Horn remained firm about the clubs chances this season.

"It's early days. There's a lot of football to be played and it would be silly of me to make comments now. Yes, we are in a great position, but we need to remain focused. The coach tells us to take it one game at a time and that's how we manage things. There are some great football clubs in this division, with the same goal as us - it's a fiercely competitive league."

He continued, "We focus on ourselves and ourselves only. Our fate is in our hands that way. There is a new lease of life and belief again, which is something that was missing last season. Each positive result is another step in the right direction of where we aim to be and that's what we strive on doing, continuing to produce positive results to maintain our push."

Köln will seek to continue their form with a victory against MSV Duisburg at the weekend. The visitors have impressed this season, sitting just outside the play-off spot, currently occupied by FC St.Pauli, as they look to continue their efforts to regain promotion to the Bundesliga - a division in which they were relegated from in 2008.

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Justice: These jokes aren't going to stop, are they...

Maguire: I think they demonstrated their ability to recover after four excellent victories, with four clean-sheets to match. You always leave yourself in a great position if you're able to prevent the opposition from creating opportunities to score and if you have the players who can go and score at the other end, even better.

Timo Horn seems like a very wise head to have around the FC.Koln Camp and his inspiration under Max and uplifting his teammates, will surely be instrumental in your promotion hopes.

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Köln began October with a comfortable 3-1 victory over MSV Duisburg, as they sought to continue their impressive start to the campaign. However, back-to-back draws against Holstein Kiel and 1. FC Heidenheim 1846 dented their progression in frustrating performances for the Effzeh faithful.

The month concluded with a dramatic loss to FC Augsburg in the DFB-Pokal second round, after Daniel Bauer sent the tie into extra-time with an 87th minute strike. Jonathan Schmid would send the Bundesliga outfit into the third round, thanks to further late-drama - sealing the winner with seconds to go, sending the hosts out of the competition.

November could have proven to be a decisive month for the title race, despite only three games taking place over the course of the month, as Hamburger SV entertained Köln at the Volksparkstadion. The hosts proved to have the better of the chances, but were unable to capitalise, as the pair ended the game deadlocked. Post-match, both managers were left feeling disappointed with the result - continuing a tense battle for first-place.

Köln responded to their four-game barren run with an emphatic 4-0 victory against a struggling SG Dynamo Dresden, with Florian Kainz scoring twice to continue his excellent goalscoring start to the season after joining from SV Werder Bremen. Köln wrapped up the month with a narrow 1-0 win against SV Darmstadt 98 - a game which lacked entertainment in a dull-affair despite the quality of the two sides involved.


Hamburger SV led the way at the top of 2. Bundesliga, a point clear following Köln's slight slip in October. The pair had cushioned themselves away from third-placed SC Paderborn 07, though, with Köln sitting eight points clear. SSV Jahn Regensburg sat level on points with Paderborn, who occupied the play-off position. SSV Duisburg were just a point behind, whilst FC St.Pauli dropped to sixth and were now three points off the pace.

At the bottom, 1. FC Magdeburg had totalled two points over fourteen games - holding SSV Jahn Regensburg and SpVgg Greuther Fürth to draws in their latest fixtures - whilst SG Dynamo Dresden held the other relegation spot with six points to their name, with their only victory coming against the side directly below them.

Five points clear, occupying the relegation play-off place, were SpVgg Greuther Fürth. FC Erzgebirge Aue sat precariously above them, whilst SV Sandhausen held a six points advantage over Fürth in fourteenth.

In the final month before the winter break, Köln would entertain SpvGG Greuther Fürth to begin the month. SSV Jahn Regensburg would follow, as Effzeh would travel to the surprise package, thus far, of the division, before concluding the month with home games against 1. FC Magdeburg and VfL Bochum, in the reverse fixture of that in which began their campaign on the opening day.

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Maguire: Timo is excellent to have around. He's a model professional and someone who wears his heart on his sleeve for the club. You can always rely on him, which is always beneficial. He certainly will be instrumental - both on and off-the-pitch.

Not the most amazing of months, but you're still within a Wiener's distance of top spot. The rest of the campaign will fly by now with only the league to worry about.

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As the title race continued, it was essential for Köln to maintain the pressure on first-placed Hamburger SV, who sat a point clear at the top of 2. Bundesliga. A disappointing draw to SpVgg Greuther Fürth was certainly not the result in which Max Kofler would have wanted from his side, as Florian Kainz was required to bail the hosts out with a 93rd minute equaliser, to ensure Effzeh didn't fall to their first home defeat of the season. Hamburg's loss to FC Ingolstadt 04 meant it was a missed opportunity for Kofler's men.

The challenge of SSV Jahn Regensburg followed and the home-side deservedly took all three points in an entertaining affair. Jahnelf ensured they moved up to third in the table, narrowing the gap between themselves and Köln to three points.

However, Effzeh responded with a strong performance against hapless 1. FC Magdeburg with a crushing 4-1 victory at the RheinEnergieSTADION. This was followed by a 2-1 win against VfL Bochum to conclude the first-half of the 2. Bundesliga campaign. Mijat Gacinovic equalised with seven minutes to go, prior to Marcel Risse delivering a vital goal for Köln in the final minute of added-time - as the home-side turned the game around with a stunning late-show.


Hamburger SV led the way at the top of 2. Bundesliga, but were now level on points with Köln, who had a slightly inferior goal-difference to Die Rothosen. The second-placed side had restored their cushion ahead of third-place, as SSV Jahn Regensburg succumbed to successive draws, meaning they fell seven points behind the leading pack.

SV Darmstadt 98 positioned themselves in fourth, three points behind Regensburg, whilst MSV Duisburg and SC Paderborn 07 had lost ground, sitting five points adrift.

1. FC Magdeburg remained bottom of 2. Bundesliga and were now well-adrift of getting out of the bottom two, twelve points behind FC Erzgebirge Aue who occupied the relegation play-off spot. SG Dynamo Dresden also remained in the relegation zone - five points behind the aforementioned Aue. SpVgg Greuther Fürth were two points clear, with SV Sandhausen slightly distancing themselves from the sides below them, five points clear of third-bottom.

With the winter-break now in action, Köln won't be in competitive action until 30th January, where 1. FC Union Berlin will await. However, a host of friendlies have been arranged, which will ensure the squad regain match fitness in time for the resumed schedule. S.C. Fortuna Köln, FK Partizan Belgrade, C.D. Celta and Rot-Weiß Oberhausen are all scheduled to face Effzeh from 12th January until 23rd January 2019.

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Justice: Definitely not and there was a lot of room for improvement. Thankfully, we have managed to remain in close contact with Hamburg, who are also enjoying an excellent season - but we need to ensure we keep maximising our prospects by getting positive results. I think getting knocked out the DFB-Pokal could prove to be a blessing because, as you say, it allows us to focus our attentions primarily on the league campaign, whilst Hamburg are still in the competition. I think we have the advantage, in this case.

The 2.Bundesliga is so competitive is seems, you will need to go into every game ready to win to stand a chance of promotion

Beginning from that closure between Max and Sophie, what a beautiful way of cutting ties after such an extended period of loneliness. The situation is both sad and positive in that Max has had to leave behind someone who means so much to him in the past, but in the same breath it means that Max does not have to suffer the solitude of the past and can now move on into the future bearing in mind that the relationship has ended on good terms and in a manner that can be revisited in years time without any feeling of bitterness. A really fantastic piece of writing that managed to capture so many key emotions in a normal amount of writing.

Regarding your performances with Cologne, it's great to see that your players, namely Horn, are getting behind you so early on as it implies that squad morale is high in the light of recent relegation. After starting well in your first month, the standards have slipped maybe a little bit but you are still miles ahead most of the division. The key is keeping up pace with the other great side in this division which is Hamburger SV who have the benefit of having a brilliant striker in Pierre-Michel Lasogga in this league.

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The light began to creep through the crack of the curtains, forcing me to open my eyes. I turned my head on the pillow to face Laura who remain asleep next to me - with her head firmly buried in the pillow and the duvet wrapped over her. I neglected the idea of waking her up and instead remained in bed. As it was the winter break and I had granted the players a few days off from training, I had no reason to move. I shuffled over slightly, enough so I could hold her close into my body and wrapped my arm around her, as she snuggled into my presence.

It was the first time since Sophie that I had learnt to love another woman. I had only ever shared love like this for her. All those one-night stands meant nothing - I had no love for those women and they had no real affection towards me, it was simply one night of passion to fill a void in our lives. Nothing more.

I admired Laura, as she began to awaken. "Morning, babe," I said, softly, to which she could only respond with by yawning and returning to her previous state. "It's too early," she said. "Just keep holding me, please. This is perfect."

"Fine, okay," I laughed, "but time is getting on!" I didn't care though, she had a point a point... it was perfect.

We met each other during my time at Manchester United. She worked as a barista at one of the local coffee shops in the local area, in which me and a few of lads went into quite often, before and after training. It became a ritual of ours. The shop was small and modest, but was located close to the club's training facilities and therefore, was in the perfect location for us.

We would take our places at one of the tables, but I couldn't resist looking over at behind the counter every now and then. Laura would catch my glimpses and smile, rather flirtatiously back, at my attention. It must have gone on for several weeks, before she waited until I was on my own, as I occasionally visited to enjoy a black coffee, but to also continue our little childish game. I was a professional on the pitch, but off it, I was very much an immature child at heart, something which Laura laughed at.

She approached, slid a note with my order and skipped off, smiling from behind the counter as I read it. The note read "My number is..." and her phone number listed alongside it. I smiled back and entered her name into my phone. Upon doing so, I got out of my chair, took my coffee into my hand and headed to the exit, but remarked "text you later," to her, before leaving.

Our affections grew with each other over time and after numerous dates, we came to the mutual conclusion that we were meant to be - but this time, there were no limitations. She was understanding of my life and accepted it, stating that our love was the only thing she needed and she was willing to do whatever was necessary to maintain our bond, something which I appreciated greatly. It takes a strong woman to make sacrifices like she did, which was why I never begrudged Sophie.

We were honest and open about everything, encouraged on both of our parts. Laura was willing to share her previous struggles with depression, which had led her to struggle with many aspects of her life, namely her own appearance - noting that she was made to feel like an outsider by many of her peers during her time at university, which continued to have an adverse effect on her life, even as an adult.

I expressed my own story about depression, in which I experienced after originally leaving Sophie behind. I was unable to deal with my emotions and felt I had nobody to turn to - feeling as though I would be alienated. I would only begin to help myself once I spoke to a close friend, Felix. He would offer support and guidance when I needed it most, something which I feel is becoming more common today, thankfully, with more discussions taking place regarding mental health.

Our struggles were what brought our relationship closer together, as we sought to continue to help each other. I never truly recovered from Sophie, but having Laura took away from those feelings of feeling isolated. I had someone who loved me and I loved her, she knew that too. We were perfect for each other in that regard and whilst she never truly realised her beauty, I did. After several years together, I still remembered that same woman, stood behind the counter of the coffee shop, in whom I loved. Nothing ever changed.

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Maguire: That's pretty much the case! Ourselves and Hamburg are in a strong position - we need to continue to do our part.

Jack: I'm glad you enjoyed that particular update so much, it's always great to receive such glowing feedback, especially from yourself. I wanted to channel emotion into it and I'm pleased you connected to the characters like I did when I was writing!

As for the football side of things, it's difficult maintaining such high-standards, but that's what has to be expected if we want to win promotion - and certainly if we want to win the league. Hamburg are setting the standards at the moment, so it's important we seek to raise the bar and challenge them. They have some real quality in their ranks, with young talent like Josha Vagnoman - and whilst Lasogga hasn't set the world alight, like you may think, they certainly have other strikers capable of doing so.

This seems like the perfect relationship to have with somebody and it's great that Laura has arrived at a time when Max could possibly have started to get down and thinking that nobody could be as good to him as Sophie. With the shared stories of hardship in each other's lives it is also great that you can trust each other to divulge such sensitive topics and that as a result it will allow both parties to blossom in the future. Max will always be thankful for Sophie's existence and her playing in his mind will occur from time to time, but it looks like Laura will provide not only a distraction but also an outlet for Max to move on from that time.

Good to see Max has settled down again after Sophie, at least he got with somebody who can make a good coffee.

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FC Köln have completed the signing of Bayern Leverkusen and Finnish international striker Joel Pohjanpalo on loan until the end of the season.

The Bayern Leverkusen forward, who has been capped on thirty occasions by his country - scoring six times - will join the 2. Bundesliga side until the end of the season, with a future fee agreed of £2,200,000, should Effzeh wish to sign the 24-year-old permanently.

Pohjanpalo has been restricted to just one appearance so far this season, in which came during Leverkusen's 3-0 victory in Azerbaijan against Qarabağ FK in the UEFA Europa League, before he was substituted off after seventy-five minutes.

The Finnish international was unavailable for selection, however, for the opening few months of the season due to discovering a blood flow disorder in his right anklebone. The bone had to be completely immobilised to avoid a possible fracture, before rehabilitation began after approximately six weeks, resulting in his inability to play.

He has struggled to gain regular minutes at the BayArena since joining from Finnish giants HJK Helsinki in 2014 on an undisclosed fee, enjoying a successful loan spell with Fortuna Düsseldorf in 2. Bundesliga after joining - scoring eleven goals in twenty-nine appearances. The following season he rejoined the club for a second loan-spell, but was unable to replicate his form from the previous campaign, managing just two goals from twenty-six starts.

Making his debut for Leverkusen in 2016, Pohjanpalo was a revelation in-front of goal, scoring six times in eleven appearances in the Bundesliga. However, the striker was never given the appropriate game-time during the 2017/18 campaign, appearing just seven times, scoring once.

Speaking after securing the move, Pohjanpalo said, "I'm delighted to be given the opportunity to play for Köln. The last couple of seasons have been frustrating for me and I'm keen to impress here - it may be one of the last opportunities to do so on such a big stage. I'm looking forward to working under the guidance of a great former player, turned manager, too."

The Finnish star's arrival is likely to mark the end of Alfreð Finnbogason's unsuccessful spell at the club, following his loan move from FC Augsburg. The Icelandic international has made eight appearances - three of those being starts - and has yet to score, with Simon Terodde being favoured instead. The German, who joined Köln in 2017 from VfB Stuttgart for £2,700,000, has scored thirteen times in twenty-four appearances this season.

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Jack: That's exactly the case. Laura has come at exactly the right time, and you could argue the same for Max in Laura's life. I think sharing these sentiments helped provide a foundation for the pair to grow together, knowing they can share their thoughts and emotions will each other - something which should be encouraged in any relationship. Sophie will always remain a part of Max, whether he wants to accept that or not, but Laura, indeed, is there to aid in any grief he feels towards his past.

Justice: Got to love a good coffee, so Laura is a great choice for Max, if I do say so myself!

I'm sensing that in the near future he will surpass Jari Litmanen's goalscoring record for Finland in the coming years. Just a hunch, though.

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Köln successfully managed their way through the mid-season break for winter, as they overcome all four of their opponents in friendlies. Firstly defeating city rivals S.C. Fortuna Koln, they overcame Serbian SuperLeague side FK Partizan Belgrade in a 2-1 victory at RheinEnergieSTADION, prior to comfortable victories against Spanish side C.D. Cella and Regionalliga West outfit Rot-Weiß Oberhausen.

The club welcomed the arrival of Bayern Leverkusen and Finnish international striker Joel Pohjanpalo on loan, as they seek to further improve the squad going into the second-half of the season. The 24-year-old his displayed his ability in-front of goal in Germany, but needs the game-time, in which Max Kofler is aiming to give him during his time at the spell. The move also has an option to make the move permanent, with the fee standing at £2,200,000.


There have also been a few outgoings, with Marco Höger leaving to join Austrian Bundesliga champions Red Bull Salzburg on loan until the end of the season. The midfielder has been limited to just four substitute appearances this season and has been made surplus to requirements.


Another experienced midfielder departing the RheinEnergieSTADION is 35-year-old Matthias Lehmann who will join Polish champions Legia Warszawa for £48,000 on 1st February 2019. Having joined the club in 2012 from Eintracht Frankfurt, he has been unable to make a single appearance this season - with younger options utilised in-favour of the senior player.


One final departure is winger Dominick Drexler, who only joined the club this summer from Danish side FC Midtjylland for £3,600,000, prior to the arrival of current head-coach Max Kofler. The 28-year-old German failed to make his way into the plans of the Austrian, who subsequently agreed to sell him to Czech side Sparta Prague, for £2,100,000.

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Jack: He's a great striker and if he continues to keep himself in the reckoning, he has a good chance. It all depends on whether he can maintain form at club-level, though. I think the lack of football at times has hampered him.

Joel Pahjonpalo seems like a very decent loan signing to bring in, a proven goalscorer with Finland and Bayer 04 Leverkusen, should do bits in the 2.Bundesliga