retired_brianrt

Another away trip was next for Lucian and his side, although this time it was in the first round of the German Cup. It was a game that Lucian knew his side should win without the need to break into a sweat, with non-league Schonberg the opponents. Lucian took the opportunity to rest several of his first team players, and give more of the reserves a run-out, and with the calibre of the opposition being poor, he was confident of advancing to the 2nd round. Marius Ebbers was making his first start of the season, and it was the striker who opened the scoring, as he picked up Tokoli' pass and fired the ball home into the bottom corner. Lucian knew his team didn't need to push themselve too much, and when Hungarian Tokoli turned from provider to scorer in the second half, the game was sealed. Ebbers grabbed his second twenty minutes from time, and that was enough to seal the 3-0 win and progression to the next round

--

Lucian had been pleased with his teams progress in the first few games of the season, but he knew it had to be a constant thing throughout the months. Lucian's first month in charge had gone very well, and it would finish with a home game against another yo-yo type club, as the 50,000 that had packed into the RheinEnergieStadion to watch Lucian's Koln side take on Frankfurt, who had started well themselves and were one of the favourites for promotion. It turned out to be a solid performance from his side, and Lucian was delighted at the outcome. Albert Streit set them on their way with a 27th minute free-kick, as he curled it past the outstretched fingers of the 'keeper and into the top corner. The points were sealed six minutes later, as Podolski squared the ball right across the box for Atiila Tokoli to slot home into the unguarded goal. The visitors never got into the game, and Stefan Wessels was nothing but a spectator through the game, and Lucian couldn't hide his delight at the team's performance

retired_brianrt

August 2004 Summary

(German 2nd Division unless stated)

Saarbrucken 2-4 FC Koln
Thiebaut (33) Bencik (54) ; Podolski (20,51) van Vossen (60) Trashorras (77)

FC Koln 1-0 Trier
Streit (pen 87)

Unterhaching 1-3 FC Koln
Schied (20) ; Podolski (3,42) Trashorras (36)

(German Cup 1st Round)
Schonberg 0-3 FC Koln
Ebbers (33,70) Tokoli (55)

FC Koln 2-0 Frankfurt
Streit (27) Tokoli (33)

retired_jgirl87

You utter bastard, sherm.

Just to explain, here you are with three great stories on the go and I can't even find time to write one (it's a question of playing and writing time at home - I do all my reading of this forum at work).

Good to see a German story - there's hardly ever one from there for some reason. Good luck. :thup:

retired_brianrt

Cheers Spav. Your constant support through all my stories has really encouraged me to keep writing

---

Lucian had been put up in a little flat just fifteen minutes drive from the ground, and although it wasn't exactly heaven, he was more than happy there. The on-field aspects were going well currently, while off the field, he didn't really have anything of note to worry about. He was a single man, had been since the drink problems really, and he didn't feel it was the right time to be settling down with a wife, not with his job just getting underway. He had no children, and he was sure he didn't want to have any in his life, but he was sure he wanted to get married eventually. If he met the right woman anyway.

His footballing education started in 1979, when he was ten. He joined up with the youth setup of his local side back home in Bulgaria, and for three years he was a star of the team. For his age, he was a big lad, and by the time he was 13, he was nearly six feet tall, and the other lads were intimidated by him. It was his size that was noticeable, and soon many clubs were chasing his talents, but Lucian eventually signed with CSKA Sofia at 13 years old. As soon as he joined the club, they had him playing with the older, more experienced lads, and his size made him a force to be reckoned with. He was a powerful centre back, who was quick to the tackle and read the game perfectly, and his 9 years spent at Sofia saw him amass 134 appearances. In 1991, at the age of 22, he was transferred to German side Schalke 04 for a fee of £500,000, and his tenure there started well, as he played every game for three seasons. Then, it all went downhill, and drink problems arose, and during his next 7 years he managed only another 65 games. Eventually, Schalke could take it no longer, and Lucian's contract was terminated

---

That was three years ago, and now he finds himself in charge of FC Koln, his life starting to get back on track, and his chairman getting him out of the black hole he was in. He still thought about his past, and he still was as he prepared his team for the visit of Essen. This turned out to be their easiest game of the season, as five different scorers feasted upon the shocking defending that the visitors consistently had. The opener came from Peter van Vossen, who converted Podolski's low, fast cross at the back post. Carsten Cullmann made it two before half time, with a deflected shot that wrong-footed the 'keeper. The second half was much of the same for Lucian and his side, and he watched on as goals from Christian Springer, Enis Alushi and Lukas Podolski in a fifteen minute spell sent the team on the way to a convincing 5-0 victory

Another league game was next on Lucian's agenda, and with Dynamo Dresden the opponents, Lucian was sure his side could make it six wins out of six. The home side seemed to have other ideas though, as they managed to restrict any attacks that Lucian saw his side start, and the hosts were more than happy to go in at half-time goalless. It didn't last for long though, as substitute Marius Ebbers broke clear and slotted underneath the 'keeper to give Lucian's side the lead. It should have been doubled, and chance after chance came the way of the visitors, but none of them were converted. Lucian was preparing to congratulate his side on the 1-0 win when the hosts grabbed a point with their first shot on target, as Heidrich's 25 yard shot flew into the top corner of Wessels' net, and left Lucian disappointed to have drawn the match

retired_brianrt

The German Cup provided a distraction for the team next up, and once again Lucian was keen to rest some his first team regulars. He did just that, as he made a total of 7 changes for the trip to Regional side Mainz. It was a game he knew his team should win easily, and when midfielder Mark Zeh's late run into the box resulted in the first goal, it was all plain sailing from there. Lucian, and the team, had to wait until a period of 8 second half minutes to seal the game though, as a brace from Roberto Trashorras and Italian striker Federico's first of the season saw the side progress with an easy 4-0 win.

--

The first time the problems came to light were at the clubs Christmas party back in 1995. He had been struggling for form over the previous months, and for the first time in his career had been dropped without having an injury or suspension. It hurt him, hurt him badly, and that party was an excuse for him to get it out of his system. He drank the equivalent of what three men would that night, and it was when he was carried home by his manager and other players that it really hit home. Despite several warnings, and many trips to rehab, he couldn't stop, and the club had no choice but to terminate his contract. That should have been the message that hit him, but it only made it worse. He drank more and more, and without his regular salary he had to go and 'borrow' money from certain people. This got him into trouble, and the situation he is in now is as a result of one of the loan-sharks showing him some compassion

--

The month ended with a home game, with Ahlen the visitors to Koln. Lucian had gone back to his strongest eleven for the game, and it certainly proved to be the right decision. The game was never much of a test for his side, as they controlled it with ease and composure throughout the 90 minutes. The first goal came on 25 minutes, as Podolski threaded the ball through and Hungarian striker Tokoli deftly lofted the ball over the 'keeper. Podolski sealed the victory just after the half hour mark, as he drilled a low shot home from the edge of the area to seal the victory

retired_brianrt

September 2004 Summary

(German 2nd Division unless stated)

FC Koln 5-0 Essen
van Vossen (28) Cullmann (35) Springer (65) Alushi (75) Podolski (80)

Dynamo Dresden 1-1 FC Koln
Heidrich (84) ; Ebbers (47)

(German Cup 2nd Round)
Mainz 0-4 FC Koln
Zeh (17) Trashorras (60,65) Federico (68)

FC Koln 2-0 Ahlen
Tokoli (25) Podolski (31)

retired_brianrt

October started just as September had finished, with a home game. This time however, the opponents were Aachen, who sat third in the table after a surprisingly good start. They hadn't faced a team as good as Lucian's Koln side yet though, and when Albert Streit gave his side the lead, it looked like being another easy three points for Lucian and his side. The visitors started to slowly get themselves back into the match though, and within a minute of the second half, they were back on level terms, as Meijer converted a half volley from ten yards out. This inspired the visitors, and Lucian watched as his side were matched by the less illustrious visiting side. It was all made right ten minutes from time, as Tokoli picked up the ball and ran at two defenders before stroking home past the 'keeper to seal the points for Lucian and his side

--

"Well? What do you think?"

"He's certainly good, and he has the ability. Will he cut it at this level though?"

"Course he will. I think we could cut it in this division"

"No, I meant in the top division. We've got to try and build for that now"

"I know. I think he's good enough, definately. And it isn't like we have to pay a fee for him, he's available on a bosman"

"That's true. Go on then, I think he's worth a shot. Get hold of his agent Holger, and we'll try and get the deal done before January"

The player that Lucian had been watching was Fenix's Uruguayan striker Fabian Estoyanoff. He had an eye for goal, and he certainly had the capabilities to succeed at this level of football, and with the striker not commanding a transfer fee, Lucian had no problem making him an addition to the squad in the winter transfer window

retired_brianrt

Estoyanoff had been quick to agree terms with the side, and this meant Lucian was in a good mood as they travelled up to Furth. Their opponents were Greuther Furth, who sat just a point above the relegation zone, so Lucian was confident of the win against a distinctly average side. He was in for a bit of a shock though, as the home side took a 26th minute lead through Surmann. This only angered the players, and in particular Lukas Podolski, and he scored a stunning equaliser 12 minute later, as he picked up Niedrig's pass and struck a beautiful shot from 30 yards. The Furth heads went down after that, and three goals in the final 15 minutes of the match were enough to seal the points for Lucian and his team. Podolski scored after 75 minutes to give his side the league, before Springer settled the game four minutes from time. Podolski completed his hat-trick in stoppage time, and a 4-1 win was more than good enough for Lucian

--

Women had never been a key factor in Lucian's life, and it wasn't something that affected him too much. He couldn't be classed as a playboy, or husband material for that matter, but it wasn't a big deal to Lucian. He had never been married, but he had thought about it. Yes, he had been with women, but he had never settled down. Why? It all comes down to one thing - the drink.

In terms of drink, he signed the contract with two conditions. One of them was to get off the booze. This had proved to be tough for Lucian, but he had been tee-total from the moment he signed the contract. He wanted this job, he enjoyed this job, and he didn't want to throw it away like he had done with everything else in his life. This was something he wanted to make a success of

--

Lucian was back on the road with the side next, and this time the destination was Oberhausen. They were a good defensive side, and proved this during the game, as they thwarted everything that Lucian told his side to throw at them. The game changed on 67 minutes, when Peter van Vossen came off the bench, and the Dutchman made the difference. It was his cross that beat the defenders and allowed Podolski to pop up at the back post and tap the ball home into the empty net. The Dutch midfielder sealed the game with five minutes left, as he curled home from Zeh's pass and sealed the points with a 2-0 win

retired_brianrt

Two tough games were next up for Lucian, including an away trip to one of the favourites for promotion. Before the football though, he had to tarvell down to Dortmund to try and tie up deals for a couple of players. Timo Achenbach had been on loan at the club when Lucian took charge, and the left back had put in a string of impressive performances for the side. He was considerbaly down the pecking order at the Bundesliga side, so Lucian hoped he could persuade them to part with him at a knockdown price. Having spoken with the defender, he had established that he would be delighted to stay at Koln, as he knew he would get playing time, so it all rested on how much Dortmund wanted for Achenbach. Discussions were ongoing for only half an hour, as Dortmund were keen to get the player off their books, and a fee of £35,000 was quickly agreed. Achenbach would sign the contract when Lucian returned to Koln. The Dortmund boss had also offered Lucian a list of players who would be available for loan come January, and one that particularly caught his eye was midfielder Salvatore Gambino. The German could play all across the midfield, and would provide an excellent cover option, so Lucian made up his mind to take the player on loan when the winter transfer window opened

--

He was still keeping his scouts tracking players, and his list had grown longer by the time Duisberg visited the RheinEnergieStadion. They were a decent side, with some real firepower up the top of the pitch, so Lucian was wary of their threat. He told his players as much, and warned them not to commit as many men forward as normal. This seemed to do the trick, and Albert Streit continued his good form when he curled a free-kick into the bottom right hand corner of the goal. The visiting side tried to get themselves back into the match, but they just couldn't manage it, and their fate was sealed in the second half, when captain Konstantinidis rose highest and thundered his header home to seal a solid win

A few days later, Lucian and his team made the trip to Munich, as they prepared to face pre-season promotion favourites 1860 Munchen, They had real talent amongst their ranks, and Lucian did expect a tough game in the 90 minutes. Once again though, he saw his team start well, and Lukas Podolski's volley put Koln in front after 7 minutes. This lit a fire with the home side, and they were back level soon after, when Krontiris capitalised on a poor kick from Wessels by rounding the 'keeper and sliding the ball home. Straight from the kick-off though, Lucian saw his side go back in front, as Christian Springer struck a beauty beyond the 'keeper and into the goal. Lucian wanted his side to defend and try and catch the home side on the counter, but they were unable to suppress their natural attacking instincts, and Agostino secured the point for his side three minutes after the re-start. It was a good point, and one Lucian would gladly have accepted before the game, but the fact his side led twice was infuriating to him

retired_brianrt

October 2004 Summary

(German 2nd Division unless stated)

FC Koln 2-1 Aachen
Streit (19) Tokoli (80) ; Meijer (46)

Greuther Furth 1-4 FC Koln
Surmann (26) ; Podolski (38,75,90) Springer (85)

Oberhausen 0-2 FC Koln
Podolski (75) van Vossen (85)

FC Koln 2-0 Duisberg
Streit (11) Konstantinidis (67)

1860 Munchen 2-2 FC Koln
Krontiris (25) Agostino (48) ; Podolski (7) Springer (26)