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FC Lengdorf: almost champion, bottom, favorite fright

2021-11-13T09:26:35.452Z


Lengdorf - Ten points from the last four games - FC Lengdorf is the team of the hour in the district league. It is as if the football god had come up with one last punch line in this messed up year 2021. Ironically, the FCL, which was deprived of the chance of promotion to the district league due to the end of the season - competitor Langengeisling was one goal better, there were no relegation games - and then made a big false start, now shoots away the top teams of the district league.


Lengdorf - Ten points from the last four games - FC Lengdorf is the team of the hour in the district league. It is as if the football god had come up with one last punch line in this messed up year 2021. Ironically, the FCL, which was deprived of the chance of promotion to the district league due to the end of the season - competitor Langengeisling was one goal better, there were no relegation games - and then made a big false start, now shoots away the top teams of the district league.

Wins against Finsing and Walpertskirchen, a draw against Attaching.

On Sunday, the last representative of the top four should have played in Lengdorf with FC Eitting.

Due to several corona cases, the game has now been canceled.

We spoke to FCL player-coach Franco Soave (39) about a football year that was a particularly challenging one even for the veteran and former Bayernliga player - and about the game being canceled.

Mr. Soave, after the successes against the other top teams, FC Eitting would be just right now.

Is the cancellation annoying?

Sure, we were in a really good mood.

But there is no alternative to the cancellation.

We have eight corona cases within the team in Lengdorf.

The first suspected cases came on Monday, we then skipped training on Tuesday and then also on Thursday and sent our players to the PCR test.

Strangely enough, they also met footballers from Eittingen there.

Ultimately, I am happy that I was rejected.

We prefer to play against each other when everyone in both clubs is fit again.

That is the fairest.

How come you were so successful against the top teams?

A few weeks ago we were all top teams because everyone was in front of us in the table.

But seriously: Maybe it's because of the few percent self-motivation of the players when it comes to top teams.

You lost these games in the preliminary round.

We still haven't really gotten that Sunday's Finsinger shot at the very first game.

And in Eitting we should have led 3-0 at half-time.

We would have earned four points from those two games and then we were left with zero.

You have to cope with something like that first.

We have a very young group.

Well, a few veterans are already in the team.

Three or four are around 30, that's true.

But the rest is between 18 and 25 years.

I have five guys in my squad who were still in the A youth two years ago.

For me this is already young.

But what I wanted to say: We have been training since I took office in June 2019.

It's the little things that make the game.

Still: ten points from four games - it has to come from somewhere.

Previously there were seven out of eleven games.

We have changed the direction of the game a bit.

However, we were also forced to do this because Michi Ortner tore his cruciate ligament in Au.

That meant that my most stable six was down and we had to make some tactical changes.

What then?

I don't want to reveal that here.

Just this much: the team noticed that the defense is also very important.

That worked, and with the successes, the self-confidence came back again.

First this win against Walpertskirchen, then the 0-0 win against the very strong Attachinger - then you go to Finsing with a broader chest.

And this time we had the lucky punch (Tobias Lechner scored the 1-0 shortly before the end, the editor.)

Despite the rising form curve - would you be happy if the season was over?

Yes, I would very well be because of our injuries.

To go to the games with 12 or 13 men, because our second one is not doing so well and we cannot pull all the people away from there either - that is not so much fun.

What I am pleased about, however, is that the players who previously called for their efforts now had to play, and they all delivered, without exception.

Let's look back to 2021: Corona, the end of the season, opportunities for promotion, then the capital failure - was it the hardest coaching year for you so far?

It was an interesting year, but not my hardest.

I had that back in my second year in the district league in Finsing, when we didn't win much and I couldn't deal with defeats.

This time I stayed calm because I was convinced that we would get out of there.

Sure, the environment was a bit nervous, but I knew that the team could do it.

We are now at the current season.

Let's first talk about the long football break at the beginning of the year.

From the head, it wasn't a big problem. I finally had more time for family and friends. I made ends meet there. But the long pause was poison for my body. I need the exercise, I have fourth degree cartilage damage. According to the doctors, I wasn't allowed to play anymore and would have to have an operation. But after many conversations with people who were in a similar situation, I know: the cartilage damage is irreparable. So there will be no surgery. The question is no longer if, but when I will get an artificial knee. The team made it through the break well because we were just as resourceful as other clubs. Poker, training, having a drink together - we did it all online. Later the three of us went to a darts tournament in Dorfen.I then said to my wife: "We have an away game in Dorfen today - in darts."

And now we have to talk about the missed climb.

I checked off this topic very quickly.

Sure, it was only about a single goal, and then the boys were also deprived of the opportunity to play the relegation.

My boys deserved it, no question about it.

But it is what it is.

And if Geisling had not missed this one goal, I would have been sorry for her too.

You can tick this off more easily with your experience and maturity, but how have the players been doing?

I didn't notice anything specifically with each individual, but in the collective it was already in the head, which is why maybe a few percent were missing.

How do I handle this?

By making everyone responsible.

But that is also possible in Lengdorf.

There is so much fire there that I don't have to kindle something extra.

Everyone is hot in training, which is why I've never had the situation where I had to motivate myself to drive from Munich to Lengdorf for training.

I am certainly the happiest trainer in the world because I feel the lust for training here.

It all has a hand and foot.

I didn't have to bring the fire back even in the bad phases.

That was always there.

I have guys here who want to gamble and sometimes endure uncomfortable training.

But the points were missing for weeks.

It must have really crashed during this time.

We didn't get hysterical during this time, because we didn't play badly, but missed the chances in the front and always made an individual mistake at the back.

After the 2-0 draw against Wörth, we stood together for a long time before the next training session.

We discussed - for 40 minutes.

Just the fact that the long-term injuries came here and everyone spoke plain language says a lot about the team spirit in Lengdorf.

Let's stay with the plain text.

How does the team deal with the topic of corona and vaccination?

We have vaccinated and unvaccinated.

We are one unit and we appear as one unit.

Will this unit not be put to the test when the vaccinated see the fourth corona wave reaching us, why games are canceled?

We got vaccinated and unvaccinated people.

Of course, one or the other saying is being made at the moment.

And there are people who shake hands with you, and others just crack a ghetto fist.

But the team can take it.

Corona and the vaccination issue will not divide our team.

We adhere to all hygiene measures.

We have to be role models for our children.

I have a 13 year old daughter and I can see what she goes through.

Family, Corona, broken knee, you are 39 years old - have you ever thought of quitting during these times?

I wanted to take it easy, but that's not possible at the moment.

Quitting completely - I can't imagine that yet anyway.

I started playing football when I was five.

I would definitely like to fill 35.

You will be 40 on December 29th. What do you want from the god of football for 2022?

The speed of recovery for all players so that no further injuries are added.

And that my boys keep training.

The rest will come by itself.

Source: merkur

All sports articles on 2021-11-13

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