European Football Championship

Florian Kainz wants to “attack again” with Cologne!

Florian Kainz(Bild: GEPA)

Florian Kainz has clarified his future at club level before the start of the European Football Championship in Germany! The Styrian will remain with 1. FC Köln, who have been relegated to the second German Bundesliga, for the coming season.

"I feel very comfortable there and want to try to help get back on track in this difficult situation with the transfer ban," explained FC captain Kainz in Berlin on Friday.

Cologne were hit with a transfer ban last year for instigating the breach of contract of a Slovenian youth player and are therefore not allowed to sign new players until next winter. This affects not only Kainz, but also the new Cologne coach Gehard Struber. Kainz emphasized that he spoke to the ex-Salzburg coach on the phone on Thursday and now wants to concentrate fully on the EURO.

"We don't have to hide!"
Despite the difficult European Championship group opponents, the midfielder believes he has a chance of advancing to the round of 16. "We have very strong opponents, but we don't have to hide. We have a lot of self-confidence, an incredibly good squad and, above all, good team spirit. We've also performed well and achieved good results against top opponents recently, so we can play with a broad chest."

Alaba "important for us due to his presence"!
Kainz's optimism is fueled by David Alaba's commitment as "non-playing captain". "David's role is hugely important for each and every one of us - not just for us players, but also for the whole staff." The four-time Champions League winner, who is suffering from the after-effects of a cruciate ligament rupture, supports the team with valuable tips. "His presence alone is important for us. He's a player you look up to. We can be happy that he's here," said Kainz.

Kainz not very familiar with Rod Stewart's hits
The ex-Rapidler and his colleagues fly to Düsseldorf on Sunday afternoon, with a visit to Rod Stewart's Berlin concert scheduled for the evening before. The players are free to decide whether they want to listen to the veteran rocker or stay in their hotel. Kainz confessed to being little or not at all familiar with the hits, but that they had at least listened to a "best of" by the Scotsman. "I'm sure one or two people know some of his songs, but there are certainly some who don't," the 31-year-old assumed and spoke of the concert as a "cool change".