Trainer-veteran: Sparkle leaves Düsseldorf in tears and ended career

With tears in the eyes has announced that Friedhelm Funkel his farewell to the big football stage at the end of the season. “I’m very, very disappointed,” said the 65-year-old coach of the football Bundesliga club Fortuna Düsseldorf. Previously the Coach at the training camp in Marbella could in a round, with CEO Robert Schäfer, and the new sport Board of management, Lutz Pfannenstiel is not a premature extension of the June 2019 expiring some of the contract. “I can see that I placed no confidence in,” said the oldest Bundesliga coach, has led the düsseldorf just last summer to the house of lords and now in the next July in pension is going to go.

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Schäfer, who had extended in the last Winter, the contract with the Twinkling prematurely by one year, however, stressed that it was not a vote of confidence. “This year there is a different Situation, since we have the short-term goal of the classes stop, what is Fortuna Düsseldorf is of paramount importance. In view of this, we have agreed in the club with all the bodies, lead to concrete contract talks with the coach, but also with the players and the team, if it is foreseeable, such as the games in the second round to develop,“ said the club boss.

In the last winter break, it was the long-term development of the ascent team, and that is why you have prematurely extended, said Schaefer. Sparkle had accepted this position. “He insisted, however, on a quick solution in the winter break. Therefore, we were unable to find here, unfortunately, is not common compromise,“ said Schaefer. Here, Sparkle, who had recently signed, only contracts for a season is supposed to be, supposedly even agreed to a contract only for the League to sign. In order for the career is the end of the native Neussers, holds the record of six Federal League ascent with five different clubs. “I’ll never train a crew, the character is so strong,” said the experienced coach during a media round, he wiped tears from the face: “From the summer, I am retired. This is my last trainer station. I like to continue.“

The former Bundesliga player had taken on the Fortuna in March 2016 in the second division of the Bundesliga and has kept the team first, before the descent. Last summer, Sparkle had led to the club after six years in the League. Currently, the düsseldorf-based on rank 14 in the upper house, and have a realistic chance to create the Class whereabouts. In the first half of the season, Fortuna had taken care of with a 3:3 in Munich and a 2:1 against the fall Champions Dortmund, caused a sensation in Frankfurt but also a 1:7 conceded.