Cologne carnival train on course for Europe
When Cologne sharpshooter Anthony Modeste comes knocking as the big bad wolf and head coach Peter Stöger has to give interviews in the guise of a muscle-bound labourer, it can only mean one thing: In Cologne, as elsewhere across the Rhine region, it's carnival time again.
"We try to get into the spirit of the occasion," said Stöger, himself a native of Vienna. As to his own choice of costume this year, the 50-year-old tactician explained, "I always wanted to have a great torso with a minimum of effort."
Cologne the club and Cologne the city are inextricably intertwined and never more so than during what is known locally as "the fifth season." Taking part in the festivities gives players and officials alike the opportunity to "recover from the stress that we're otherwise bombarded by all the time. Today we're just a carnival club and it's about having a bit of fun," said colourfully-attired sporting director Jörg Schmadtke.
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That's the kind of optimistic projection the Cologne fans have long been waiting to hear. Their aforementioned 'big bad wolf' will have a key role in making it happen. Modeste's Matchday 21 equaliser against Schalke was his 17th goal of the season, leaving him joint-top of the individual scoring chart alongside Borussia Dortmund's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
If the French frontman can continue in the same prolific vein, Cologne's long overdue return to the international arena could be right around the corner – and that would truly be something to celebrate.
