Marcel Risse played for 1. FC Köln for seven years, last season the cello was loaned to Viktoria Köln. The crowd favorite canceled his contract with FC on Thursday. In the farewell interview, he talks about his personal highlights at FC.
Cello, your time at 1. FC Köln is officially coming to an end, you have terminated your contract. What went through your head when you signed the contract termination?
The whole day today was a little strange. On the one hand, I’m happy that everything is now settled and that I can be back on the pitch. That’s always the best thing for a footballer, but on the other hand I’m also sad that my time at FC officially comes to an end today. I was part of the squad for seven years and was on loan for a year. I have experienced many emotional moments and ups and downs here. The discussions during the termination of the contract were very fair and uncomplicated, for which I am very grateful to FC.
You have two young children. What are the moments from your time at FC that you will tell them about when they get bigger?
If the question comes up, I have to take more than an afternoon off to be able to tell everything. There are just so many wonderful moments. When I came here the club was in a state of upheaval and there was no coach at all. My agent said you can’t sign until it’s clear who will be the new coach. I then waited a little longer, but I already knew that I really wanted to go to Cologne. We then went up with FC. I had good years here, even if I was relegated and injured during this time.
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Is there one moment among many beautiful ones that stands out?
Many would probably think that it is the winning goal in the derby against Borussia Mönchengladbach. My very special moment, however, is actually when we relegated after our 3-2 defeat at SC Freiburg in the 2017/18 season and went into the curve to our fans. Nobody knew what to expect when we stood in front of our fans and of course you expect negative reactions. Everyone was sad, but then we sang together with our fans. There was no hatred and no reproach. We were a completely closed unit with the fans. That remains the most emotional moment for me, even if it was an extremely sad one. One can only wish for this cohesion in today’s world. Standing together unconditionally in difficult times was just extraordinary. That was definitely one of the reasons why so many guys stayed behind and went to the second division.
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Your free kicks were legendary. Now you can reveal it: How do you do it?
I just practiced a lot, always grabbing the ball and taking free kicks after training sessions. When I was young I tried to imitate David Beckham, but over time I developed my own technique. Later every year in the Bundesliga there was a different ball with different flight characteristics. So I looked for the perfect shot for every new ball. I tried to let the ball slide over the instep on free kicks in such a way that it was difficult for the goalkeeper to assess the trajectory.
You went from the second division to Europe with FC – and stayed loyal to the club even after relegation. What made FC and the time here so special for you?
FC has always been my childhood club for me. Many say yes, they slept in bed linen from a club – and I really slept in FC bed linen (laughs). When the offer came up, I didn’t have to think twice. Before 2013 it was restless at FC for a long time and after that we managed to work quietly for four years and the results were also good. We had a great cohesion and I think that was our recipe for success at the time. I still have contact with many guys at FC, including players who are no longer there today, such as Freddy Sörensen or Simon Terodde – or Thomas Kessler, who has now taken on a new position. I hope he invites me to a home game in the new season (laughs).
Your history at FC also includes a serious injury. In December 2016 your cruciate ligament tore in the game against Hoffenheim – and that at a time when you were in absolute top form. After that, your knee kept bothering you. Do you sometimes struggle with it and wonder how your future career would have been without the injury?
Sure, I’ve thought about it before. Unfortunately, the injury slowed me down. There is never a good time to be injured, but it was a particularly bitter moment. You then try everything to get it back to how it was before the injury. Unfortunately, that didn’t work for a long time. Fortunately, I now have a good feeling in my knee again.
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It felt like you were about to make the leap into the national team. You were a U-national player before. Had the door to the senior national team really opened a crack?
Personally, I didn’t necessarily think about it, but I heard in retrospect that I wasn’t that far off at the time. It’s speculation what would have happened if I hadn’t been seriously injured, my path just turned out differently. We had a lot of highlights with the team, even if the season didn’t end well for me personally.
Last season you scored ten points in 29 games for Viktoria Köln. How are you doing now in terms of career?
I’ll be playing for Viktoria Köln again next season. I found my football fun there again. However, it only comes back if the services are right. I feel that my body is doing it and I don’t have to stop and I don’t want to stop either. I’m staying in Cologne, I don’t have to move away from my family, that’s why everything fits perfectly for me.
You are now 31 years old. Do you already have plans for the time after your active career?
Yes, plans, but that is not yet concrete. I would like to work in football, maybe in youth football. I realize that I like to share my experiences with younger players and like to help them.
With your friendly and always accessible manner, you were always very popular here at Geißbockheim and also with the fans. What would you like to say to the fans when they say goodbye?
I want to say that I am incredibly grateful for the wonderful time and the support over the years – in good times and bad. It was great fun to play for FC, to hear the anthem and to score goals in the RheinEnergieSTADION. I’m looking forward to going to the full stadium with my two kids at some point, enjoying the atmosphere and telling them what it was like to play for this special club.
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