Martel admits Köln outclassed by Leverkusen, personal future remains undecided

Here is the immediate reaction to the Rheinderby by Köln’s Eric Martel.

FC Köln midfielder Eric Martel gave an honest assessment of his side’s defeat in the Rheinderby, admitting that Bayer Leverkusen were clearly superior on the night.

“We had no chance today,” Martel said after the final whistle. “Leverkusen created a lot of good chances and we just couldn’t find solutions. With a little bit of luck we could have scored the first goal, but it wasn’t meant to be.”

Köln managed to frustrate Leverkusen for large parts of the first half, something Martel attributed to the team’s tactical approach. “I’m a fan of our swimming positions, and you could see that Leverkusen were still looking for solutions early on,” he explained. “But in the second half they really increased the pressure, and we weren’t able to go with them.”

Martel also addressed speculation surrounding his future as his contract expires next summer, making it clear that no decision has been taken yet. “I haven’t decided anything,” the midfielder said. “There will be an announcement in the coming weeks, but not now. There’s no tendency at the moment as to whether I’ll stay or not.”

With Köln continuing to search for consistency, Martel’s words reflected both the difficulty of the task against one of the league’s strongest sides and the uncertainty surrounding the club’s immediate future.