FC Köln head coach Lukas Kwasniok reserved special praise for German-Ghanaian striker Ragnar Ache after his breathtaking overhead kick in Köln’s pulsating 2-2 draw with TSG Hoffenheim.
Ache’s acrobatic effort briefly put the Billy Goats ahead and quickly became the talking point of the match. The spectacular finish not only lit up the game but also symbolised the relentless work the forward has put in to cement his place in the side.
View this post on Instagram
Speaking after the match, Kwasniok did not hold back his admiration for the striker and even offered journalists a ready-made headline.
“If someone scores a goal like Ragnar Ache, I would love to see the headline everywhere: King of the Skies!”
The Köln boss used the moment to underline the demanding physical effort Ache has invested over the past months to reach his current level.
Inside the dressing room, defender Joel Schmied even joked that the striker sometimes leaves training sessions looking like he “can hardly move.” But for Kwasniok, that exhaustion is evidence of the striker’s commitment to the cause.
According to the coach, Ache’s work rate now pushes him to the limit during matches, often leaving him completely spent late in games.
He called it a “great sign” that Ache now runs himself into the ground so much that by the 80th minute he has to ask to be subbed.
View this post on Instagram
For Kwasniok, the striker’s journey this season has been anything but easy. Ache, he believes, has taken the difficult path to establish himself, but the reward is clear. Ache has taken the “hard way” this season and is now “indispensable part of the team.”
With performances like Sunday’s and moments of brilliance such as his gravity-defying strike, Ache is rapidly becoming one of Köln’s most important figures, and perhaps, as his coach suggests, the true “King of the Skies.”
