Real friendships can also develop in football. Just like with Christoph Daum and Reiner Calmund. That's why "Calli" knew earlier than most of his friend's cancer. Now he reveals how Daum is doing with it.
Christoph Daum is suffering from cancer. As the football coach announced a few days ago via his official Instagram account, he has been in treatment for some time. The 69-year-old apparently confided in one of his closest confidants from the past few days at Bayer Leverkusen, soccer manager Reiner "Calli" Calmund, shortly after the diagnosis. Calmund revealed this in an interview with the "Bild" newspaper.
Calmund explains in the interview that he has known since July. At that time, the two long-time friends took part in the “Football for Know-It-All” quiz on the Sport1 broadcaster. It was Daum's last TV appearance to date. Shortly thereafter, he confided in him, says Calmund now.
"At the time nobody knew about Christoph's illness, you couldn't see it either. Two hours after the show we sat in Christoph's garden and he revealed to me that he had cancer," said the 73-year-old.
As he also expressed in his Instagram post from October 21, Daum was already in good spirits in July to be able to defeat the serious illness, explains Calmund. The trainer was "directly combative" and "promised me that he would beat cancer," says Calmund, adding: "I share his optimism and I am firmly convinced that he will recover."
With a strong pinch of black humor, Calmund explains: "Christoph may have lost his hair through chemo, but he looks good even with a bald head." He also makes it clear that he visits his friend regularly for mental support.
Daum recently revealed via Instagram that the cancer was discovered during a routine checkup and that it has been under treatment ever since. The therapy would "work very well" for him. He also asked for privacy so he could focus on his health. Nevertheless, he is happy "about your positive news and thank you for your support". His final appeal to his followers: "I can only advise you all: Go to cancer screening in good time!"
From the mid-1980s, Christoph Daum was a successful coach for various clubs in Germany and abroad, including 1. FC Köln, VfB Stuttgart and the Istanbul clubs Besiktas and Fenerbahce. Most recently, he worked from 2016 to 2017 as coach of the Romanian national team.
Daum also hit the headlines at the turn of the millennium with a cocaine affair. Last but not least, this also cost him his job at Bayer Leverkusen in 2000, where Calmund was managing director at the time. However, this did not detract from the friendship between the two.
Calmund ended his many years at Bayer Leverkusen in 2004. Since then he has worked in various lobbying and consulting roles in professional football. He is also known to many people as a TV personality from shows such as "Die Kocharena" or "Grill den Henssler". He always attracts attention with his weight fluctuations. According to his own statements, he recently reduced his weight from 180 to 90 kilos with the help of surgical interventions.
