Georg Koch shares final thoughts as he battles pancreatic cancer
Georg Koch, a retired German goalkeeper, is suffering from an incurable disease. In an interview with "Sport1," he stated that this is his last conversation with the media in his life. "I can never say what tomorrow will bring," he said.
Georg Koch first disclosed his illness in May 2023. In a conversation with BILD newspaper, he revealed that he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. At that time, he said he was fully aware that he would soon die, but "God has not yet decided when to take him."
The former Bundesliga goalkeeper decided to give another interview in which he talked about how he feels. He didn’t hide that there are moments when he doesn’t know what to do, but he tries to keep his mind occupied to avoid thinking about the illness.
There are days when I am depressed and my mind is blank. But there are also days when I feel like I could pull out trees. It's inexplicable. I can never say what tomorrow will bring. Sometimes in the evening, I'm in a good mood, I go to bed, and the next morning I can't get out of bed," Georg Koch told "Sport1."
Georg Koch suffers from pancreatic cancer. "This is my last interview"
When doctors diagnosed pancreatic cancer in the former player, they told him that he might have six months to live. Since then, 1.5 years have passed. In a conversation with journalists, he said that this is his last interview. At the same time, he emphasized that he is aware of how many people have to live with the same problem as he does.
There are so many people who have to live with cancer and other diseases. I don't want to put myself in the spotlight. (...) I am giving my final interview here, and the fact that I am saying this is because I was in the spotlight as a goalkeeper. I also think about children in hospital wards. I have experienced everything. Sick children have seen nothing. They probably haven't even been on vacation with their parents because they have to stay in wards. That really moved me," he added.
During his soccer career, Georg Koch played for teams such as: Fortuna Düsseldorf, Arminia Bielefield, 1. FC Kaiserslautern, Energie Cottbus, MSV Duisburg, and abroad for PSV Eindhoven, Dinamo Zagreb, and Rapid Vienna.
