After the winter break, the Black and Reds only pick up two points out of a possible 14 in seven games. Bayer 04 do win 3-0 away to Borussia Dortmund at the Westfalenstadion but all the other games end in defeat. But in the UEFA Cup the Werkself blow away the French league leaders and later champions FC Nantes. A 5-1 win against the French side and a 0-0 draw in the second leg puts Bayer 04 in the semi-finals of the European competition.
The first leg against AC Parma at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium is on 4 April 1995. After a 1-0 lead at half-time thanks to a goal from the Brazilian Paulo Sergio, Bayer 04 go to 2-1 down shortly after the start of the second half with a double whammy from the Italians. That is the final score and the chances of going through look to be slim.
Three days later, we travel as usual to Haus Gravenberg to prepare a day before the game. After a meal together every player goes to their room. And also, as is always the case before a match, the squad including coach Dragoslav Stepanovic and assistant coach Peter Hermann have a night cap together in the evening. The coach holds a short motivational speech ahead of the forthcoming game against Borussia Mönchengladbach and then everybody goes to bed.
The next morning we go to breakfast and don't have a coach any more. After our drink in the evening, club boss Reiner Calmund comes the hotel, has a conversation with Dragoslav Stepanovic and after this discussion decides to let him go.
