The personnel shortage at 1. FC Cologne is becoming increasingly clear. On Monday, two defensive players, Joel Schmied and Alessio Castro-Montes, were able to return to team training after a long injury break. The duo initially only completed parts with their teammates, but the load will then be increased over the course of the week.
This means that René Wagner will only be missing the two long-term injured Timo Hübers and Luca Kilian for his debut as head coach against Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday at 5.30 p.m. However, there is still a question mark behind the use of Tom Krauß, who is still training individually due to knee problems. Jahmai Simpson-Pusey and Sebastian Sebulonsen, who were recently suspended, are also returning.
Clear words from the active fan scene of 1. FC Köln: Stephan Schell, the lead singer of the “Wild Horde”, welcomed the change of coach and clearly criticized Lukas Kwasniok. “I am completely convinced that if we had kept the coach, we would have been relegated,” said Schell on Sunday during a live talk on the “Dreierkette Köln” podcast. With Kwasniok you would have gotten “deep into shit.”
The 45-year-old emphasized that the fan scene is now looking optimistically towards the last weeks of the season. “The worm was in there by winter at the latest.” It speaks for the team “that they didn’t play against the coach,” said Schell, who added: “I’m confident because we all know that the team has what it takes and that the table situation doesn’t reflect what the team can achieve.”
Said El Mala celebrated an important victory in the European Championship qualification with the German U21s against Northern Ireland on Friday evening. In the 3-0 (2-0) win, the 1. FC Köln winger narrowly missed scoring his own goal when he volleyed into the side netting in the 47th minute.
El Mala was part of national coach Antonio di Salvo’s starting lineup. The FC star was substituted in the 73rd minute. The 19-year-old was then asked about the transfer rumors surrounding him. “It’s always good for a player when a lot is written about him so that he can then play freely,” said El Mala on Sat.1. “This is a little moment here to switch off. It’s extremely fun here and I’m trying to do my best here.”
