Bundesliga club 1. FC Köln has given top talent Rijad Smajic a professional contract. The FC announced on Monday evening.
The 18-year-old central defender has signed a contract until 2025.
Smajic, who has been training at Cologne’s youth academy since 2019, is a Bosnian U19 national player, has been training regularly with the pros since the start of the season, but is still waiting for his competitive debut.
“It’s my hometown and it’s a huge incentive for me to be able to play in front of this incomparable backdrop at the RheinEnergie Stadium at some point. I’m still young, so my focus for now is to be patient and work towards it little by little.” , said Smajic.
“Rijad showed in the pre-season how great his potential is,” said FC Managing Director Christian Keller: “We see in every training session that he works hard towards his goal of becoming a professional footballer. He is determined, inquisitive and down-to-earth. If he stays that consistent in the future, then he can make the breakthrough.”