Newsblog for 1. FC Cologne
It’s about millions: FC benefits from the Wirtz transfer
Updated on May 25, 2025 – 9:12 p.m.Reading time: 76 min.
The 1. FC Köln is the football club from the cathedral city. In the New sticker on T-Online you will find all the important messages about the “billy goats”.
The 1. FC Köln is fighting for a late compensation: If Florian Wirtz from Bayer 04 Leverkusen switches to Liverpool FC, the “billy goats” will be up to 7.5 million euros. According to the FIFA regulations, a total of five percent of the total transfer amount are divided into the clubs, in which the player was under contract between the ages of 12 and 23. At Wirtz this would be FC and Bayer. In the case of the rumored transfer fee of a total of 150 million euros, it is no less than 7.5 million euros.
The FC wants to fully collect this sum, do not share it with the rival. According to information from the “Geissblog”, the FC therefore checks to what extent the FIFA regulations only refer to the five percent to training associations or all clubs. As is well known, Leverkusen immediately gave Wirtz a professional contract in January 2020 and already used in the Bundesliga in the second half of 2020/21. Should FIFA still recognize the Leverkuseners as a training club, Bayer would even be entitled to the larger sum of the 7.5 million euros – around 4.5 million euros.
Mathias Olesen is leaving the 1st FC Köln this summer after six years. However, the midfielder has not yet found a new club. There is also one of the reasons why the Luxembourg is probably foregoing the upcoming caps with his national team.
At least that explained Luxembourg’s national coach Luc Holtz. “You can recommend yourself in the encounters, but there is also a risk of injury. A player said that he does not want to play if he has not signed a contract until then. He is afraid to injure himself.” A little later, Holtz explained that the player mentioned was Olesen.
The midfielder has already played 30 caps and is actually part of Holtz’s regular staff. In June, however, only two other international matches (against Ireland and Slovenia) will be added if Oleses should have found a new club until then.
Friedhelm Funkel does not remain head coach of 1. FC Köln. The 71-year-old confirmed this. He “did not feel 100 percent approval in the committees,” said the promotion coach to the “Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger”.
Funkel would therefore have liked to continue as a head coach. “I really didn’t make the decision easy. I would have loved to stay FC coaches. But unfortunately it doesn’t make sense,” said the 71-year-old. His decision is “irrefutable”.
FC reacted with a statement by sports director Thomas Kessler: “Today we had a very open and respectful conversation with Friedhelm Funkel. We have shown that we have various discussions with potential candidates as part of a responsible selection process,” said Kessler.
And further: “Friedhelm then informed us that he can absolutely understand the need for such a process for such an important position, but has decided not to take part. We have agreed to stay in close exchange in order to consider together the form of Friedhelm in the future.”
After Mark Uth, who ended his career and honored the last game of the season against Kaiserslautern in the stadium, the 1. FC Köln said goodbye to six more professionals: Tim Lemperle, Dejan Ljubicic, Marvin Obuz, Mathias Olesesen, Philipp Pentke and Anthony Racioppi left the club.
With the exception of Ljubicic, who completed the medical check at his new Club Dinamo Zagreb this week and was not present this week, the players were adopted on Monday evening at the end of the season in the Bickendorfer Club “Schrotty”. On Friday, FC officially announced the personal details.