Ten newcomers: Kessler’s change of course – surprising transfer summer at 1. FC Köln

A lot is new to the 1st FC Köln. The climber shows an unusually enthusiastic face on the transfer market and has already invested a lot of money. On Sunday (3:30 p.m.) the new staff is required for the first time in the trophy against Jahn Regensburg.

The season preparations at 1. FC Köln go into the hot phase. At the weekend the starts Bundesliga-In -promoted with his first competitive game into the new season. And of all things in the personal cup fright of recent years, the SSV Jahn Regensburg.

Double end in the penalty shootout

As early as autumn 2020, FC ended in the round of 16 against Regensburg. You lost 5: 6 in a penalty shootout. Two years later, the Regensburgers already sealed the Cologne Cup out in round one. Even then, after 120 minutes there was no winner and again the Cologneers were subject to 5: 6 after penalty shootout.

On Saturday, 1st FC Köln will meet the Regensburg for the third time in the DFB Cup in the DFB Cup in the DFB Cup for the third time. Only a few FC players who can remember the first round of three years ago will be there. Timo Hübers, Florian Kainz and FC Sargis Adamyan, sorted out at FC, were then in the starting eleven – Marvin Schwäbe, Eric Martel, Linton Maina and Jan Thielmann sat on the bench.

One thing is clear: FC will go to Bavaria on Saturday with a completely new face. Sports director Thomas Kessler gave the Bundesliga promoted a new coat of paint and already committed the tenth summer newcomer to Rav van Denberg on Wednesday.

Kessler is “cooking”

After the Cologne team could not register new players in the summer of 2024 due to the transfer lock, this summer there is a lot of movement in squad planning. Twelve players have already left the club, ten have been added. If you add the brothers Malik and Said El Mala, who have returned after their loan, there are even twelve.

24 transfer decisions, there was no longer in Cologne. The euphoria is all the greater in the Cologne fan camp. The departures of Damian Downs, Max Finkgräfe or Tim Lemperle seem long forgotten. “Kessler on cooking”, “Kessler no longer cooks, he grills.” Something similar comment on Cologne supporters on social networks, the proclamation of the newcomers and thus express their high level of satisfaction with the previous work of their new sports director.

Kessler followed Keller in May

Kessler, who was already a Cologne fan favorite as a player, had succeeded Christian Keller in early May. Keller had finally shot himself with the recent winter transfers. Keller got Imad Rondic for 1.5 million euros and paid him out with a contract until 2029. Just six months later, Kessler tries to find a buyer for the striker. The same applies to Adamyan’s cellar obligation.

A lot has happened, especially when it comes to newcomers. The 39-year-old spent over 22 million euros for new players. For the latest obligation, the Dutch defender van den Berg, Kessler put eight million euros on the table, which, according to bonus payments, could still grow to ten million.

This would be worth the mountain to FC as much as Lukas Podolski once. In 2010, the FC icon was brought back from Bayern Munich for ten million euros. Only for Jhon Cordoba, which Jörg Schmadtke brought to Cologne for 17 million euros in 2017, have the Rhinelander already spent more than ten million euros.

Where did Cologne get on the money?

The question is obvious: Where does the FC suddenly have all the money from? “Was the Häßler millions found at the Geißbockheim?”

The income and a view of the past few years provide answers: On the one hand, there is the summer of 2024, in which the Cologne residents were not allowed to sign new players. In addition to the ascent and last year’s quarter -final entry in the cup, a reason why managing director Philipp Türoff made twelve million euros in budget – transfer income was not included.

If you also look at these income that Cologne generated this summer and last winter, you can see that expenses and income almost equalize.

20 million for Urbig, Downs and Finkgräfe

Already in winter, Bayern Munich transferred eight million for goalkeeper talent Jonas Urbig to the Rhine. Cologne took around twelve million euros for Downs and Finkgräfe. In addition, there were almost four million that Cologne collected for the change of his former players Ismail Jakobs, Sebastiaan Bornauw, Jens Castrop and Florian Wirtz. That is a total of income of over 24 million euros. Kessler has now reinvested this.

It is an unusual Cologne transfer window – especially when you consider that the FC has had a second class for a year.

Contract extension with Hopeful El Mala

And not only with the obligations of new players, Kessler has set signs. With the highly agreed Said El Mala, he extended until 2030. Likewise with his own family Thielmann, who finds old strength in his usual position in his usual position under Lukas Kwasniok.

Kessler also goes to the risk and is not afraid to take high millions of millions for talents, such as van den Berg, who was also undertaken at FC Chelsea, VfB Stuttgart and Crytal Palace.

The most recent test game against Champions League participant Atalanta Bergamo has shown that some newcomers play into the forefront. So the wing players Jakub Kaminski and Sebastian Sebulonsen seem to have the front, in the storm Ragnar Ache and Marius Bülter fight for the place in the starting eleven. Only goalkeeper Schwäbe, Hübers and Martel seem set out of the “old” squad.

Kessler’s new additions in the cup in the focus

For the trio, the trip on Saturday to Regensburg should be one that awakens bad memories. Perhaps it is a very good omen that the majority has not yet gained any experience against the cup fright.

Kessler will also take a close look at his entrances. If the new squad fails on Regensburg for the third time, it is first out with the newly sparked euphoria. Then it would no longer be hot in Cologne, but you would have to bake smaller rolls again.

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