Teammates supposedly surprised
Cologne coach cuts former national player from the squad
January 9, 2026 – 2:00 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
Luca Waldschmidt publicly criticized his short playing time. Now he has been banned from the squad. However, his statements should not have been the sole reason for this.
Shortly before the important away game in Heidenheim, 1. FC Köln removed one of their most dangerous players from the squad. According to reports from “Bild” and Sky, Luca Waldschmidt will not be there – after an interview in which he critically questioned his role in the team.
The 29-year-old recently made it clear in an interview with the “Kölner Express” that he is dissatisfied with his playing time under coach Lukas Kwasniok. “No, definitely not if you look at the pure number of minutes,” said the former national player. “That’s clearly not enough. Nevertheless, I still try to use my strengths when I’m on the pitch. In my opinion, I’ve managed to do that very well so far when I look at my statistics. A goal or assist every 74 minutes isn’t that bad.” The coach’s decisions are “sometimes difficult to understand” for him.
The reaction followed the reports promptly: Waldschmidt was not taken into account for the game at the weekend. The decision is said to have been communicated to him in a conversation with coach Kwasniok and sports director Thomas Kessler. The interview was not the only trigger – it was also about different views on the understanding of roles.
The measure was met with astonishment among the team. Along with Said El Mala and Jakub Kaminski, Waldschmidt is one of the statistically best FC professionals of the first half of the season so far. In ten appearances, of which he was only a starter in five, he scored three goals and prepared two more.
FC has been without a win for six games. There should finally be success in Heidenheim – but without the offensive player. Waldschmidt could return to the squad in the coming training week.