News blog about 1. FC Cologne
FC star out injured: worried about Said El Mala
Updated April 5, 2026 – 9:30 p.mReading time: 6 minutes
1. FC Köln is fighting to stay in the Bundesliga. In the news blog on t-online you will find all the important news about the Geißbockheim.
The 1. FC Cologne worries about Said El Mala after the 2-2 draw at Eintracht Frankfurt. The Billy Goats’ top scorer was substituted in the final stages on Easter Sunday due to an injury to his right ankle. El Mala lost his balance after scoring a goal and was unfortunate.
FC coach René Wagner hopes that it was just exhaustion that stopped El Mala. “I think he just put everything into it and then was a bit worn out,” said Wagner after the final whistle. On Monday, an examination at the Cologne Mediapark Clinic, where the MRI tube is probably waiting for the 19-year-old, will provide clarification.
1. FC Köln fought to a 2-2 draw at Eintracht Frankfurt – after a deficit that looked like defeat for a long time.
The game seemed lost until the 69th minute. Jonathan Burkardt took the lead for Frankfurt in the 66th minute. Three minutes later, Arnaud Kalimuendo increased the score to 2-0. Then Cologne struck back: Jakub Kaminski reduced the score to 1:2 in the 70th minute, and Alessio Castro-Montes equalized to 2:2 in the 83rd minute. Four goals in 17 minutes.
It was René Wagner’s first Bundesliga game as Cologne head coach. The club had previously fired Lukas Kwasniok as coach. A win was not achieved even under the new coach – for Cologne it was the eighth game in a row without three points. After the 28th matchday, Cologne is in 15th place, two points ahead of the relegation zone. This is occupied by FC St. Pauli.
Frankfurt missed its fourth home win in a row under coach Albert Riera and remains seventh in the table. The final phase was by one Rescue operation in the stands overshadowed.
One day before the away game at Eintracht Frankfurt, 1. FC Cologne is worried about Jahmai Simpson-Pusey. The Englishman completed the final training session on Saturday afternoon, but did not get on the team bus for the trip to the Main metropolis.
For a short time, personal reasons meant that Simpson-Pusey was staying with his family and not making the trip. However, FC did not rule out on Saturday that the 20-year-old central defender could travel to Frankfurt at short notice on Sunday and still be used.
René Wagner is relying on Said El Mala as the new head coach of 1. FC Köln on Sunday at Eintracht Frankfurt. The 19-year-old was guaranteed a starting eleven on Good Friday and is expected to help the Billy Goats win the SGE.
