“That has changed”
FC confirms concrete offers for El Mala
Updated May 27, 2026 – 8:49 a.mReading time: 2 minutes
The future of the star striker of 1. FC Köln is unclear. But now sports director Thomas Kessler has spoken out.
At the Geißbockheim you now have time to think: The 1. FC Cologne is processing the past Bundesliga season and preparing for the first big decisions. René Wagner remains head coach, that much is clear. Tom Krauss and Jakub Kaminski have been signed permanently to FC after their loans. In addition, the departure of Cenk Özkacar was announced on Tuesday. So the squad is slowly forming.
But the big question for the future is: What will happen to Said El Mala? “There is no decision, there is no tendency.” said Thomas Kessler on Tuesday at Geißbockheim. The sports director also knows that the likelihood that the 19-year-old will stay in Cologne is low – because the player has higher demands and FC needs the money. Nevertheless: There is no deadline for the transfer.
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Kessler: “We all know the business”
“The coach would like him to stay because he is a good player. I would also like him to stay. But in the end it’s not about wishing for something, but about making the best decision for the club,” Kessler made realistically clear. And despite the current contract running until 2030 without an exit clause, he referred to the transfer market: “We all know the business.”
And this deal says: The FC is expecting offers and has now received the first ones that need to be seriously considered. At the beginning of April, Kessler emphasized that he had no offer for El Mala that he had to seriously consider. “That has changed,” confirmed the former goalkeeper. “We have now reached a region where I would be willing to talk.”
