News blog about 1. FC Cologne
A striker is definitely out, hope lies with Tim Lemperle
Updated on January 23, 2025 – 1:27 p.mReading time: 12 minutes
1. FC Köln is the football club from the cathedral city. In the news ticker on t-online you will find all the important reports about the “billy goats”.
1. FC Köln will have to do without Luca Waldschmidt in the home game against SV Elversberg on Saturday. “Luca continues to stay in bed, he won’t be available to us,” FC coach Gerhard Struber confirmed on Thursday the attacker’s retirement for the upcoming game. The Austrian is hoping that another striker, Tim Lemperle, will be fit in time.
“It looks good and very positive,” said Struber regarding his most successful striker with eight goals. Lemperle was recently out due to muscular problems, but is scheduled to return to team training on Thursday. Luca Kilian, Jacob Christensen (both torn cruciate ligaments), Mathias Olesen (back problems), Mark Uth (muscle injury) and Julian Pauli (concussion) will certainly be missing against Elversberg.
After 1. FC Cologne rejected FC Bayern Munich’s second offer for Jonas Urbig in the last few days, the goalkeeper took part in the billy goats’ team training on Wednesday as usual. However, the 21-year-old had to end the almost two-hour session in the Franz Kremer Stadium early. Urbig left the pitch after just over an hour; he had previously received a ball in the head during training with goalkeeping coach Peter Greiber and teammate Matthias Köbbing.
Serious problems for the sought-after talent are unlikely to occur, and therefore no impact on a likely winter transfer to Bayern. If the change takes place this week, FC will face a goalkeeper shortage for the home game against Elversberg. Philipp Pentke, currently number three behind Marvin Schwäbe and Urbig, missed training on Wednesday due to illness.
1. FC Köln started preparing for the home game against SV Elversberg on Tuesday. Coach Gerhard Struber had to do without eight of his professionals at the start of the week. In addition to the long-term injuries Luca Kilian, Jacob Christensen (both torn cruciate ligaments), Mark Uth (muscle injury) and Mathias Olesen (back injury), four other players also reported their absence.
Julian Pauli was missing again on Tuesday, and those responsible took him off again as a precautionary measure after his concussion at the beginning of December. The central defender continues to complain of discomfort when physically intense. In addition, Tim Lemperle is not yet fit again after his muscular problems. In addition, Luca Waldschmidt reported himself out due to illness, Denis Huseinbasic was sidelined due to a bruised calf he sustained against HSV.
1. FC Köln will start preparing for the home game against SV Elversberg on Tuesday. However, the Billy Goats have to postpone the first training session due to weather conditions. Originally planned for 10.30 a.m. on Tuesday, Gerhard Struber will now only be invited to the lawn at Geißbockheim at 12.30 p.m. The reason: the expected temperatures around freezing point.
The further training sessions will take place – as currently planned – on Wednesday at 10.30 a.m. (public) and on Thursday and Friday behind closed doors. The home game on Saturday against Elversberg will take place at 1:00 p.m. in Müngersdorf, before public training takes place again on Sunday at 10:30 a.m.
Jonas Urbig, who was courted by FC Bayern Munich, was, as usual, part of the 1. FC Köln squad on Saturday evening. A winter change that the record champions are aiming for is apparently not imminent. “We don’t actually plan to give up a goalkeeper in the winter,” said Cologne’s sports director Christian Keller on the sidelines of the 1-0 defeat at Hamburger SV and added: “A lot has to happen for this intention to change.”