1. FC Köln want to appeal against FIFA’s “completely absurd verdict” at the International Sports Court (CAS). The verdict was “totally surprised”.
The urgently needed reinforcement in the storm, among other things, not possible because of the ban on player signings in the coming summer and winter? 1. FC Köln want to defend themselves against this.
“We are currently examining the verdict and the reasoning carefully and calmly so that we don’t make any mistakes,” said FC Managing Director Sport Christian Keller. The club has 21 days to appeal to the International Court of Arbitration for Sport CAS, this should happen next week.
The FC initially hopes for a temporary suspension. “From our point of view, FIFA made a completely absurd judgment without any basis,” according to Keller’s assessment. He admitted to the WDR: “We were completely surprised by the FIFA verdict.”
Even talks did not bring an agreement
Last August, a friendly conversation lasting almost 90 minutes was held with representatives of Olimpija Ljubljana about the transfer of Slovenian U19 striker Jaka Cuber Potocnik to clarify the matter.
Cologne U19 striker Jaka Cuber Potocnik in action.
“Ljubljana demands far from reality”
At that time, FC made an offer to Ljubljana, “which was significantly better than what has been promised in the meantime. They have now received EUR 52,000, or should they receive it, they have not yet, and they will not receive it either. What we offered was on a completely different scale.”
An agreement was not reached because of excessive demands from the Slovenes. “What Ljubljana had asked for was completely far from reality,” so basement.
Ljubljana: “No agreement possible”
Ljubljana’s Vice President Christian Dollinger had a completely different view of the failure of the negotiations with the people of Cologne. They would have actually wanted to solve the matter peacefully and would have been very surprised that this had not been possible at a collegial club level.
The background to the one-year transfer ban is the signing of Slovenian U19 striker Jaka Cuber Potocnik, whom FC is said to have signed on a free transfer last year, and the lawsuit filed in January by his former club Olimpija Ljubljana.
Three-year contract terminated
Accordingly, Potocnik signed a three-year contract in June 2021, which he and his mother signed. According to the complaint, six months later, in January, his mother complained to the club by e-mail and stated that agreements with her son, such as training with the first team and working with a personal fitness trainer, were not being kept. The mother is said to have terminated the contract on January 30, 2022.
Just one day later, according to FIFA, 1. FC Köln signed Potocnik as a player who, according to Köln, “is not under contract”, to which his ex-club Ljubljana complained.
Lots of open questions
For 1. FC Köln there are now many open questions to be clarified: What would the verdict mean specifically for FC? For example, may players on loan whose loan is expiring be officially registered and thus eligible to play?
Verdict should not affect Derby
Keller hopes that the verdict will not affect the important derby against Mönchengladbach on Sunday (04/02/2023). The subject was discussed intensively with the team. “The situation was explained, the team must not be influenced by it. It has nothing to do with the derby,” said Keller.
Possible to go to court
Should the verdict remain, the people of Cologne would still have to go to a regular court. However, the managing director does not have a great chance. “I don’t know if this is a promising fight.”
