FC Augsburg separates from quartet around Rafal Gikiewicz

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Officially

FC Augsburg will not extend the expiring contracts of Rafal Gikiewicz, André Hahn, Tobias Strobl and Daniel Caligiuri. The Bundesliga team announced this on Friday before the home game against Borussia Dortmund, during which the official farewell to the four players with a total value of 4.5 million euros will take place.

In particular, the Gikiewicz personnel had caused a stir in the last few weeks, as the regular was only two games short of activating a clause for an automatic extension. However, the 35-year-old has been sidelined for five games and also against BVB due to shoulder problems, which is why the last chance for a new contract has passed. “After the option could no longer be reached, we decided not to extend the contract and informed Rafal of this in a personal conversation before the last home game so that he too had the opportunity to distance himself from the fans in the stadium on Sunday to be able to say goodbye,” said sports director Stefan Reuter. Gikiewicz, who has stood between the posts 96 times for FCA since 2020, is currently represented by Tomas Koubek.

With a market value of EUR 2 million, Hahn is the most valuable player in the outgoing quartet. The 32-year-old already played for the Fuggerstadt team between 2013 and 2014 and returned in 2018. When he left for Borussia Mönchengladbach, FCA earned EUR 2.25 million, which is one of the 15 highest revenues in the club’s history. The EUR 3 million return campaign from Hamburg, on the other hand, is one of the 20 most expensive purchases.

Riedle, Höjbjerg & Co.: These famous names used to play football at FC Augsburg

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Augsburg youth between 1988 and 1992. Moved from the FCA youth team to Stuttgarter Kickers.

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Karl-Heinz Riedle | centre-forward

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Between 1983 and 1986 at FC Augsburg. World Champion 1990, German Champion with Werder and Dortmund, Champions League winner at BVB.

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Bernd Schuster | Attacking midfield

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Left the Augsburg youth team in 1978 after the A youth. European champion in 1980, 6-time Spanish cup winner with Real Madrid, Atlético and FC Barcelona.

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Pierre-Emile Höjbjerg | Central midfield

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2015 on loan from FC Bayern at FC Augsburg. Current market value at Tottenham Hotspur: 30 million euros.

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Helmut Haller | Hanging tip

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Born in Augsburg. FCA legend. Italy’s footballer of the year 1964, 3-time champion with Bologna and Juventus Turin. Started and ended his career at FC Augsburg. Oldest goalscorer in club history (39 years, 7 months, 4 days).

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Arkadiusz Milik | centre-forward

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2013/14 on loan from Bayer Leverkusen at FC Augsburg. Highest career market value: 40 million euros at SSC Napoli, currently Olympique Marseille.

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Daniel Baier | Defensive Midfield

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Eleven years at FC Augsburg, Bundesliga record player – a total of 355 competitive games for FCA.

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Abdul Rahman Baba | left-back

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Only 32 appearances for FC Augsburg, but the club’s record sale: 2015/16 for 26 million euros to Chelsea.

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Michael Thurk | centre-forward

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Top scorer in Augsburg’s professional football history: 56 goals for FCA in the 2nd Bundesliga and cup.

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Armin Veh | Attacking midfield

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Born in Augsburg. Left the club for Borussia Mönchengladbach in 1978 after the A youth and a year in the first team. As a coach with the most games at FCA.

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Julian Nagelsmann | centre-back

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From the FCA youth 2002 to 1860 Munich. Five years later back to Augsburg. Another nine years later the youngest head coach in Bundesliga history (Hoffenheim).

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Christian Hochstaetter | Defensive Midfield

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Left his hometown Augsburg and FCA for Mönchengladbach in 1982, became the seventh most frequently used player in history and sporting director at Borussia.

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Philip Max | left-back

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Best provider of assists in Augsburg Bundesliga history. Left FCA for Eindhoven in 2020 for €8m – the third-highest transfer fee in the club’s history

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Hahn has only made eight appearances (two goals/one assist) in all competitions this season due to injuries. He has been suffering from a knee injury since the beginning of October. “Everyone knows that FCA is very important to me – so it’s a shame that the good times in Augsburg are coming to an end in the summer. After my knee injury, it’s currently about doing everything I can to get back on the pitch,” he said.

Like Gikiewicz, Strobl and Caligiuri came to Augsburg in 2020 and play little or no role this season. The former suffered a cruciate ligament rupture at the end of 2021 and has not played a game since then, while Caligiuri is fit, but mostly remains on the bench under coach Enrico Maaßen. While the 35-year-old was still in demand as a joker for long stretches of the first half of the season, he only played three games over 30 minutes in 2023.

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