While Gerhard Struber is happy about reuniting with Jusuf Gazibegovic, a talent from 1. FC Köln is about to say goodbye.
Gerhard Struber had to be in office for almost a full half-series in order to be able to talk about access for the first time as coach of 1. FC Köln. Due to the one-year transfer ban, the “billy goats” were unable to register any new players when the Austrian took up his post last summer. Now, however, Struber is looking forward to the signing of Jusuf Gazibegovic – and thus to seeing an old friend again.
As a youth coach at Red Bull Salzburg and later at FC Liefering, a farm team in the RB cosmos, the current Cologne head coach once played a key role in shaping the path of the 24-year-old full-back. Even after their time together in Austria, Struber always kept an eye on Sturm Graz’s top performer and stated after Gazibegovic’s signature at Geißbockheim: “This is a player who has developed enormously in the last few years.”
The FC coach attests that the Bosnian international has an “extraordinarily good talent”. Gazibegovic can “accomplish a lot on the left and right on the wing forwards and backwards” and also brings “the energy to win”. The mentality is apparently one of the Salzburg native’s greatest strengths, who, according to Struber, “always had an incredibly big heart and an incredible passion.”
After the first signing of the winter, there are also signs of the first departure of the change period: Elias Bakatukanda is set to leave FC temporarily in January 2025. Those responsible are currently looking for a club above the regional league where the central defender can develop further on loan.
“We are in contact with his advisor, we are in contact with other clubs,” reveals head of licensing Thomas Kessler and adds: “The point is that there are some clubs that are interested in loaning Ele out.” Bakatukanda celebrated his professional debut this season in the 3-1 win at Schalke, but otherwise only gained his playing experience with the U21s in the Regionalliga West.
“The regional league is no longer enough,” explains Kessler and describes Cologne’s approach: “We have always said: If the RheinEnergieStadion is still too big, but the Franz Kremer Stadium is too small, we have to find an intermediate step.” If this interim step is successful with a loan club, Bakatukanda will have the chance to “come back here and take on a big role.”
Struber also believes that the 20-year-old defensive talent can do this: “He can become a very interesting player for us, whose format is enough for the top shelf,” the coach rejoices – and first grabs Gazibegovic from such a shelf. After all, he recently played in the Champions League with Graz.