1. FC Cologne
Kwasniok wants to keep annoying after “quantum leap”
07/27/2025 – 8:12 p.m.Reading time: 2 min.
The 1. FC Köln has returned from the training camp. What conclusion the responsible persons draw in Styria after the week.
The 1st FC Köln training camp ended with a breakfast and appreciative words from Lukas Kwasniok. After an intensive week in Styria, the new head coach thanked his team on Saturday morning. “I think that heard,” said Kwasniok, because: “It was not 100 percent to be expected that we could make this quantum leap during the week. If the boys hadn’t been in the mood, I would be there now and would have to answer other questions.”
The “quantum leap” mentioned had shown itself on Friday in the test game against Leicester City, which the FC won convincingly with 3-1. Both in the duel with the English Premier League relegated team as well as in the previous training sessions in the Bad Waltersdorfer Thermenstadion, the Cologne team were able to increase significantly compared to the first two preparation weeks.
Sports director Thomas Kessler, like Kwasniok, pulled a “very positive” conclusion: “We had a lot of sweaty training sessions, the boys did a good job.” In addition, Kessler stated: “We had the possibility that the new boys were able to approach the team again.” In this respect, the FC traveled twice from Styria twice.
On the one hand sporty: Kwasniok’s game idea is more and more implemented on the lawn. With the 3-4-3 formation that the trainer bought against Leicester in both halves, the system seems to be stuck. And the newcomers, especially Isak Johannesson and Jakub Kaminski, left a good impression in the training camp, with the exception of goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zieler all of them for starting eleven places.
On the other hand, the development apart from the lawn is also optimistic. “The boys sat together in the evening, played cards, got to know each other better. In addition to the daily work that you can also do at the Geißbockheim, this is the big plus in such a training camp,” said Kessler and therefore summed up: “The week has brought us together much closer as a group.” The team evening, which followed the successful test game against Leicester in Graz on Friday, is likely to have strengthened the team spirit.
After the return trip on Saturday afternoon, the FC professionals now have free until Tuesday, then the second half of the preparation begins at Geißbockheim. And in this, Kwasniok will continue to demand full throttle despite the positive intermediate faith-the coach of his team has already told his team at the final training camp breakfast: “The boys can recover for two or three days, after that I will annoy them again. I will not let go.”