News blog about 1. FC Cologne
Double loan for FC talent: Youngster extends and leaves
Updated on January 8, 2025 – 3:49 p.mReading time: 4 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”.
Elias Bakatukanda is the third winter departure on loan from 1. FC Köln after Sargis Adamyan and Florian Dietz. The central defender is leaving FC for Austria. The 20-year-old is moving to Blau-Weiß Linz, but at the same time is extending his contract in Cologne until 2028. The first loan is planned until summer 2025, but there is already agreement on a follow-up contract for another loan for the 2025/26 season.
Jonas Urbig is still unable to train with the 1. FC Köln team. The goalkeeper completed an individual training session with rehabilitation coach Leif Frach on Tuesday. Damion Downs was able to complete the first unit after recovering from illness and traveling to the training camp, but only took part in selected exercises.
1. FC Köln actually wanted to sign Gregory Wüthrich from Sturm Graz this winter. But the billy goats were skeptical due to the central defender’s medical records and refrained from making a transfer. On Monday in Estepona, the oddity happened that Wüthrich traveled with his Austrian team to the Costa del Sol for the training camp – and checked into the Hotel Kempinski just like the FC.
The former Cologne dream player is in the same team hotel as the billy goats: It’s a good thing that Jusuf Gazibegovic, another Graz native, has just moved to FC and will see his old Sturm team-mates again.
Mark Uth has to leave the 1. FC Köln training camp in Estepona. The striker will return to Cologne at the beginning of the week for further examinations of his calf. An exact diagnosis is still pending. Meanwhile, Jonas Urbig had to miss training on Monday with knee problems. The goalkeeper is not said to be seriously injured.
Meanwhile, there was good news from Damion Downs: The striker missed the start of the training camp due to illness and initially stayed in the cathedral city. The attacker will join the team on Monday evening and will be able to train in Spain for the rest of the week.
1. FC Köln announced the transfer of Florian Dietz to SCR Altach on Sunday. The billy goats are initially letting the striker on loan until the end of the 2024/25 season. The first division team, which is threatened with relegation, has reportedly secured a purchase option and could therefore sign Dietz permanently beyond the summer. Dietz still has a contract in Cologne until 2026.
Meanwhile, the billy goats are still waiting for a diagnosis from Mark Uth. The striker injured his calf on the first day of training and was supposed to have an MRI scan that evening. However, for organizational reasons, the doctor’s appointment could not take place, so Uth is currently stopping training. However, a further investigation should take place soon.
FC suffered a setback on the first day of training camp. Mark Uth stopped the first training session in Estepona after just a few minutes. The veteran complained of muscular problems. “He felt pressure in his calf while running, also in the direction of the stitch,” reported Gerhard Struber after the session on Saturday morning and expressed concern: “That didn’t sound good.” In the afternoon, an MRI scan will provide information about the possible injury.
The FC is planning the winter transfers, but at the same time considerations are also being made for the summer of 2025. According to a report by GEISSBLOG, Cologne wants to sign the Japanese midfield talent Yotaro Nakajima from Sanfrecce Hiroshima (more about that here). The 18-year-old is considered the reigning J-League runner-up’s best hope for young talent.