Newsblog for 1. FC Cologne
Next home -grown debut celebrates, but Keller confirms transfer
Updated on April 21, 2025 – 11:27 a.m.Reading time: 55 min.
The 1. FC Köln is the football club from the cathedral city. In the New sticker on T-Online you will find all the important messages about the “billy goats”.
At 1. FC Köln on Sunday in the 3-1 win over Prussia Münster, the next home-grown family celebrated its professional debut. Right -back Meiko Sponsel was substituted for Jan Thielmann shortly before the end and was on the lawn for the first time in the 2nd Bundesliga. After Julian Pauli, Elias Bakatukanda, Neo Telle, Jaka Cuber Potocnik, Oliver Schmitt and Mikail Özkan, sponsorship is the seventh player from his own offspring who debuted this season.
The peculiarity of the own plant is that Sponsel will leave FC at the end of the season. “The probability is very high that his time will end here. Meiko has the quality, at least one, if not two leagues,” said sports director Christian Keller. “I assume that he will take the step. He should, because he has it in the tank.” This made Sponsel’s debut at the same time part of his farewell from 1. FC Köln.
The ultras of the 1st FC Köln reacted to the fine of the German Bundesliga for the goats on Easter Sunday. The DFB had earned FC for a payment of around 300,000 euros after the active fan scene in the DFB Cup against Hertha BSC burned down fireworks in the south curve. In the home game against Prussia Münster, the Cologne supporters reacted with humor.
The Ultras showed three banners in a row. On “your punishments don’t ignite …” followed at first “… but we!”. At that moment, many feared a new pyro show in the stadium. But then numerous confetti cannons banged and let the south curve glitter. Finally, the Ultras rolled the banner “Another time, promised!” out of. So it will soon follow a real pyro show again.
Good news from the 1. FC Köln hospital: Jusuf Gazibegovic got back into running training a little more than a month after his serious ankle injury. While his teammates prepared for the home game against Prussia Münster in the Franz-Kremer Stadium behind closed goals, the right-back made his rounds in the green belt.
It is unlikely that the winter newcomer can be used again in the remaining course of the season. It looks better with Linton Maina, who has returned to the lawn this week, but is not yet an option for the game on Sunday. For this, Denis Huseinbasic should be able to participate, who last had to pause due to a strain. However, the 23-year-old was able to complete the final training on Saturday.
Before the game against Prussia Münster, the 1. FC Köln is worried about a commitment from Denis Huseinbasic. The midfielder had had to end the training early on Thursday. As FC coach Gerhard Struber explained on Good Friday, the Bosnian international was a slight strain and could only train individually in the weight room.
For the final training session on Saturday, Huseinbasic should be able to return to the pitch. An assignment is therefore decided at short notice. Meanwhile, Captain Timo Hüber is sure to be through the gastrointestinal infection, Joel Schmied after back problems, and Dejan Ljubicic after his ankle problems. Linton Maina, Jusuf Gazibegovic (both ankles), Luca Kilian (cruciate ligament rupture), Max Finkgräfe (muscle injury), Jacob Christensen (training deficit) and Neo Telle (sick) will be safe.
Thursday, April 17, 2025
The 1. FC Köln continues to hope for an extension of the contract with Dejan Ljubicic and Linton Maina. Now, however, a former coach of the 1st FC Köln could be grown in between. As the “Bild” reports, Steffen Baumgart is said to want to bring Duo to 1. FC Union Berlin in summer. Both had successfully worked together with Baumgart at FC.
It fits that the head of the Union and Ex-FC Managing Director Horst Heldt had already expressed interest in Ljubicic at the beginning of December. However, neither the Austrian nor Maina has made a decision regarding the personal future. Both first want to wait and see whether the 1. FC Köln will create the climb and will play again in the Bundesliga in the coming season. In this case, both Maina and Ljubicic should be able to imagine an extension at the Geißbockheim.