1. FC Cologne
Gala makes you want to go to Bundesliga-FC sorts millions of strikers
09.08.2025 – 8:30 p.m.Reading time: 3 min.
The 1. FC Köln has mastered its dress rehearsal against Atalanta Bergamo with flying colors. Before the game, FC also made a delicate personnel decision.
The 1. FC Köln won its first game of the season in the RheinEnergieStadion on Saturday with 4-0 (2-0). In front of 40,100 spectators, the billy goats against Atalanta Bergamo delighted with aggressive and fast play and pointed out the Champions League participant from Serie A.
Jan Thielmann shone with a double pack. Jakub Kaminski and Luca Waldschmidt made the significant success of the team of coach Lukas Kwasniok perfect. Afterwards he was enthusiastic about the appearance of his players. “What the team delivered today was already à la Bonne Heure,” said the 44-year-old. “The boys simply undermined the opponent. Atalanta found no antidote. They were not bad, but had to run after.”
With the success, the billy goats have completed an overall successful preparation. Next Sunday, FC will play its first competitive game of the season in the DFB Cup at SSV Jahn Regensburg. After the gala against Atalanta, the confidence is great that the FC is ready – not only for the trophy, but also for the Bundesliga. “Intensity, unity and cohesion on the field should be our identity,” said Kwasniok. “It makes me extremely happy that all of this was seen today. This unity can wear us and has to carry us through the season.”
But it took a change in the squad – and it is still not complete. This also showed a personnel decision that FC hit before the game. With Imad Rondic, Kwasniok sorted out the striker, which ex-sports director Christian Keller still hired in January and had equipped with a four and a half year contract by 2029. The announcement to the Bosnian: The center forward can look for a new club.
“Unfortunately, that’s how life is,” commented Kwasniok after the game. “I have a lot of competition in this position. You have to make decisions. They are not always easy, but life is not always fair.” When asked whether the FC had already told the player that he should look for another club because the prospects for season are low, the FC coach only replied: “We did that.”
Sports director Thomas Kessler then confirmed this. “We talked about the fact that the operational times could be difficult for him after the impressions in preparation,” said the 39-year-old. “The player can now think about how he sees his future. We are very open with the players. We don’t turn him out of the door.”
This would also be difficult with a contract by 2029. Rondic earns a high six -figure amount annually. The 26-year-old still has to pay around 2.5 million euros in salary for over four years. A lot of money for a player who now knows that he has no future at FC. But with Marius Bülter, Ragnar Ache and Luca Waldschmidt, FC sees itself well positioned for the Bundesliga. Rondic therefore only remains the search for a new club. The transfer window this summer closes on September 1st.