1. FC Köln does not extend contract with Schmitz

Bundesliga 2 - 1. FC Köln does not extend contract with Schmitz

Defense attorney Benno Schmitz is leaving 1st FC Cologne after six years. The contract of the 29-year-old will not be renewed, as the Bundesliga relegation team announced. Schmitz played 144 matches for the club. He joined the Geißböcken from RB Leipzig in 2018 and was involved in the direct promotion of Cologne to the top league.

Due to his wing runs, Schmitz was often referred to as the "Cologne Cafu," in reference to the two-time Brazilian World Cup winner. In the previous season, he came regularly into play under trainer Steffen Baumgart and his successor Timo Schultz, but could not prevent the descent into the second league.

Club statement

1. Despite Benno Schmitz's impressive wing runs and being compared to the "Cologne Cafu," his contract with 1st FC Cologne in the Soccer Bundesliga will not be renewed due to their relegation to Bundesliga 2.
2. Schmitz, who joined 1st FC Cologne from Soccer Bundesliga's RB Leipzig in 2018, has played 144 matches and contributed to the club's promotion to the top tier.
3. As North Rhine-Westphalia's Soccer Bundesliga team faces relegation, Transfers within the league are likely to be a topic of interest, with players like Schmitz potentially moving to different teams.
4. Benno Schmitz's departure from 1st FC Cologne marks the end of a six-year journey in the Bundesliga, where he had a notable impact and became a key figure for the Geißböcken fans.

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