Bundesliga - Without four: The construction sites of 1 FC Köln
No coach, no new players, no points and no money: 1. FC Köln is entering 2024 without four. The Bundesliga club was hit hard at the end of the soccer year.
Shortly after the confirmed departure of coach Steffen Baumgart at the end of the year, the International Court of Arbitration for Sport Cas also announced that the transfer ban contested by the Rhinelanders would remain in place.
Baumgart's departure was preceded by a sporting downturn in the Bundesliga with the 0:2 at 1. FC Union Berlin last Wednesday, which only ended in last place because of the three goals better goal difference compared to SV Darmstadt 98. The four problem areas of 1. FC Köln for the new year:
The coach
Which coach would suit 1. FC Köln? Steffen Baumgart seemed to be the ideal choice: shirt-sleeved, football-mad, successful - an original and, thanks to his slider cap, a cult figure who revitalized the club and its entire environment. Regardless of the unbroken sympathy for the 51-year-old former striker, his time in Cologne ends on December 31 because the results were not right. Nevertheless, he leaves big shoes to fill for his successor. Who will that be? The club gave no answer on Thursday as to who will lead the team at the start of training in January after the Christmas break.
The sporting situation
A look at the table is alarming for 1. FC Köln. Just ten points from 16 games means 17th place - five years after promotion, the threat of second place looms once again. Cologne were last relegated from the Bundesliga in 2018. Back then, FC finished bottom of the table with just 22 points from 34 games. At the time, however, their record was even more disastrous with just three points after 16 match days. The fact that 1. FSV Mainz 05 in 16th place also only has ten points and is only six points off 13th place also gives hope.
The transfer ban
Nobody at the Rhinelander club thought that signing a youth player could one day decide the weal and woe of the professional team. Because the club brought the then 16-year-old Slovenian Jaka Cuber Potocnik to Cologne in 2022, in the opinion of his former club Olimpija Ljubljana and ultimately also FIFA, the world governing body imposed a transfer ban of two transfer periods on the Bundesliga club. The International Court of Arbitration for Sport has confirmed the punishment. This means that there will be no new personnel in the battle to stay in the league. But selling is possible, and things could get even worse. Baumgart had recently denounced a possible transfer of regular player Dejan Ljubicic.
The finances
1. FC Köln is chronically short of money. The word "restructuring case" was coined in 2022. At the most recent general meeting, it was reported that liabilities had been reduced from around €66 million to €50.5 million thanks to the Conference League and the sale of players such as Anthony Modeste and Salih Öczan. However, the club is still far from being out of the woods. "We have to continue on this path to financial recovery. We're on the right track, but we're not through yet," explained managing director Philipp Türoff. It is not known whether the club will also have to pay Baumgart a sum X as a so-called golden handshake, as his contract was actually dated until 2025, but this would put an additional strain on the financial situation.
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- Despite the ongoing transfer ban imposed by the International Court of Arbitration for Sport Cas, German football club 1. FC Köln remains hopeful of staying in the Bundesliga, as their arch-rivals 1. FSV Mainz 05 are only six points above them in the table.
- Steffen Baumgart, the former striker and cult figure who revitalized 1. FC Köln, is no longer coaching the team due to poor results, leaving a significant void that needs to be filled by the club's new coach.
- In the absence of new players and with a limited budget due to financial issues, 1. FC Köln must rely on their existing squad, including regular players like Dejan Ljubicic, in their fight to avoid relegation from the Bundesliga.
- The disappointed Rhinelanders, who had hoped to appeal the transfer ban at the international sports court, will now have to face the challenges of the 2024 Bundesliga season without making any major signings from other clubs.
- The tension between 1. FC Köln and their rivals 1. FC Union Berlin will reach new heights when they meet again on the Bundesliga pitch, following their 0:2 loss towards the end of 2023, a result that left Cologne in danger of dropping to the second division.
Source: www.stern.de
