1. FC Köln

Luca Waldschmidt said: “I am really looking forward to the club, the coach, my new team-mates, the fans and the stadium. I was able to play here a few times and I know what a difference the atmosphere here can make. The atmosphere that the fans create is something special. Now I want to experience that as much as possible in an FC kit and be successful doing so. I can feel that everyone here is raring to go, have plenty of energy and have a real plan.”

In ihrer Karriere erzielte sie bisher 146 Tore in 282 Bundesligaspielen. Hinzu kommen 27 Spiele in der Champions League (13 Tore), 33 Partien im DFB-Pokal (23 Tore) und 25 Länderspiele für Deutschland (fünf Tore). In dieser Saison bestritt Islacker 21 Bundesligaspiele für den FC und erzielte dabei acht Treffer. Bei ihrem letzten und 282. Bundesligaspiel am Sonntag im Franz-Kremer-Stadion schoss sie zum Abschluss beim 1:1 den Ausgleich gegen die SGS Essen – in einem Duell gegen die Mannschaft aus ihrer Geburtsstadt.

FC Managing Director, Christian Keller said: “Jeff didn’t have an easy start at FC and has made a very strong step in his development – especially since the Winter Break. He is now a stabilising factor in our defence and fits very well into our team as a person. We are really pleased that we could sign him permanently. In this context, we want to thank Sampdoria for the constructive, professional transfer discussions.”

Steffen Baumgart said: “In the past year, we made a clear statement: if things are working out for all parties involved, the contract will be extended for a further year. Anything else was out of the question. Why? Simply because it’s fun here, to work with my team and for FC. You can see that every day. We always spoke about a journey, and I am convinced that it is not yet over. We can still achieve a lot here.”

Thomas Kessler, Head of Football, said: “Since his arrival in our under-17s, Damion has continued to develop. Despite one or two setbacks at a young age, he has proven his qualities in what was a very successful season for our under-19s. We are pleased that we can continue that together and are convinced that he will make the next steps towards first-team football with our coaching staff.”

The changing of the kick-off time and date came after Bayer Leverkusen’s desire to rearrange the fixture and the agreement of the security authorities and DAZN. The background: Bayer Leverkusen are the last German team in European competition and will be given more time to prepare for their UEFA Europa League semi-final against AS Roma.

FC Managing Director Christian Keller said, “329 appearances for FC speak for themselves. Only Toni Schumacher and Bodo Illgner were between the sticks more often than Timo. To remain number one over so many years is a feat which you have to work incredibly hard for. But there is more to it than that: Timo developed from a talented goalkeeper to an experienced Bundesliga player in his time here. Whether on the pitch, in the dressing room, on the bench or in the stands, he was always important for the FC team. For that, a huge thank you. The fact that he has the desire to play, that is completely understandable. There is an amount of courage that goes along with that, after so many years at FC to then join another club. For that, we wish him all the very best.”

Enrico Maaßen was forced into one change from the Augsburg team that started the game against VfL Wolfsburg last weekend. Mergim Berisha was not fit in time and was replaced by Fredrik Jensen.

Potocnik joined 1. FC Köln’s academy in January 2022 after he opted to cancel his contract at Olimpija Ljubljana following multiple breaches of contract by the club. The Slovenian top tier side then accused the striker of illegally breaching his contract and sued both him and 1. FC Köln at FIFA for damages. Potocnik’s former club accuse FC of inciting the player to breach his contract. 1. FC Köln defended itself in a comprehensive statement and, in particular, submitted numerous pieces of evidence that refute incitement to breach the contract.

This summer, around 300 children, who will go to school for the first time, will be given backpacks. The support is thought of for people who have a Köln-Pass. All families with a pass can sign up for the programme. The pass should then be presented when collecting the backpack.