Max Kofler: Die Revolution

As much as I admire Bilbao as a club and their focus on homegrown talent in the local region, it's clear that Kofler has his own project here in Cologne that both you and everyone reading this is enjoying, for sure!

A huge honour to be offered a job with a club the size and with the history of Athletic Bilbao, and they are a very unique club with their Basque-only policy, which would be a nice challenge. But I hope you can make history with Koln, and look forward to the rest of the season!

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December proved to be a month from hell for Köln, as they collected just two points from a possible fifteen. Beginning the month against rivals Borussia Mönchengladbach, Timo Horn was required to bail out Effzeh once again, saving a second consecutive penalty in as many games.

Joel Pohjanpalo looked to have sealed all three points for his side after coming on as a substitute against Leipzig, however a late goal from Mattheus Cuena rescued a point for his side, as they continue their push to return to Europe following a disappointing campaign last season. The game also marked the return of defender Jorge Meré, who completed a £27,000,000 move from Köln in the summer.

Returning to the RheinEnergieStadion, the ground would play host to a second local derby of the month, welcoming the visit of Bayer Leverkusen. The hosts proceeded to dominate proceedings from the off, racing into a three-nil lead within twenty-one minutes. Noah Okafor, who was linked with a move to Max Kofler's side last season, scored twice for Leverkusen in a disappointing afternoon for the home side.

Similar to the Leipzig game, more late-drama followed Köln as they were the subject of another heartbreak. Denis Drăguș gave Kofler's side the lead after seven minutes, but the lead was only brief. Bayern responded just two minutes later, with Niklas Süle blasting home from a corner which the visitors failed to clean-up. Both sides created plenty of chances, but it was Thorgan Hazard who struck from 20 yards out to seal all three points with three minutes to play for Max Freund's München.

The final game of the month marked a 1-0 defeat to an improved SV Werder Bremen side this season. Kofler's former side sealed the victory with a Johannes Eggestein strike in the sixty-five minute, with Köln seemingly struggling in-front of goal. After going seven games without conceding, Köln have leaked seven goals in their last four, scoring just twice.


Bayern Munich strengthened their lead at the top over 1. FSV Mainz 05, going two points clear of their nearest rivals. Closely followed by Bayer Leverkusen, Mainz continued their business as usual keeping close tabs on the league leaders, who beat them 2-1 in their most recent meeting at the end of December.

SV Werder Bremen closed out the top four, as they continued their push to secure Champions League football for the first time since 2010. They sat ahead of Hamburger SV - who recently won promotion back to the Bundesliga last season.

VfB Stuttgart found themselves at the bottom of the Bundesliga, a point behind FC Schalke 04, who took the decision to sack Domenico Tedesco after over two years of service. His predecessor is former Real Madrid and Bayern Munich midfielder Xabi Alonso, who led Málaga CF to the play-offs in the Segunda División last season, taking over from Juan Ramón López Muñiz in February 2019.

The relegation play-off place, meanwhile, was occupied by VfL Wolfsburg - who held a point advantage over the side directly below them, FC Schalke 04. Both SC Freiburg and 1. FC Nürnberg continue to look over their shoulders.

With the winter-break now in effect, Köln will return to the Bundesliga in mid-January, travelling to VfL Wolfsburg on Saturday 18th January 2020. However, they will play FCV Dender of the Belgian Derde Klasse at the Van Roystadion on Saturday 4th January 2020, before hosting AFC Ajax a week later. The month concludes with Köln hosting 1. FSV Mainz 05.

Replies

Justice: Well spotted.

SoA: Maintaining form didn't go so well, but we'll look to revitalise ahead of the second-half of the season now.

Jack: I'm glad you're enjoying it. I think my enjoyment is reflected in the story, which is evident to see. Bilbao are a great club with a great tradition, but Max couldn't abandon his project part-way through.

Maguire: We'll have to see. The future looks bright with the players assembled, but there is still a lot of work to be done.

Now that is a horrible, horrible month of results. What could potentially be even worse is that all the hard work done in the first 12 games could become further undone in the coming months due to a lack of belief after such a torrid time in December.

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1. FC Köln have confirmed the signing of Inter Milan and Brazilian forward Gabriel Barbosa on loan until the end of the season.

The 23-year-old joined Inter in 2016, completing a £22,500,000 move from boyhood club Santos. Nicknamed "Gabigol", the forward impressed as a teenager, netting eighteen times during the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A during the 2012 campaign, aged sixteen. He went on to score a further twenty-four goals before securing his move into Europe with the Nerazzurri.

However, the Brazilian struggled to settle into the side and appeared just nine times over the course of the 2016/17 season, scoring once - scoring the decisive goal in a 1-0 win against Bologna in February. The Italian side opted to loan him out to Portuguese side SL Benfica the following season, but Barbosa was unable to impress.

Making his debut as a substitute against CSKA Moscow in the UEFA Champions League in September, he registered just 165 minutes of game-time, scoring once - against Olhanense in the Taça de Portugal - before returning to Inter in January.

A few weeks later, Barbosa completed a return to his former club, Santos and began to rediscover his form in Brazil. Scoring on his debut against Ferroviária, he would also complete his first hat-trick in his professional career during a 5-1 thumping of Luverdense, en route to scoring eighteen goals in thirty-five appearances.

His form attracted the attention of another Série A side, as Inter were prepared to loan their striker out once again. Flamengo profited, as Barbosa went on to score ten goals in twenty-four across over the course of his loan spell. He was also able to celebrate winning the Copa do Brasil, as Flamengo defeated Corinthians in the final to lift the competition for the second consecutive year.

However, Barbosa has been unable to add to his four senior caps for Brazil since 2016 - making his debut as a substitute against Panama, where he scored the second as Brazil won 2-0. His last appearance came in a 1-0 defeat against Peru in the Copa America, despite being called up to two further squads later in the year during World Cup qualification.

Whilst his time in Europe has been largely unsuccessful, Barbosa is hopeful of renewing his stock whilst in Germany with Köln. The Brazilian's contract is set to expire in the summer, with Inter manager Luciano Spalletti issuing no promises that he will look to extend his deal to keep him at the club.

Replies

Jack: It was a hugely disappointing month to say the least. The winter-break couldn't come at a better time! I'm hopeful that the break will allow us to gather ourselves and come back composed and ready to get some points on the board, again.

Ahhh so highly-rated those years ago on FM especially, but still a quality player that will add so much quality to your matchday lineup.

If he can show even a sliver of the promise he did as a youngster, he'll be a big hit. A big name with a big reputation. On loan, he's fairly low-risk too. Is there an optional future fee clause in the deal?

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There were a number of outgoings, as well as two arrivals to the RheinEnergieStadion during January, as Köln looked to strengthen their squad for the second-half of the season.

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The first arrival was Gabriel Barbosa who arrived on loan until the end of the season from Inter. The Brazilian forward has been brought in to compete with Denis Drăguș, Joel Pohjanpalo and Simon Terodde for the role as number nine. He also adds some depth to the right-hand side of the midfield, a position in which lacked competition - with Louis Schaub cementing the position as his own.

Having enjoyed two prolific seasons in Brazil, Barbosa arrives in Germany with some much-needed confidence, after an unsuccessful spell with his parent club and an initial loan with Benfica.

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The second and final arrival of the winter-window is 25-year-old German midfielder Marcel Sobottka from 2. Bundesliga side Fortuna Düsseldorf. We activated the midfielder's release clause of £7,250,000 to bring him to the RheinEnergieStadion. He will compete with Tomas Soucek as the more defensive-minded midfielder in Max Kofler's system, with the Czech going unrivalled in this area beforehand.

Sobottka began his career with FC Schalke 04 but was unable to secure any football in his opening two seasons, prompting moves to SG Wattenscheid and Rot-Weiß Oberhausen. Again, he failed to feature for either side, before returning to Gelsenkirchen, making twenty-seven and fourteen appearances during the 2013/14 and 2014/15 seasons, respectively, for FC Schalke 04 II in the Regionalliga West.

In 2015, Sobottka completed a £145,000 move to join Fortuna Düsseldorf, where he would feature fifteen times in his debut season with the 2. Bundesliga side. He would go on to cement himself as a first-team regular the following season, a trend which continued until his recent departure, totalling 125 games - scoring fifteen times - across a five-year stay.

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The first departure was Karlo Bartolec as he moved to West Bromwich Albion in the Sky Bet Championship for £6,000,000. The Croatian joined the club last season, as a summer signing, completing a £2,200,000 move from Danish side FC Nordsjælland, but was unable to secure first-team football this season, with the 24-year-old limited to just one appearance this season.

After making thirty-one appearance last campaign, cementing the right-back position as his own, he was dislodged by the arrival of French-star Sofiane Alakouch from Nimes Olympique this summer - with the 21-year-old joining from the Ligue 2 side for £8,000,000.

Bartolec's performances last season allowed him to win his first cap in the summer - scoring in a 3-0 friendly victory against New Zealand - adding to the five U21 caps he secured whilst in Denmark with his previous employers.

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Another permanent departure was Lasse Sobiech to 2. Bundesliga outfit VfL Bochum. The central-defender was unable to make a single appearance across two seasons at the club, originally signing from FC St.Pauli on a free transfer, shortly before the arrival of head-coach Max Kofler.

He joins his new side for £800,000, looking to add to his wealth of appearances in the second-tier with St Pauli, as he made 118 appearances for the side prior to departing at the end of his deal. He also has experience in the Bundesliga, making thirty-four appearances during loan spells with SpVgg Greuther Fürth and Hamburger SV during his time at Borussia Dortmund.

The 29-year-old German was never likely to force his way into the side, with a number of first-team players preferred such as Dael Fry, Svetozar Markovic and Boubacar Kamara.

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Kingsley Schindler secured a loan move to Serie A side Benevento Calcio until the end of the season, having been frustrated with his lack of first-team minutes since arriving in the summer. Arriving from Holstein Kiel, the Ghanaian was unable to make a single appearance during the first-half of the season and subsequently requested to briefly leave the club to find regular first-team minutes.

The Italian side are paying £24,500 per month, with that amount totalling £120,000 by the time his loan expires.

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After returning to the club last season after a brief move to China, French striker Anthony Modeste has secured another permanent departure. He will return to his native France to join Lille OSC for £2,000,000, after a number of legal complications hampered his return to Germany after rejoining from Chinese side Tianjin Quanjian.

Unfortunately, the 31-year-old was unable to feature for his side last season due to a legal-battle between his former employers, Tianjin and Effzeh, which resulted in his inability to play competitive football until July 1st 2019. Whilst the Frenchman kept himself fit, he was unable to find a way into Max Kofler's plans during the first-half of the campaign, resulting in his departure.

Previously, Modeste had scored twenty-five goals in thirty-four appearance for the club during the 2016/17 campaign - which placed him as second-top goalscorer in the division to Polish and Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski - adding to fifteen in as many appearances the previous campaign, having signed from TSG 1899 Hoffenheim for £3,300,000. He arrived having scored seven goals in eight appearances in China.

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The final permanent departure from the club was Fabian Holland, who signed for Czech side Sparta Prague for £1,000,000. Similarly to Karlo Bartolec, Holland signed last summer, arriving from SV Darmstadt 98 for £1,100,000. The left-back made just five appearances - including four substitute appearances - during his time at the RheinEnergieStadion, failing to make the grade over fellow summer recruit, Bruno Pittón.

The 29-year-old has enjoyed a long career within the German game, which he will look to draw experience from as he transitions into Czech football with his new employers in Prague. Beginning his career with Hertha Berlin, Holland became a regular for the Hertha II side, before making his senior debut in 2011. He would make five appearances, before departing to join SV Darmstadt.

Originally on loan, the deal became permanent in 2015, as the side prepared themselves for the Bundesliga. He would make eighteen appearances as Darmstadt survived, before being relegated the following season - as Holland went on to make twenty-six appearances. Over the course of his time at the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor, he would make 102 appearances, before departing.

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Rafael Czichos was the final outgoing of the window, joining Bundesliga side Hannover 96 on loan until the end of the season. The central-defender has seen his status within the Köln side slip over the course of the season - making just three appearances - and will be hoping to regain the trust of his manager, upon returning.

Last season, Czichos was a key part to the success of Köln - forming a strong partnership with Jorge Meré, before he left to join RB Leipzig in the summer. The German featured in all thirty-four games for his side, scoring seven times, after completing a move from Holstein Kiel for £1,600,000 that summer - again, another pre-Kofler signing, however one that worked efficiently and effectively, regardless.

Having progressed up the ranks of German football, beginning his career in lower Saxony with Ottersburg, Czichos was unable to force his way into the first-team reckoning at Wolfsburg having secured a move to the Bundesliga side. Upon his release he joined 3. Liga side FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt - making a century of appearances - in 2012, before joining Holstein Kiel in the same division, celebrating their promotion in his second season at the club in 2017.

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Overall, Köln brought their spend over the two windows to £59,000,000, with the arrival of Marcel Sobottka largely contributing to this. Meanwhile, £49,000,000 was recouped in sales, with Karlo Bartolec, Lasse Sobiech, Anthony Modeste and Fabian Holland all leaving in January - raising the total by £9,800,000.

Replies

Jack: He was, definitely. I'm hoping he can work some of that magic in Cologne!

Justice: I'm hoping he can. He's produced the goods lately in Brazil, so if this can transition into Germany, even to a fraction of that, I'll be pleased. With his contract expiring at the end of the season, should Inter neglect the idea of renewing it, the avenue of bringing him in permanently could be explored - but no, a fee wasn't agreed as to a permanent move.

Sad to see some of those players go, but Sobottka and Barbosa are mega signings! They should help kick the team to another level!

These look like some much-needed signings considering the December that you have just had. Hoping this bunch can turn it around in the coming months!

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Köln faced two friendlies to ready themselves for the second-half of the Bundesliga season after a short winter-break. They comfortably defeated Belgian third tier side FCV Dender in a 3-0 win, before returning to Germany in a 1-1 draw against Eredivisie champions AFC Ajax.

VfL Wolfsburg would welcome Köln to the Volkswagen Arena, as the Bundesliga season resumed. Francisco Trincão scored his first competitive goal for the club, to give his side the lead after three minutes. However, Wolfsburg responded with Nany Dimata equalising part-way through the first-half. Neither side were unable to take the game by the scruff of the neck, as the game petered out with a share of the spoils.

Köln went into the game against 1. FSV Mainz 05 without a win in seven games - dating back to the 3-0 win against Hannover 96 in November. The visitors to the RheinEnergieStadion found themselves in fourth-place, seeking to qualify for the UEFA Champions League once again this season, after doing so last term for the first-time in their 114 year history.

Louis Schaub gave the hosts a surprising early lead, in which was doubled by the turn of the half. The Portuguese winger Francisco Trincão finding the next once again. The Köln defence seemed to find their form once again, tightening up and not allowing the visitors through - maintaining an important clean-sheet and enabling Effzeh to celebrate a 2-0 victory come full-time.


The Bundesliga boasted of new leaders come the end of January, with Bayer Leverkusen now leading the way. They held a one point advantage over Bayern Munich who occupied second-place, closely followed by the overachievers, SV Werder Bremen, who sat two points further back. The top-four was completed by 1. FSV Mainz 05 despite back-to-back losses against Leverkusen and 1. FC Köln.

Hamburger SV continued their own impressive season, sitting in fifth-place just a point off-the-pace of the top four. Meanwhile, TSG 1899 Hoffenheim are closely chased by a host of clubs for the final Europa League place, with reigning Bundesliga champions Borussia Dortmund leading the pack, as they continued their underwhelming defence of the title.

At the bottom, VfB Stuttgart sit three points adrift of both 1. FC Nürnberg and VfL Wolfsburg, who are having a dismal season once again - similar to the 2017/18 campaign, in which they avoided relegation by beating Holstein Kiel in the relegation-playoffs. They sit in seventeenth with just three victories to their name after nineteen games.

FC Schalke 04 were improving under the guidance of Xabi Alonso. They defeated Stuttgart in a 1-0 win, which was followed up in a 1-1 draw at the Veltins-Arena against Hertha Berlin. These two results allowed them to move up to fourteenth - ahead of SC Freiburg - two points clear of Nürnberg and Wolfsburg.

Köln travelled to Eintracht Frankfurt to begin the month, before turning their attentions to the DFB-Pokal against 1. FSV Mainz 05 for a place in the final eight. SC Freiburg and VfB Stuttgart awaited next, before home games against Borussia Dortmund and Hamburger SV to close the month.

Replies

Justice: I'm hoping so. They're welcome additions to the side and should improve the team, at least. It's important to have depth and competition - in which these two bring with their arrival.

Jack: December was a horrific month and I'm hoping we won't witness a similar barren run between now and the end of the season.

Much better, back in the hunt for European qualification! Trincao had a strong month in front of goal, hopefully he can continue in the same vein of form!

A slight drop down the table but December was always going to be an incredibly difficult month. Next month should see some ‘easier’ matches so hopefully you can start picking up the points again.

Good to see Max wants to stay at Koln and build upon the foundations built last year and continue the good start this year.

Pushing on a bit there with those league results, also a nice result against Ajax! You're nicely in the group chasing European football next season, which would be a fantastic achievement giving it's your first season back in the top-flight.

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February was an important month for Köln if they wanted to pursue their hopes of qualifying for the UEFA Europa League. They began against Eintracht Frankfurt - sealing a 2-1 victory at the Stadion Frankfurt. Nicolai Müller heaped the pressure late on, but the visitors held on for a much-deserved win.

Next, the DFB-Pokal resumed as 1. FSV Mainz 05 held Effzeh to a 1-1 draw in normal-time - prompting the need for extra-time. Gabriel Barbosa - who came on as a substitute and equalised for the hosts - captured a hat-trick, as another substitute, Tim Handwerker, produced a double to send his side cruising through after one-hundred and twenty minutes.

Philipp Max put through his own goal, as Freiburg raced into a 1-0 lead after three minutes at the RheinEnergieStadion in the game that followed. However, a quick-fire double was added to by in-form winger Francisco Trincão as Köln snatched a 3-2 victory against the struggling visitors, despite a late-goal from Vincent Sierro allowing them back into the game with eight minutes to play.

VfB Stuttgart claimed a crucial point in their bid to survive in the top flight this season, holding Köln to a 0-0 draw at the Mercedes-Benz Arena. The result significantly hindered Köln's push for the Europa League places, as a result.

However, Köln responded expertly. A 2-1 victory over Borussia Dortmund aided their efforts as they pushed back inside the top six with a win. Dortmund's loss forced them to lose ground on Köln, as they themselves look to seal a Europa League place come the end of the season. Again, Effzeh supporters awaited the full-time whistle with suspense, as Paco Alcácer reduced the deficit with three minutes to play, but the hosts held on for an important three points.

Finally, the month ended with leading contenders Köln and Hamburger SV locking horns. The pair had to suffice with a point apiece, after the game ended in a 0-0 deadlock. The result certainly didn't harm their aspirations, but it dampened either sides spirits, as they were unable to maintain an advantage going into March. The absence of striker Gabriel Barbosa - who was out with the flu - was clearly felt by the home side, who lacked a cutting-edge.


Bayern Munich returned to the top of the Bundesliga, as Bayer Leverkusen conceded top spot with a 2-1 loss at the BayArena against RB Leipzig. They now sat a point behind the leaders, as a result. After a couple of losses, 1. FSV Mainz 05 found their rhythm again and extracted four wins from five in the Bundesliga to regain third-place, whilst SV Werder Bremen slipped to fourth after a couple of draws in an otherwise faultless month.

TSG 1899 Hoffenheim and RB Leizpig found themselves in the UEFA Europa League places, narrowly ahead of 1. FC Köln who led the chasing pack, closely flanked by Hamburger SV. Borussia Dortmund fell away, slightly, during a mixed-bag month for last season's champions - collecting just two wins.

At the bottom, VfL Wolfsburg's season continued to worsen. Their significantly poorer goal-difference meant they ranked below both VfB Stuttgart - who occupied the relegation play-off place - and 1. FC Nürnberg, who all had eighteen points to their name, in spite of a recent 2-1 victory against Borussia Mönchengladbach.

FC Schalke 04's poor form returned, whilst SC Freiburg continued to feel the presence of the bottom three looming over them. Hannover 96 were also far from safety, just five points clear of the side third-bottom, Stuttgart.

The month of March included just four games, beginning with away tests against both Hertha Berlin and FC Schalke 04. Köln would then welcome 1. FC Nürnberg in their final league game of the month, as attentions would once again turn to the DFB-Pokal to conclude - with the test of VfL Wolfsburg standing between Köln and the semi-finals.

Replies

Justice: January was certainly a step in the right direction again. Trincao's form was vital in it, too, most definitely.

LFC: December was a train-wreck, in truth. It was a difficult month, but Max would have been disappointed with the outcome. There were certainly games in which he would have expected improved results due to the circumstances within select games - like RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich - but it wasn't to be.

He would certainly regret leaving Koln if he was to leave, I think!

Jack: Max won't be giving up on the hunt for European football next season, it's certainly within the realms of possibility - especially after the latest group of results. With Barbosa seemingly settling into the side and Tim Handwerker also bursting onto the scene in the DFB-Pokal this month, our job has been made a little easier. I think March will go a long way into seeing whether the possibility is there or not, though.