Football Season Guide

Koln enjoyed an immediate return to the Bundesliga, claiming promotion after finishing at the top of 2.Bundesliga last season though they had to deal with off the field issues that culminated in Markus Anfang being sacked with the title all but in their grasp. Jahn Regensburg coach Achim Beierlorzer takes over from interim coach Andre Pawlak ahead of the start of the Bundesliga campaign. Koln have been fairly active in the transfer window over the summer, largely focusing on improving on their defensive side of the lineup. Ellyes Skhiri and Birger Verstraete have been brought in from Montpellier and Gent respectively to provide screening to their backline from the midfield. Sebastiaan Bornauw has been their biggest outlay, arriving from Anderlecht, and the 20-year old is expected to be the first choice in the center of the defense while Kingsley Ehizibue is also expected to start at rightback. Kingsley Schindler and Julian Krahl have been signed on free transfers but are only expected to improve the depth. There have been very few departures though with Serhou Guirassy being the biggest name to leave after his loan to Amiens was converted into a permanent move. Chris Fuhrich and Johannes Geis have been let go on free transfers but the squad is still bloated and Koln will be actively looking to trim their numbers before the transfer window shuts down. Anfang did enjoy success with Koln in the Bundesliga but seemingly lost the trust of not just the board but also the fans as the campaign neared the end. Beierlorzer meanwhile is an unknown quantity in the Bundesliga, though he was an assistant under Ralf Rangnick at RB Leipzig when they gained promotion in the 2015-16 season. He has the benefit of a squad filled with top flight experience though and, with Koln having looked to improve on some of their weaknesses, they have the best chance among the three promoted teams to beat the drop come the end of the campaign.