Football Season Guide

Koln achieved their pre-season aim of staying well clear of the relegation zone last year, finishing in a respectable mid-table position but could have secured a better finish had they managed to build on a positive start. Coach Steffen Baumgart has managed to hold on to his job despite a below-par campaign and faces an even more difficult task this time around after seeing a number of first team players leave. Ellyes Skhiri had been a key feature in the center of the midfield but has since left to sign for Eintracht Frankfurt. Schindler, Lemperle, Timo Horn and Andersson have all left on free transfers while Jonas Hector has retired. Ondrej Duda has been the only player to command a transfer fee after being sold to Hellas Verona. Koln have used the funds to convert Chabot's loan into a permanent move and the defender is expected to be the first choice in the center of the defense. Lack of money means Koln have been limited to free transfers with Jacob Christensen, Leart Paqarada and Philipp Pentke all signing on permanent deals while Luca Waldschmidt and Rasmus Carstensen have been brought in on loan deals. While Koln have improved their options in the attack with Waldschmidt's arrival, there are question marks in other areas of the pitch and their prospects next season will depend on whether the likes of Christensen, Paqarada and Carstensen can effectively replace the departures.