Football Season Guide

Köln finished dead last in the Bundesliga last season ending a four stay at the top table of the German football. But despite the terrible results at the end of the season Köln enter this season in fine shape after a number of key personnel committed their futures to the club. In addition, the club has strengthened in important areas and for that reason they are strong favourites to be promoted. The most significant addition to the club this season is new head coach Markus Anfang who was in charge of Holstein Kiel last season. Anfang took a Kiel side with far less talent than he has at Köln to third spot last season and he is highly regarded at this level. The most crucial element for the new coach will be to create the same atmosphere as he had in Kiel where they fought with everything they had. Anfang is also known for his tendency to play attacking football. Among the playing staff three important members of the first team from last season have left. Yuya Osako and Dominique Heintz have both found fresh Bundesliga sides, but can be replaced. Whereas winger Leonardo Bittencourt will be a big loss and has not really been replaced. However, attacking midfielder Louis Schaub is an exciting talent playing in Germany for the first time. At the back Lasse Sobiech has plenty of experience at this level and will be the key man at the back. Two of the most interesting signings for the club are players Anfang has brought with him from former club Kiel. Rafael Czichos was his captain at the club and is likely to have a senior role in the Köln squad. Dominik Drexler scored 12 and assisted 11 last season and is one of the most high impact players in the league. Köln’s squad is not only the most expensive in the league, but also contains many of the players they had in the first division. German World Cup squad member Jonas Hector is the biggest, but strikers Jhon Cordoba, Simon Terodde and Simon Zoller have all proven themselves at a high level. Köln will be pushing to finish top of the league and have the talent to do so. But like many other sides who try to bounce back into the top division, it will not be straight forward.